For the second time in two games, sophomore forward Sara Tosti delivered the game-winning goal for the ASU soccer team.
In the 71st minute, ASU had a corner kick opportunity. Senior midfielder Rachael Ritter crossed the ball in to senior forward Devin Marshall,who passed to Tosti, who headed the ball into the goal, giving ASU a 1-0 victory over Oregon.
“Rachael served a real nice ball in and Devin got her head on it and put it back across to the near post where Sara was,” said ASU coach Kevin Boyd. “Tosti steps into it and basically punches it with her head into the goal.”
The Sun Devils (8-4, 3-1 Pac-12) probably should have already taken the lead, but a slew of off-target shots kept Oregon (2-7-3, 0-3-1 Pac-12) in the game.
ASU ended up outshooting Oregon 15-7 for the game, including 7-0 in the first half. Sophomore forward Cali Farquharson, who leads ASU with nine goals, took eight shots for ASU. Just two of those shots came on frame.
“Normally when she has eight shots, she scores three (goals)," Boyd said of Farquharson, who hasn't scored in five games. "Right now the ball won’t go in for her. At some point she’s going to get that monkey off her back and they (goals) are going to start coming in buckets.”
ASU had one of its best chances in the first half when Farquharson took a shot from inside the 18-yard box in the 28th minute. The shot wasn’t cleanly saved. Tosti got the rebound near the 6-yard box, but airmailed the shot.
Redshirt sophomore goalie Chandler Morris needed just one save to preserve ASU’s third shutout in conference play.
She also contributed defending on set pieces, punching dangerous balls away from the goal. On a second half shot coming from a free kick, an Oregon player collided with Morris.
Morris was down on the ground, the second time in three games she was involved in a big collision, but stayed in the game
“Some (Oregon) kid basically barreled into her put her knee into Chandler’s stomach while she was catching the ball,” Boyd said. “The problem with keepers is when your arms are up catching a ball, your body’s exposed.”
Despite their record, Oregon was competitive in every game this season. The Ducks haven’t lost a game by more than a goal all season, and the defense has allowed four goals in the last five games. The offense on the other hand, hasn’t scored in Pac-12 play.
“They made it difficult for us,” Boyd said. “It was a bit chaotic at times and to add to it we never calmed the game down on our end so we played into it to a certain degree. … With that said, we’re on the road, at somebody else’s home, we found a way to win.”
ASU’s next game is against Oregon State (2-9-2, 0-3-1 Pac-12) on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Reach the reporter at justin.janssen@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @jjanssen11