(Photo: Nicholas Badders/WCSN)
The Arizona State Sun Devils start a 3 game road stretch with a match in Eugene, Oregon against the Oregon Ducks today at 4 p.m.
ASU has not earned a win in their past 4 matches, playing top-25 ranked teams in all of those 4 matches including the top 2 teams in the nation, UCLA and Stanford. They were outscored 12-2 throughout that stretch and in their last game against No. 6 USC, they gave up 1-0 lead after being the only team that scored in the first half.
Although the final results of the matches have been disappointing for the Sun Devils as of late, head coach Graham Winkworth has had nothing but positive comments about his team in the past 2 games. Winkworth had the same message to the media after ASU’s 3-0 loss to UCLA and 2-1 loss against USC, “I’m proud of the way our team fought.”
There’s no doubt that in both of those games, ASU started just as strong or even stronger than their opponents, but by the second half they were not able to keep the same momentum and were in the end outperformed.
The rest of the Pac-12 schedule for the Sun Devils does get easier however. They will not play any currently ranked teams for the rest of the season and that all starts with the 6-7 Oregon Ducks this evening.
Oregon has not won a game yet since starting conference play and ASU will do everything they can to make sure that doesn’t change.
Although the Ducks are 0-5 against their Pac-12 foes, their losses have not been as remarkable as ASU’s, losing games to much closer scores, usually by one or two goals.
Expect the Sun Devils starting defense to be different as star transfer defender, Angela Boyle received a red card last game and will not be able to play today. Angela Boyle has been a key player for the Devils in the backfield and a regular starter.
Olive Jones, who has played and impressed in the defense the past two games, will most likely start for the Devils at centerback. How many partners she will have in center however will be the question.
The Sun Devils could start junior Madison Wolf to be the other centerback or go with 3 players in the back line by taking captain Madison Stark out of the wingback and putting her in center along with Wolf and Jones.
Another player to keep an eye out is freshman goalkeeper Nikki Panas. Panas injured herself against UCLA on Oct. 5 and was taken out of the game in halftime and hasn’t played since. Nikki did not practice this Wednesday for ASU and Winkworth stated that the chances of her playing were “50/50”. Panas did travel with the team to Eugene. If she doesn’t start however, expect redshirt senior goalkeeper Megan Delaney to take her place.
The Sun Devils will have two more road games next week against Colorado and Utah before they come back home for their last three matches of the season.
