ASU Soccer: Sun Devils bounce back in final non-conference game

(Photo: Nicholas Badders/WCSN)

Arizona State women’s soccer ended their non-conference play on the right foot Sunday afternoon, as they cruised to a 4-0 win against Weber State.

The Sun Devils looked extremely auspicious in their win after losing to Hawaii in a bitter overtime match Friday.

ASU has been going through plenty of formations throughout its struggling season to see what works best for their squad, and they might’ve just figured it out.

The Sun Devils stuck with a 4-4-2 diamond formation for most of the game, and the Wildcats had no answer. The midfield was especially superb, as the defense really started there for the Sun Devils, obtaining interceptions regularly.

ASU dominated possession throughout the whole game, keeping the ball in their attacking third which allowed the defense and star keeper Nikki Panas to have an easy night. ASU head coach Graham Winkworth mentioned how important possession was for them to get the win tonight.

“When we’ve got possession of the ball as much as we had it today, it’s very difficult to score goals for the opposition,” Winkworth said.

It was clear that composure in the final third was a big emphasis for Winkworth and his squad heading into this game. He stated how he was disappointed at his team’s composure while attacking against Hawaii, and tonight was a whole different story. The offense was patient, passing the ball the evenly throughout the pitch, and waiting for the right time to attack.

ASU was a lot more conversational this game then they had been all year long, which contributed to the midfield’s success. Purfield, who continuous to expand her leadership in the locker room day-by-day, was a big part of that communication as you could hear her on the opposite side of the pitch communicating to each and everyone of her teammates.

Midfielder Devyn Kelsey had a breakout game, as she knotted a phenomenal goal from about 25 yards out.

““I’ve been waiting to score, so it felt good,” Kelsey said.

She also lobbed in a ball for Natalie Stephens to the far post that was perfect for the volley.

One point of concern for the Sun Devils were their shots on goal. ASU scored all 4 of its goals in the second half and a big reason for that was because their shots were on target more often. ASU accumulated 14 shots in the first half but only 5 were on target (36%), while in the second half 9 of ASU’s 17 shots were on target (53%).

The game was definitely a confidence booster for the squad as they begin their conference play against Oregon State Friday. The Pac-12 is one of the best conferences in the country, and the road will not get any smoother for the Sun Devils, but coach Winkworth believes performances like these could definitely give them a chance.

“(We’ll) give these talented teams that are coming into town as good a game as possible and hopefully (we’ll) have more games like tonight,” Winkworth said.