ASU Soccer: Sun Devils begin conference play at Colorado

(Photo via Xavier Litman/WCSN)

Arizona State Women’s Soccer (4-0-2) is set to open their 2022 conference slate a mile above sea level when they square off against the Colorado Buffaloes (6-1-2) on Friday afternoon at Prentup Field. Following a 3-2 victory over Colorado last season, ASU is looking to take consecutive matches from the Buffaloes, a feat they last achieved in 2011-12.

The Sun Devils are coming off of an undefeated non-conference season and enter Friday’s contest riding a three-match winning streak, during which they’ve outscored their opponents 17-2. While ASU has fared very well against out-of-conference teams under Graham Winkworth, the sixth-year head coach has amassed a cumulative 14-41-10 record within the Pac-12, and finished last season with a 2-7-2 mark in the Conference of Champions.

Leading the charge for the Sun Devils is graduate forward Nicole Douglas, who holds the program record for points and was named the Week Five Pac-12 Player of the Week. Through six matches in 2022, Douglas has scored the fourth-most goals in the nation with nine while also contributing an assist. With two goals and three helpers in six contests, graduate midfielder Eva Van Duerson has been another key component of ASU’s offense.

During last year’s conference schedule, the Buffaloes struggled to find momentum, finishing with a 3-4-4 recording in Pac-12 play. Similar to ASU, Colorado appeared dominant throughout their non-conference stretch in 2022, highlighted by 6-0 and 5-0 victories over Texas A&M-Commerce and Omaha, respectively. The Buffaloes also picked up impressive draws at Michigan and then the No. 9 ranked BYU Cougars, and their lone loss on the year came against Michigan State in East Lansing.

While the Buffaloes played well against some tough opponents on the road, they have looked extremely formidable on their home turf, as they remain unbeaten at Prentup Field this season with a 6-0 record. As a result of their strong start, Colorado has spent a large portion of the 2022 campaign in the top-25, reaching as high as 19th.

Much like ASU, Colorado boasts an electric striker whose scoring ability has put the college soccer world on notice. Starting in all nine matches for the Buffs this season, junior forward Shyra James has recorded 10 goals – the third-most in the country – and an assist. Second on the Buffaloes in scoring is senior forward Civana Kuhlmann, who tallied six goals and four assists in nine matches.

Colorado also has multiple offensive threats coming off the bench, most notably freshman striker Emerson Layne and junior attacker Rachel Rosen. Playing in nine matches for the Buffaloes this season, Layne totaled three goals and one helper. More of a playmaker, Rosen has contributed a goal and four assists in nine appearances.

In recent years, Colorado has proven a tough draw for ASU, as they hold a 4-2-1 advantage in the head-to-head series since 2015. However, the Sun Devils are hoping to counter the Buffs’ explosive offense and open conference play with a statement win against Colorado.