(Photo By: Hazel Foubert/ WCSN)
Ahead of Arizona State soccer’s game against the Cincinnati Bearcats, there were questions about what this ASU team could accomplish in 2024.
Despite the Sun Devils’ backline keeping them in games, their attack struggled for ideas and were stagnant in the final third, only notching four goals across the opening four Big-12 games. Through those games, ASU picked up one win, two losses, and a tie, a disappointing record after opening the year with an undefeated non-conference slate.
Sunday night, the Sun Devils provided the answers to those questions beating convincingly Cincinnati 3-1, behind a strong performance from ASU’s attack. Junior Forward Enasia Colon scored the opening goal, before assisting two more en route to the Sun Devils’ victory over the Bearcats, potentially putting the Sun Devils back on track for an appearance in the Sprouts Farmers Market Big-12 Soccer Championship.
The performance against Cincinnati could possibly be replicated against the Utah Utes. The Utes have also had their fair share of struggles to beginning life in the Big-12, only picking up one win across their opening five conference games. Looking at the stats for head coach Hideki Nakada’s squad, both the attack and defense are in the bottom half of the Big-12, by goals per game. They average 1.4 goals per game, ranking 13th in the conference, while they concede 1.08 per game, placing them in 10th.
Utah and ASU are not unfamiliar opponents by any means, as they have faced off every season since the Utes entered the Pac-12 in 2011. Utah leads the all-time series, winning five, tying four, and dropping three to the Sun Devils.
Graduate forward Taliana Kaufusi has been a constant in this matchup. She’s played against ASU in the last four seasons, even scoring in last year’s matchup. So far this season, Kaufusi is converting twenty-nine percent of her shots and leads the Big-12 with nine goals.
For the Sun Devils’ attack to continue their form from last Sunday’s win vs. Cincinnati, they will need to test the Utes’ defense, including senior goalkeeper Kasey Wardle and graduate defender Rachel Bastone. Wardle has featured frequently over the last three seasons, while Bastone – in her first season with Utah after transferring from Santa Clara – leads all Utes’ defenders with 902 minutes played across eleven starts.
ASU head coach Graham Winkworth will return to the Sun Devils’ touchline on Friday night, after serving a suspension, due to a red card in ASU’s recent 2-1 loss vs. West Virginia.
With momentum finally on their side in Big-12 play, the Sun Devils will look to take the win against the Utes, in their lone fixture this weekend, at 7:00 PM AZT on Friday.
