ASU slated for first Big 12 matchup in Program History

(Photo: Zina Garcia/ WCSN)

The sun rises on a new age in Tempe as Arizona State lacrosse(7-4) takes on Cincinnati (7-5) in the first Big 12 conference matchup of the season. Not only does this mark the Sun Devils’ first Big 12 game in their inaugural season, but this meeting between Arizona State and Cincinnati is also the first time these two programs will go head-to-head for the victory.

Both the Bearcats and the Sun Devils are coming off losses.

The Sun Devils went on a four-game win streak during their four-game homestand before falling to Dartmouth and then to Marquette in a very narrow 18-17 overtime loss. Although ASU remains inconsistent away from home with a 2-4 record, they remain undefeated in front of the Inferno with a 5-0 record in Tempe.

The Bearcats snapped their three-game win streak last Friday when they fell 16-11 to Georgetown away from home.

This matchup not only marks the beginning of conference play not only for the Sun Devils, but for the Bearcats as well.

For the Sun Devils, junior attacker Teagan Ng kept her goal streak alive in the loss against Marquette, finding the back of the net five times. This multi-goal performance from Ng brings her streak to 23 consecutive games with goals dating back to March of 2024.

Junior attacker Jordyn Behar also continues to climb up the women’s NCAA lacrosse stat sheet in assists. Currently, Behar sits second in assists with 41 on the season, just one away from the top spot in the nation

ASU shot stopper Katie Vahle made headlines this week as she claimed the program’s all-time save record, surpassing previous record holder and ASU graduate Berkeley Bonneau. Vahle recorded 11 saves in the loss against Marquette, clinching the title.

Bonneau held the record at 576 saves, while Vahle set the new record and currently sits with 583 all-time saves.

On the other hand, for the Bearcats, graduate attacker Lauren Ottensmeyer leads the team in goals with 47. She also leads the team in points with 54 and has tallied seven assists along with her goals. This is enough for Ottensmeyer to be third in the country.

Another Bearcat making her mark on the stat sheet is freshman standout and attacker Paige Selhorn. Selhorn is currently sixth in the NCAA women’s lacrosse standing for assists with 37, just four fewer than Arizona State’s Behar.

This faceoff between UC and ASU marks the second conference matchup in the Big 12 women’s lacrosse inaugural season. The first came in the form of the Florida Gators (9-2, 1-0) taking on UC Davis (3-7, 0-1).

Last year, the Sun Devils went 3-4 in conference play for their last season in the Pac-12.

While this contest will be the Sun Devils and the Bearcats’ first fight for the win against each other, they have already faced the same teams this season. While both teams ended up falling to Marquette, Arizona State was able to scrape by for the victory against Vanderbilt, while Cincinnati fell to the Commodores 13-8.