Senior midfielder Taylor McCarter (right) spots the loose ball during the Sun Devils’ 4-1 win over Utah on Oct. 25. (Photo by Kyle Newman)After the ASU soccer team’s 2-0 home loss to No. 23 California on Oct. 12, coach Kevin Boyd told his players they needed to win four of their last five matches to earn a postseason berth.
Since then, the Sun Devils (9-8-2, 5-4-1 Pac-12) are 3-0-1 and on an emotional high following last Sunday’s dramatic 2-1 double overtime win, in which freshman forward Cali Farquharson scored the game-winning goal with only 22 seconds remaining.
The Sun Devils now face their regular season finale against rival UA.
The Wildcats (6-10-3, 2-6-2 Pac-12) are the only team standing in the way of the Sun Devils and the postseason, but Boyd said ASU is focusing on the task ahead.
“We think that with a win, we are cemented into the playoffs,” Boyd said.
UA has had its fair share of struggles this year, but Boyd praised the play of the Wildcats.
“I’ve always admired UA’s fighting spirit,” Boyd said. “I think they’ve got some character to them, and they don’t quit and make it very difficult for their opponents.”
Junior forward Jazmin Ponce leads the Wildcats with eight goals on the season and is by far the biggest scoring threat for UA.
“Ponce is a terrific soccer player,” Boyd said. “She has a great strike, she’s technical and can beat people. She’s a handful, so we have to have to be very attentive to her.”
For as much praise as Boyd gives the Wildcats, he still understands the match is a rivalry game.
“Obviously, we are trying to get a Cup point for our school and represent everybody within Sun Devil Athletics,” Boyd said.
Senior midfielder Taylor McCarter, who has started every game for the Sun Devils in her four-year career, agrees with her coach.
“Nobody likes to lose to their rivals,” McCarter said.
McCarter will be one of the nine seniors honored during Friday’s match, so the match will have extra merit for her.
“It’s weird to think that this is one of the final times I’ll be playing here on this field and this turf,” McCarter said. “I’m really excited and we are going to come out ready to play.”
The seniors, including defender Sierra Joseph, have come into the lineup during the Sun Devils’ recent winning streak, and Boyd will keep the same plan for the season finale.
“We are always going to play the players we think give us the best chance to win,” Boyd said. “Right now, we have a lot of depth, so we feel quite confident going into our bench.”
The Sun Devils won 2-1 last year in Tucson and lead the overall series 14-2-1, but Boyd is making sure his team doesn’t collapse.
“If there’s a letdown for us in our Senior Day against our rival with the chance to get in the playoffs on the line, there’s something wrong with us,” Boyd said.
Reach the reporter at dsshapi1@asu.edu
