(Photo By: Katherin Gore/ WCSN)
TEMPE — In the 19th minute of play, Kierra Blundell spotted an opening. The ASU freshman forward played a through ball along the ground, just left of the 18-yard box to junior attacker Enasia Colon. Colon received and took her first touch into space leaving the trailing Kansas State defender in her rearview mirror.
Colon surged forward and delivered a driven cross into the heart of the penalty area. Her pass met the feet of senior forward Kerri Matthews, who one-touched the ball towards the far post past the outstretched hands of the junior Kansas State goalkeeper Murphy Sheaff, putting it into the back of the net and giving Arizona State Soccer (8-5-3, 3-5-1) a 1-0 lead over the Wildcats (3-10-3, 0-7-2).
This goal, however, would stand as one of the few true offensive highlights for Arizona State as they would struggle to find the back of the net all game.
“Sometimes it feels like the game is kind of lagging in the middle and we’re not doing what we want to do offensively,” junior forward Cameron Valladares said. “Because of that things can start to get frustrating.”
After the early breakthrough, the Sun Devils found themselves struggling to maintain attacking momentum, with the Kansas State defense tightening and stifling most of their attempts and efforts to create chances. This is important to note, given that the Wildcats are ranked last in the Big 12 and have gone all season without a single conference win.
For a Sun Devil squad that was eager to bounce back after a brutal road trip—where they dropped two games to Baylor and TCU with a combined score of 1-9—this lack of offensive sharpness could have been particularly concerning. Despite flashes of promise, their efforts lacked the same precision seen in the 19th minute.
It wasn’t until the 85th minute, in the dying moments of the game, that ASU finally managed to find the back of the net again and secure a much-needed 2-0 win.
“I lost count of how many goals we conceded in the last few games. To be honest, it was getting quite silly,” Arizona State head coach Graham Winkworth said. “So to keep a clean sheet was really important for confidence, for our backline and for [Junior goalkeeper Pauline Nelle]”
Even though the Sun Devils were struggling to find their groove in the final third on the field for much of the match, there were clear signs of improvement. The backline remained organized and resilient, limiting the Wildcats to only two shots on goal all game, Nelles provided stability in goal.
This defensive performance brings ASU closer to securing a spot in the 2024 Sprouts Market Big 12 Soccer Championship. By tightening up defensively, the team not only regained some much-needed confidence but also took an important step in their quest for postseason play.
With their victory over Kansas State, the Sun Devils now find themselves ranked 10th in the Big 12 standings—placing themselves firmly within postseason contention, as the top twelve teams qualify for the Big 12 tournament. Now, with only one win standing between them and a guaranteed spot in the postseason, their next match against the Kansas Jayhawks (7-5-4, 4-4-1) is one you won’t want to miss.
“The funny thing about the Big 12 is anyone can beat anyone at any time, so we know that we’re gonna have tough battles,” junior forward Keri Matthews said. “We’re gonna make sure we’re locked in for the next two games. We can’t let chances like this slip away”
