All good things must come to an end.
ASU came into their game against Missouri 15-0-2 in their previous 17 non-conference home games. The last time ASU lost a game in Tempe against a non-Pac-12 was way back in 2008, when the Sun Devils lost 1-0 to TCU.
That undefeated streak is quite remarkable considering ASU is 29-26-11 since the start of the 2008 season. The Tigers would snap that streak, defeating ASU 1-0 on Sunday.
Marshall still out
Sophomore forward Devin Marshall’s high ankle sprain was described as “week-to-week” by ASU head coach Kevin Boyd.
Marshall is moving around with crutches. High ankle sprains are the worst type of sprains to have — generally, the higher up the injury is on the ankle, the longer the player is out.
Height is a concern with 5’9’’ Marshall on the sidelines. Marshall is ASU’s tallest attacking player.
The team as a whole struggled to get a good touch or head on any of their eight corner kicks against Missouri, and after the game Boyd was concerned with their attack on corner kicks.
“We don’t have a ton of height, and yeah, Devin’s absent, best player in the air, so her being out changes us,” Boyd said. “All our set pieces are bland right now. We don’t have a whole lot of size. The size that we do have isn’t great in the air. We’ve got to find a different way to get on sets or we need to have a lot more courage and attack a ball better.”
Crook shifts to forward
With Marshall out, Boyd has just two natural forwards in his starting lineup, freshman Alexandra Doller and junior Sierra Cook. Sophomore midfielder Holland Crook has shifted to the frontline with Marshall out.
Crook led the team with five shots, two of them on goal, in the 1-0 loss to Missouri on Sunday.
However, they weren’t necessarily smart shots. A couple times on a breakaway, she was one-on-one with a defender. Crook then dribbled near the out-of-bounds mark and crossed the ball right at the goalie.
“Our crosses all went straight to the goalkeeper inside the six (yard box), which we talk about keeping it out of the six every single time we cross,” Boyd said.
Arnold has concussion
Sophomore goalie Vittoria Arnold’s eye and lips have improved since being kicked in the face, but Boyd revealed she also suffered a concussion.
Arnold has been in a position battle with junior goalie Alyssa Gillmore. Boyd said when Gillmore returns that the two will continue to share time at net.
Stone also injured Redshirt sophomore forward Nicki Stone can be added to the list of injured Sun Devils.
After scoring her first career goal — a game-winner against South Carolina — Stone has not played since.
Stone had a meniscus tear in her knee and had surgery for it when the team played Virginia. Boyd said she would be out another two to three weeks.
Stone has had knee injuries in the past, missing most of the 2010 season with a knee injury.
No home games left in Sept.
After playing four of their first six games at home, ASU won’t see their home field again until Oct. 7 when they take on Oregon State.
The Sun Devils will play two neutral-site games in Tucson this weekend before traveling to California, Utah and Colorado to start their inaugural season in Pac-12 play.
ASU struggled on their first road trip of the season, losing both games by a combined 6-1 score.
Reach the reporter at Justin.Janssen@asu.edu Click here to subscribe to the daily State Press newsletter.
