It was another disappointing game for ASU soccer (6-8-3, 0-6-2) Sunday afternoon in Tempe as it fell 1-0 to the visiting Oregon Ducks (5-6-5, 1-5-2).
The Sun Devils once again surrendered an early goal and were forced to play from behind for most of the match.
It seemed like ASU’s best opportunity to record a Pac-12 win, considering Oregon also entered the action without a win in the conference.
But unfortunately for the Sun Devils, that was not the case.
Sunday marked the last match at Sun Devil Stadium for four different members of the team. Midfielder Kylie Miniefield, midfielder Adriana Orozco, defender/forward Lorato Sargeant, and forward/midfielder Christina Edwards were all honored after the game for the program’s senior day festivities.
The lone goal of the day came from the Ducks in the 16th minute when freshman forward Ally Cook used the outside of her foot to put the ball past ASU freshman goalkeeper Giulia Cascapera.
Sargeant spoke after the game about how her team’s tendency to allow early goals has led to its recent struggles.
“Going down early has been a punch in the gut to us recently,” she said. “We need to be a little more focused and tuned into the game.”
ASU head coach Graham Winkworth was notably disappointed after the game, and he mentioned the team needs to improve in all facets of its game.
“We’ve got to eradicate mistakes, we’ve made a lot of mistakes in that part of the pitch,” Winkworth said. “We’ve got to give the back line and the goalkeeper a little more protection. We’ve got to get stronger and make better decisions.”
ASU will be on the road for its final three contests this season against a series of talented opponents.
Next up, ASU will head to the Bay Area to square off with the United Soccer Coaches' No. 2 ranked team in the country, Stanford (14-1, 7-0), on Thursday Oct. 31 at 5:00 p.m. MST.
Reach the reporter at ltochter@asu.edu and follow @Leo_Toch on Twitter.
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