(Photo: Steve Rodriguez/ASU Athletics)
The No. 22 Arizona State soccer team nearly broke a school record following a 6-0 win over the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Friday, and two individual players etched their names into Sun Devil history.
The six-goal win marks the second-most goals ever scored in a single game by the Sun Devils.
The current record currently stands at seven goals in a single game and has been accomplished three times in the program’s 20-year history. The last time this was accomplished was in 2012 against Northern Arizona University.
“I think we’ve been attacking very well,” head coach Kevin Boyd said. “In fact, I think the strength in our team [as of lately] is in our attack.”
Forward Cali Farquharson has been at the heart of that attack for the past three seasons, and Friday night scored her 37the career goal, tying the record for second-most career goals in Sun Devil history.
Farquharson, who is coming off a 14-goal season, will need 13 more in order to tie the current record of 50 goals set by Stacey Tullock in 2001.
The captain said she wasn’t thinking too much about reaching the record, and just wanted to help her team one game at a time.
“[37 goals], that’s a lot for me.” Farquharson said. “But like I said, I’m just trying to do the best that I can.”
Redshirt senior goalkeeper Chandler Morris also tied a record of her own Friday night.
Morris now has 21 career shutouts for the Sun Devils to her name, placing her just two behind Erin Reinke, who currently hold the record for most career shutouts with 23 to her name.
“Honestly, Chandler is on it,” senior midfielder Lucy Lara said about her teammate. “I wouldn’t want any other back to be behind me. I trust [her] 100-percent.”
Morris is coming off a season where she had seven shutouts.
Through all the accomplishment, the night had a bittersweet start for the Sun Devils who managed to score three early goals. One courtesy of Lara, and two from senior forward Farquharson.
Despite scoring three in the first half, Boyd said the team didn’t play up to its standards.
“In the first half, while we were up 3-0, it didn’t feel like we had outplayed them to 3-0,” Boyd said. “We just had a couple of good goals to be honest. I mean we went 6 shots and 3 goals. That’s rather rare.”
But the Sun Devils rallied their efforts to net three more in a much more impressive showing.
Senior defender McKenzie Berryhill started the scoring with a quick play off a set piece, after sophomore defender Madison Stark drew a foul at the top of the box just before the 54th minute.
Before anyone could even think about setting up, Farquharson laid a ball off to Berryhill who curled into the top corner.
Sophomore forward Aly Moon also scored her second of the season and Freshman Adriana Orozco scored her first to make it six on the night.
“I really thought we stepped it up in the second half,” Boyd said.
The Sun Devils will be back in action on Monday when they take on San Diego State at home.
