The season didn’t turn out as expected for the ASU soccer team.
From key injuries to inconsistent play on the field, ASU is eliminated from postseason contention with two weeks to go in the regular season.
Even though the team can’t make the NCAA tournament, coach Kevin Boyd said ASU needs to keep playing strong.
“We play for pride and we play to see if we can find our best soccer still in the last three games,” Boyd said. “We haven’t played a full 90 (minutes) with our best soccer yet. It’d be nice for it to show up at some point.”
Junior goalie Alyssa Gillmore said that after learning the team was eliminated from contention, the team kept to themselves.
“Everybody’s keeping to themselves. We all know that we’re more capable than how we’ve been playing. It’s kind of a self-reflective time.”
ASU could also play for more than pride. Spoiling Washington’s postseason chances (6-7-4) on Sunday’s Senior Night would be some consolation for the tough season.
And knocking off rival UA (1-13-2) on Nov. 4 could boost the team’s morale into the offseason.
Homecoming in L.A.
This Saturday, the ASU football team is set for its Homecoming game against Colorado.
But the soccer team beat them to the punch and had a little homecoming of their own last weekend in Los Angeles.
The ASU soccer team has eight players from California, the most from any state, including Arizona.
Six of the eight went to high schools within an hour’s drive of either USC or UCLA, meaning family and friends were there, watching their Sun Devils.
Last home games for seniors
The home slate of games this season concludes for ASU this weekend. Anywhere from four to six Sun Devils will play their last home soccer games at Sun Devil Soccer Stadium.
That figure depends on whether redshirt junior forward Courtney Tinnin and redshirt junior defender Courtney Giovanni decide to come back for another season.
Both have used their redshirts, although Giovanni has only played in one career game.
Redshirt junior forward Sierra Cook said last week that since she graduates in the spring, she is taking this as her senior season. It’s starting to become reality to the veteran players that their time is almost up.
“It’s starting to get sad, it’s starting to hit us,” Cook said.
Team in season-long slide
After starting the season with wins over NAU and No. 22 South Carolina, ASU has faded into the blue, with a dismal record after.
ASU has won just four of 14 games since the Sept. began, including three straight losses.
Team breaks overtime drought
Before falling 2-1 to USC in overtime last weekend, ASU had not played an overtime game over their last 18 matches.
It’s hard to believe a team can go 18 games without playing in overtime considering how low-scoring soccer is.
Reach the reporter at justin.janssen@asu.edu
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