With time winding down for the ASU soccer team on Senior Night, a senior stepped up and scored the game-winning goal for ASU.
Senior forward Sierra Cook, a Washington native, delivered the go-ahead goal with 10:55 remaining, propelling the ASU soccer team (7-11, 3-7 Pac-12) to a 1-0 victory over Washington (7-8-4, 3-5-2).
On the near side of the field Cook corralled a pass from junior forward Alyssa Freeman. Cook then dribbled towards the goal and shot the ball into the far corner, past the goalie.
ASU continued to control possession in the later minutes, not allowing Washington an opportunity to tie the game.
“It’s Senior Day, I got my family here, it’s just a nice way to end it at home,” Cook said.
“(Cook) had an outstanding game today,” coach Kevin Boyd said. “I’m really happy that her last home game, she got to play that way. Very fitting that one of our seniors gets the goal — the game-winner — and she’s from Wash.”
ASU put together one of its most complete performances against a squad that needed a win to stay alive for the postseason hunt.
ASU also outshot the Huskies 13 to six and controlled possession for most of the afternoon.
“Finally, (in the) 18th game of the year, it’s all coming together, it’s starting to show,” Cook said. “Unfortunate that it took this long, but it’s nice that it finally showed up, especially on senior day.”
ASU was burned a couple times this season on breakaways, but didn’t allow the Huskies to break free in the open field.
“I thought we played sounder in terms of trying to take care of the little details,” Boyd said. We didn’t give up anything free.”
Heartbroken in double overtime
Unlike their game against Washington, ASU couldn’t hold off Washington State (12-6-2, 6-3-1) on Friday.
With three minutes remaining in the final overtime period, ASU appeared to have won the game.
A Washington State defender deflected junior defender Kiara Williams’ pass. The ball was on its way out-of-bounds, but sophomore forward Devin Marshall saved it and passed to Freeman in the box.
Freeman then drilled the ball into the far post past the goalie, and the spectators thought the game was over.
The ASU players celebrated like they had won, but the official made a late ruling, determining that Marshall did not save the ball prior to going out-of-bounds.
“That changes games right there, momentum switch for sure,” Boyd said.
Just minutes later, Washington State scored the game-winner with 2:58 to go before the end of overtime.
On a breakaway, Washington State sophomore defender Delany Zalud passed to midfielder Jocelyn Jeffers, who headed the ball into the goal.
ASU originally got on the board first. Junior midfielder Holland Crook’s corner kick resulted in a scrum inside the penalty box.
ASU missed the first attempted shot, but freshman defender Jessica DeLeon controlled the rebound and scored her first career goal.
“They (Washington State) thought it was a handball, but I put it away before the ref could say anything,” DeLeon said.
However, Washington State answered just a minute later when senior forward Tiarra Pitman buried a shot past ASU goalie Alyssa Gillmore.
The loss stung the ASU players and coaches because they thought ASU out-played the Cougars during game. Also, anytime a team goes into overtime, they feel they had opportunities to win the game.
“Truthfully, that was one of our better performances,” Boyd said. “It’s absolutely a shame that we lost. I thought it was a very even game, if anybody had the edge it would be us.”
“We played one of the better games we’ve played all season, so we have to be proud in that,” Gillmore said.
Reach the reporter at justin.janssen@asu.edu
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