For the ASU women’s soccer team, injuries have derailed a potent starting lineup.
Six of ASU’s 11 starters from the opening game did not start at their original positions Sunday against Pacific.
No position group on the field has had a consistent starting lineup all season. The forwards, midfield, defense and goalies all have been shuffled around, due to both injuries and decisions made by coach Kevin Boyd.
In the frontline, redshirt sophomore forward Nicki Stone and sophomore forward Devin Marshall continue to rehab from injuries. Two weeks ago, junior midfielder Holland Crook started in the frontline in the Sun Devil Desert Classic, while freshman midfielder Jessica DeLeon filled in at midfield.
But last week freshman forward Sarah Van Horn started, while Crook slid back. Also in the midfield, senior midfielder Nicole Acosta has been getting the starting nod over sophomore Blair Alderson.
In the backline, junior Kiara Williams started over longtime starter senior Kari Shane against Pacific. Shane had started 41 consecutive games prior to Sunday.
Sophomore centerback Kaitlyn Pavlovich was injured in the 5-0 loss to Texas Tech. Sophomore defender Jasmine Roth switched from left back to center back and Kate Sangster filled in for Roth at left back.
Even the shifts in goalkeeper have been constant for ASU. Sophomore Vittoria Arnold split time with junior Alyssa Gillmore before Arnold suffered a concussion in the 3-0 loss to Virginia.
Team opens Pac-12 play in unusual shape
Heading into Pac-12 conference play, ASU’s soccer team (4-4) is worse off than they had been in prior seasons.
Although the team is very deep, the injury bug is spreading around the team like it is an incurable virus. The second concern for ASU entering conference play is how they’ve played.
In the past three seasons, ASU had stellar nonconference performances. In 2010, ASU went 6-2-2 before conference play started. In 2009, the club went 7-1-2 and in 2008, they went 6-2-3.
On the other hand, ASU has played a fairly difficult out-of-conference schedule, with their opponents’ combined strength of schedule add up to a .574 winning percentage. The Sun Devils faced five teams from the six power conferences.
Lack of other scorers still a concern
Two players — freshman forward Alexandra Doller and junior forward Sierra Cook have scored most of ASU’s goals this season.
Doller has scored five time and Cook on three occasions. The rest of the team has combined for five goals, and no player has scored more than one.
ASU scored seven of their 13 goals in an opening day rout of Northern Arizona. The Lumberjacks (1-6-2) haven’t been the same team that they were in recent years when they qualified for two of the past three NCAA tournaments, but the Sun Devils clearly have the ability to find the back of the net.
In the seven games since NAU, ASU has scored six goals (.86 goals per game) and has scored more than one goal in just one game.
Some of struggles are due to the injury to Marshall and Stone, but the Sun Devils have also had trouble capitalizing on scoring chances.
Reach the reporter at justin.janssen@asu.edu
Click here to subscribe to the daily State Press newsletter.
