Arizona State upsets No. 2 Stanford

(Photo: Steve Rodriguez: ASU Athletics)

The No. 2 ranked Stanford soccer team had not last at home in 73 straight games.

To put things in perspective, George W. Bush was still president and reigning Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel was just 15 years old, the last time the Cardinal lost at home.

However, all of that changed Sunday night as the Sun Devils were able to outlast the Cardinal 1-0 en route to their biggest win in history

“Going into today’s game I felt they were beatable,” head coach Kevin Boyd said. ” We made everything they did difficult. They created a lot of chances — any team that has that many talented players is going to, and we made it hard for them. Our back line today was good. Chandler was very good, and everybody else just played well. We found a way to win, and that’s the sign of a good program.”

Forward Sara Tosti was the difference maker, as she scored the game-winning goal in the 24th minute.

“Tosti obviously got a great goal,” Boyd said. “It’s the second time this year that we’ve broken someone’s streak, and I love doing it. I told my team that they earned this win, and they can do this every game.”

The Sun Devils were out-shot 19-17, but goal keeper Chandler Morris’ seven saves were enough to hold on for the upset.

“Chandler’s normally just incredibly steady and that’s exactly what she was today. She did a good job of handling shots on goal, and not giving away second chances. She’s an excellent shot blocker,” Boyd said. “The more she can keep doing this, the more confidence she can get —  it’s better for us.”

The win was also head coach Kevin Boyd’s 61st win at Arizona State, which makes him the winningest coach in school history.

“It feels great but I wish I would have gotten to that number sooner,” Boyd said. “Now I’m focused on winning more.”

Use Facebook to Comment on this Post