The ASU women’s soccer team went into the weekend knowing a win would very likely put the team into the NCAA tournament, and on Friday night they got it.
A 3-0 upset victory over No. 17 USC (12-5-3, 5-3-1 Pac-10) puts the Sun Devils (9-7-3, 3-5-1) in great position to get an invite, ASU coach Kevin Boyd said.
“I think we’re in,” Boyd said. “I’d be shocked if we weren’t. We’ve played too many good teams and gotten good results. I can’t imagine we wouldn’t be in.”
Although a disappointing 3-0 loss on Sunday against UCLA (12-7-1, 5-4-0) likely cost ASU any chance at a seed, the team just needs to focus on the next game, senior midfielder Alexandra Elston said.
“Wherever we’re going to go now, we’ve just got to bring who we are and just forget about how we played here [against UCLA] and be the team we really are,” Elston said.
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The Sun Devils came out strong against the Women of Troy, only needing six minutes before a handball in the box by a USC defender led to a penalty kick that Elston calmly slotted in the right side of the net for her fifth goal of the season.
Freshman defender Josie Graybeal scored the first goal of her ASU career in the 45th minute, heading a cross from junior defender Kari Shane back across the goal and in off the right post to give the Sun Devils a 2-0 lead.
Senior forward Karin Volpe, who broke an 11-game scoreless streak, scored the final goal of the night when freshman forward Devin Marshall flicked a short cross into the USC box. Volpe turned as the ball came by and drilled it into the top of the net from a tight angle.
“I’ve been needing that for my confidence a little bit,” Volpe said. “We said we needed one win coming into the weekend to get to the playoffs, so we did our job.”
The shutout was the sixth of the season for sophomore goalkeeper Alyssa Gillmore, who saved a USC penalty kick in the 67th minute to preserve the clean sheet.
“It’s just always a great feeling,” Gillmore said. “[The penalty kick] could go either way. She placed it well, but I just dove the right way.”
Sunday’s game was preceded by an emotional ceremony for the team’s seniors, but that energy did not carry over to the game, as UCLA junior forward Sydney Leroux opened up scoring in just the third minute, heading a free kick home from point-blank range.
ASU would pick up the pace in the second part of the half, but could not find the net, with most shots going wide or high of goal.
Leroux would strike again in the 58th minute, this time after making an impressive run from midfield and blowing past two ASU defenders before burying a shot past Gillmore.
The Bruins scored their third goal just nine minutes later, after Leroux was brought down just outside the ASU box. Senior defender Lauren Barnes put the ensuing free kick into the top right corner and out of reach for Gillmore.
The biggest problem for the Sun Devils against UCLA was the intensity, Boyd said.
“We didn’t emotionally invest, and that’s the problem," Boyd said. “I mean the difference from Friday and today was night and day. The only way we win games and score goals is when we’re fully emotionally invested in the moment.”
The Sun Devils will find out their postseason fate during the NCAA tournament selection show, which begins Monday at 2:30 p.m.
Reach the reporter at egrasser@asu.edu
