(Photo By: Sam Farsky/ WCSN)
TEMPE — With under 20 minutes played in the second half, the Arizona State soccer team was tied 1-1 with Kansas. Junior forward Lexi Watts played the ball ahead for redshirt sophomore forward Saige Wimes, then Wimes charged down the left wing. Senior defender Olivia Coleman initially stopped Wimes, but the Jayhawk forward managed to keep going and play a low ball towards the back post. Her pass deflected off the Sun Devils’ backline and then went to Watts, who knocked it into the back of the net, sealing the win for the Kanas.
“Conceding goals like that are tough,” Coleman said, “At the end of the day we just need to do a little bit better and just be a little bit more composed on both sides of the ball.”
Kansas’ opening goal came similarly when ASU junior goalkeeper Pauline Nelles came off her line to collect a cross from Kansas sophomore defender Caroline Castans. Sun Devil junior defender Grace Gillard was also tracking the ball and it deflected off her, and then she collided with Nelles leaving an open goal for the Jayhawks. Wimes was in perfect position for the deflection to easily slot it home, leveling the match at 1-1.
However, these two mistakes didn’t define ASU’s defensive performance on Sunday afternoon, as it managed to limit Kansas’ amount of chances. The Jayhawks only tallied three shots on goal, a far cry from the ten they garnered against Arizona just a few nights before. Kansas’ final shot on target came through a long-range effort from freshman defender Sophia Nickel. Nickel’s effort forced Nelles to tip it out for a corner kick but showed no real chance of finding the back of the net.
Jayhawks’ freshman midfielder Jillian Gregorski came into this match with eight goals on the year, tied for 7th place in the Big 12, but ended up being a non-factor in this game. She tallied two shots, neither ending up on target, as Gillard and Coleman limited her opportunities to grow into the game.
“I’m really proud of our defensive efforts,” ASU head coach Graham Winkworth said, “[Kansas is] a really high-powered athletic offensive team that were held to two soft goals.”
Despite the strong performance from their back line, the Sun Devils struggled to create chances, a recurring theme this season. ASU only had three shots over the 90 minutes, and although its offense put two on target, it only managed one goal.
In the fourth minute, the Sun Devils had a corner kick that fell to the back post for ASU junior forward Cameron Valladares. Valladares played it into the six-yard box, and Coleman was there for her first collegiate goal. After the opening goal, ASU struggled in the final third, often unable to recognize dangerous passing lanes soon enough.
“We had a couple of chances,” Valladares said, “We just held onto it a bit too long.”
The best chance of the day for the Sun Devils came in the 81st minute, as ASU freshman forward Kierra Blundell made a move in the midfield before playing a ball wide for Valladares. Valladares marched down the right wing and was left with a decision to either pass it to – the now streaking into open space in the box – senior forward Keri Matthews or junior midfielder Enasia Colon. Instead of slipping it in for Matthews, Valladares opted to play a cross to Colon, who could only head it to a crowded Blundell, and ASU squandered their last opportunity to equalize.
Even with the 2-1 loss, ASU clinched a spot in the Sprouts Farmers Market Big 12 Soccer Championship. UCF lost 2-0 to Oklahoma State and Iowa State lost 4-1 against TCU, meaning both sides cannot pass the Sun Devils in the standings securing a spot in the top 12 for ASU.
