Photo: Maddie Connellan/WCSN
After surrendering its first loss of the season, Arizona State soccer looks to respond in its final non-conference match of the regular season while celebrating the senior Sun Devils.
Five days ago, ASU (4-1-2, 0-0-0) went toe-to-toe with No. 9-ranked North Carolina, but ultimately fell 1-0. Friday night, eight seniors who have totaled 9,527 minutes in Sun Devil uniforms will be honored for the program’s “Senior Night” against Grambling State.
The leader in minutes from this group is Luzy Fazackerly with 2,052. The England native transferred from East Carolina after the 2024-2025 season and has been a key piece on the back line ever since.
Peyton Marcisz has started 24 games since transferring from UCLA two seasons ago. Her 2,015 minutes as a Sun Devil mark the second most of this year’s seniors.
The trip from Norway to Tempe is over 5,000 miles. That must not bother four-year Sun Devil Ella Opkvitne, who has stayed loyal to head coach Graham Winkworth and recorded 1,608 minutes over the course of her career.
Addison Haws played 699 minutes and will be honored in just her third season as a Sun Devil. The Biomedical student from California has multiple academic accolades, including being on the Big 12 Academic All-Rookie team in 2024.
University of San Francisco transfer Natalie Drotzmann is in her last season of college soccer, but her first in the maroon and gold. The defensive presence has been felt in seven games, totaling 622 minutes and contributing to three clean sheets.
Another loyal Sun Devil will be recognized after playing 491 minutes over two years; Miki Hayashi hails from Japan and has played her upperclassman years at ASU after two seasons at Tyler JC.
Emmie Ennis has the fewest minutes as a Sun Devil of any senior, but her impact is sky-high. The St. Mary’s College transfer picked up a Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week nod and got involved in the attacking third when she scored her first Power 4 goal against LSU.
The eight seniors being honored, along with their supportive teammates, search for a bounce-back win before beginning conference play. The opponent, Grambling State (1-4-1, 0-0-0 SWAC), has lost three consecutive matches coming into tonight.
In the all-time series between the Sun Devils and Tigers, ASU is 2-0 with a combined score of 7-0. The first-ever matchup was in 2022 when Nicole Douglas recorded a hat trick in just 20 minutes during the first half. The performance is one of just 13 hat tricks in program history, and it led to a 5-0 win for ASU.
Kennedy Zorn and the ASU defense have allowed no more than one goal in any match. Grambling State has scored seven times in six matches, led by sophomore forward Nyla Dore-Anderson’s four goals. The Sun Devil defense has another chance to prove just how good it can be against a team that has struggled against strong competition.
On August 30, Grambling State fell 6-1 to its first Power 4 opponent, Oklahoma State. Senior goalkeeper Alina Arneth allowed five of those goals before being pulled in the 52nd minute. The 38 minutes that followed were the only time that she has been on the sideline during action this season.
ASU soccer supporters, including alumni, will file into Sun Devil Soccer Stadium to honor eight hard-working seniors and hope for more perfection against Grambling State. The match can be watched on ESPN+ and will kick off at 7 p.m. MST.
