(Photo: Katherine Fitzgerald/WCSN)
The No. 7 Arizona State Sun Devils lost their first game of the season against then No. 7 Cal Poly by a score of 5-4.
As it goes with every loss there is always going to be something to take away and learn from it.
“Our shooting sucked,” ASU head coach Todd MacRobbie said. “We just did not have the correct execution. We did 95 percent of the stuff right, and the other five percent was the difference.”
ASU seemingly could not get anything going offensively which may seem like a cause for concern. One of the main problems was keeping control of the ball.
Over the course of the game the Sun Devils offense was swarmed by the Mustang defense. Evidence can be found in the fact that this electric offense was held to only four points.
This brings rise to the question: Are the Sun Devils okay? The answer is clear and simple. They will be just fine.
The offense may have faltered against the Mustangs, but the firepower is all still there.
Junior attackman Rhett Rodgers has been scorching hot over the past few games. In these games Rodgers tallied four points total against the University of Southern California and three points against Cal Poly.
Along with Rodgers the Sun Devils also have senior attackman Finn Wells, who is a star in its own. Although after notching four goals against Oregon State in the first game his numbers have regressed slightly.
Both those players have also raved about freshman attackman Jake Marthens as well, as he has potential to step into a star role this year as well. Marthens flashed a bit of that potential against USC when he totaled three points.
This game against Cal Poly also proved that the Sun Devils defense can be top-notch.
ASU held the Mustangs to only five goals. A Mustangs offense that plays at a highly efficient level.
Before playing the Sun Devils, Cal Poly exploded for 24 points in its first outing of the season and 11 in its second.
The loss is not changing the mindset of the team going forward as they remain confident in themselves.
“We just have to move forward,” senior midfielder Henry Archie. “Hats off to Cal Poly for beating us. They beat us fair and square. At the end of the day we don’t panic.”
The Sun Devils will hit the field again against Boston College on March 7th. For now it seems as if ASU will be okay and there is no need to worry.
If you have any questions or comments, you can contact Jacob Franklin via twitter @JFrankSports or via email at jacobfranklin093@gmail.com.
