(Photo: Trey Lanthier/WCSN)
The Arizona State Sun Devils will finish off a three game run on the road on Friday as they take on USC in Los Angeles.
The Sun Devils, who are currently 8-4-2 in the season, are coming off a winless weekend in Washington.
Prior to last weekend, Arizona State was ranked 19th in the nation by the NSCAA and was on a nine game unbeaten streak. The streak was the highest the program has seen since the 2000 season and included a six game winning streak– the longest since 2002.
On Friday, Washington broke that streak with a 2-1 win over the Sun Devils, and on Sunday, Washington State forced the Devils into a scoreless draw.
Arizona State is no longer ranked among the top 25 teams in the nation by the NSCAA. Yet, the Sun Devils still hold top spots among Pac-12 rankings.
Although neither scored this weekend, forward Cali Farquharson and forward/midfielder Aly Moon still lead the Pac-12 as the top-scoring duo with 18 goals between them (Farquharson-10, Moon-8).
The Sun Devils are also tied for second in the Pac-12 for goals per game, and are tied for third on shots per game. This is something that the Sun Devils will have to continue if they hope to walk away victorious against USC.
The Trojans are also coming off a winless weekend with losses against both No. 3 Stanford and No. 23 California, but USC has proven itself to be a formidable opponent.
The Trojans have yet to concede more than two goals a game and have scored 36 goals this season, compared to Arizona State’s 31 goals. They also lead the Pac-12 in points per game.
USC forward Alex Quincey will be an important player to keep an eye on for her natural ability to find the back of the net. With nine goals on just 26 shots this season, a little over a third of all of Quincey’s shots have beaten the keeper thus far.
Also a key player, Trojan defender Mandy Freeman will be a strong challenge for the Sun Devil offense.
Freeman has proven herself a top defender as she played a pivotal role in keeping Arizona scoreless during USC’s Pac-12 opener.
Freeman is a member of the U.S. Under-20 National team, and competed in the Under-17 World Cup Qualifying.
USC has lost both of the last two games that it has played against the Sun Devils, but will have the home field advantage this time.
The game will be this Friday at 2:00 p.m. in L.A., but you can still catch the game live on the Pac-12 network.
You can reach Anthony Marroquin on Twitter @tonymarro11
