(Photo: Jack Harris/WCSN)
Program debuts are exciting, but fans don’t expect a winning culture from the start.
The Arizona State women’s lacrosse team is changing that dynamic in Tempe.
After defeating Kennesaw State and Stenson in a weekend sweep last week, the Sun Devils take their newfound winning streak to San Diego to face the Aztecs Saturday at 2 p.m. MST (1 p.m. PT).
For a team who has only been practicing for a month and a half, the Sun Devils have made progress, and more importantly a statement.
“After first game and second game under our belt, I think they are gaining more and more confidence,” coach Courtney Martinez Connor said. “As the season progresses, obviously you look for them to have even more connections on the field”.
Their preparation routine is nothing extravagant – practice, film and meeting with scout teams. The focus is always on their own team, not the opponent.
“I think good balance because of coming right out of high school (for) majority of our team, that can be daunting to have a lot thrown at you”, Martinez Connor said.
Of Martinez Connor’s 40-person roster, 22 are freshmen, and over 80 percent of the players are underclassmen.
The young age should not be a question in this team’s dedication. Many of these women have been practicing for this for over a year.
“Last year was completely different,” sophomore goalkeeper Berkeley Bonneau said. “This week we are busting our butts and we’re like ‘hey Saturday we have a game, let’s go’ but last year the 16 of us had to bust our butts like that thinking about this year, which was 18 months later.”
Their prep for a year and a half has shown on the field. The team has had a huge impact on offense, scoring 29 goals in two games with co-captain Kerri Clayton scoring 12 in the weekend sweep.
Clayton has had an up and down battle with playing lacrosse at the collegiate level, and eventually reunited with her old coach at St. Paul’s School for the Girls.
“I didn’t know if I was going to play lacrosse anymore,” Clayton said. “Courtney was like ‘No I think you should come out and look at ASU.’ Knowing the resources here and everything, I couldn’t have asked for a better change.”
At 2-0, Clayton and the rest of the team look to stay on top of their winning ways.
THIS WEEKEND’S GAME
Saturday: ASU at San Diego State, 2 p.m. AZ time (1 p.m. local).
This will be the Sun Devils’ toughest matchup yet. The Aztecs have lost their top five scorers since the 2017 season but is returning 20 veteran players, including senior Kristen Hickey who had 34 goals last season. The Aztecs won their opening game against California 12-11, and are looking forward to opening their home schedule against the Sun Devils. SDSU is 22-24 at their home field, Aztec Lacrosse Field and coming off an emotional victory that ended with junior Harlowe Steel scoring the winning goal in the final 28 seconds in regulation. The Sun Devils will look to continue their offensive power this Saturday, as Bonneau will also look to add to her 20 saves she captured this past weekend.
