Freshman Larisa Staub watches as the ball goes out of bounds. (Photo by Arianna Grainey)ASU soccer coach Kevin Boyd talked to his team about doing the small things to reach a larger goal, and the message is clear: win a playoff game.
Following an injury-riddled sub-.500 2011 campaign, the team returned to the postseason and lost in 2012, but now it wants to take the next step.
“I think everyone has said that,” Boyd said. “Every single player has got that on their mind. We’re all working with the idea that, ‘Let’s win a playoff game.’”
That would give Boyd his first playoff victory in seven seasons at ASU and the program’s first since 2003.
ASU has the talent, at least offensively, to accomplish that task. Sophomore forward Cali Farquharson and senior forward Devin Marshall both return after dynamic seasons in 2012.
Farquharson scored 10 goals in a breakout 2012 season, while Marshall scored a career-best nine goals despite missing five games because of injury.
“It’s the difference between night and day,” Boyd said on the team's top scorers returning. “It’s such a positive to have. When you don’t have a prolific scorer, you’re trying to do it by committee, which is very hard to do. When you find someone who has a knack for putting the ball in the goal, it completely changes the game.”
The duo's 1.06 goals per game combined in 2012 is the best in the Pac-12.
Marshall, an aggressive player with an injury-riddled past, has missed 12 games in the last two seasons, but she knows she needs to stay on the field so opponents can’t key on Farquharson.
Marshall said she would be more selective when taking on defenders and take better care of herself in the weight room to prevent injury.
“I think picking and choosing my battles is the biggest issue for me, knowing when to go for something, when not to, because I kind of don’t think about it when playing,” Marshall said.
Behind the frontline, ASU loses midfielder Taylor McCarter after playing four seasons with the team.
McCarter, an instrumental defensive center midfielder, was known for possessing the ball and started in 80 games in her four-year ASU career.
Boyd said McCarter is difficult for ASU to replace but he plans on deploying two holding midfielders.
“She was so good on the ball that we never had to worry about either turning over the ball or getting beat out of that position,” Boyd said. “A lot (of) teams, their best player will be that attacking center-mid player. With Taylor we never had to worry about it (the opposing mid), it was just like, ‘Ah, Taylor’s there.’”
He said sophomore midfielder Tommi Goodman is one of the holding midfielders, but said he hasn’t decided on the other.
Boyd said three players are vying for the other starting slot, senior midfielder Rachael Ritter, junior midfielder/defender Brianna Gonzalez, and redshirt sophomore forward/midfielder Mackenzie Semerad.
ASU’s season begins against CSU Northridge on Aug. 23 at home.
Reach the reporter at Justin.Janssen@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @jjanssen11
