(Photo: Nicholas Badders/WCSN)
After a challenging week on the road against Cal and Stanford, the Arizona State women’s soccer team will continue their run against California teams this weekend. The Sun Devils return to their home turf to take on No. 1 UCLA on Thursday and No. 6 USC on Sunday.
Although the Sun Devils hung on to a 1-1 tie against the Golden Bears, the team wasn’t able to rally for Sunday’s game and took a hard 6-0 loss against Stanford’s top-ranked offense.
“Obviously the Cal match was a big morale booster for us,” said head coach Graham Winkworth. While the turnout of ASU’s first match was a surprise for both fans and players, Winkworth expressed that Sunday’s loss wasn’t as unexpected. “Stanford was the better team and deserved the victory, without question,” he said.
Now halfway through the season, the Sun Devils (4-5-2) currently hold the eighth spot in the Pac-12. Initially, ASU stood at the bottom of the standings, where they ranked last in the Pac-12 at the start of the year.
While the Devils face a difficult conference schedule this season, Winkworth is grateful for the matchups that lie ahead. “What an opportunity,” he said in regard to facing nationally-ranked squads. “That’s what we all signed up for.”
A key player for her team yet again, ASU freshman keeper Nikki Panas will have her work cut out for her this weekend. Panas is ranked second in the Pac-12 with saves (47), and leads the conference with 22 saves in Pac-12 matches.
ASU will begin the weekend against their toughest opponent yet, as UCLA (10-0-1) holds the No.1 national rank and will be looking to remain undefeated. The Bruins have a 15-game unbeaten streak, which dates back to last season.
This is a big weekend for UCLA head coach Amanda Cromwell, as she hopes for one more win to put her at a career 300 victories. Cromwell is of the top-30 winningest coaches all time in NCAA history and will be expecting to continue her team’s perfect Pac-12 record.
“We can either lie down and have our bellies tickled, or we can go and give our best. You never know what could happen on any given day,” commented Winkworth, who is only focused on taking UCLA one minute at a time.
The Sun Devil’s weekend doesn’t get any easier after Thursday’s bout against UCLA, however. Sunday afternoon brings USC (8-1-1) to Tempe, where the Trojans are fresh off a national championship title from last season.
The Trojans currently hold a 14-7 all-time record against the Sun Devils, and beat ASU in Tempe just last season.
Boasting a number of national team players, USC has a very talented and well-rounded team that can act as a threat on either side of the field. Redshirt freshman Savannah DeMelo has already put up four goals this season, and currently holds a record for her three assists in one match.
ASU will be looking to make a lot of improvements based on their last game against Stanford, as they will especially be focused on getting more shots on net to rack up the score. They will also need to work on maintaining their composure, especially in the final third, to finish out their games strong.
“It’s important that we stay positive and we work hard,” said Winkworth. “Hopefully that will limit those mistakes.”
The Pac-12 battle continues this weekend, as the Sun Devils kick off against UCLA at 7 p.m. on Thursday and 1 p.m. on Sunday.
