ASU Soccer: Sun Devils continue to look for progress in 2018 season

(Photo: Nicholas Badders/WCSN)

Three years. For the women’s soccer program at Arizona State, that length of time holds a special, if slightly disappointing, meaning: three years since they last had a winning record, three years since beating rivals Arizona, three years since finishing above .500 at home. Despite these numbers, there is reason for the Sun Devils to believe they can break all of those streaks in the second season of head coach Graham Winkworth’s tenure.

The largest recruiting class in program history will be counted on to play a large role this year, helping to replace the eight seniors that departed after the 2017 season.

Included among those seniors were forward Jazmarie Mader and her thirteen career goals, four-year starting defender Madison Stark, and the 75 career appearances of forward Jessica Raybe. Despite these losses, the Sun Devils look well-positioned to fill the gaps left by these key graduations.

Of the five freshmen joining the program from overseas, four have previous experience at the international level.

Midfielder Alexia Delgado (Jalisco, Mexico) appeared at the 2016 U-17 Women’s World Cup in Jordan, helping her nation place fifth, and won a gold medal at the CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championship this January.

Forward Nicole Douglas (Staines-upon-Thames, England) has scored seven times at international level in just twelve matches, while attacking midfielder Marleen Schimmer (Mainz, Germany) has scored eleven times with her national teams and was part of the squad that won the 2017 UEFA Women’s U-17 Championship. Midfielder Eva Van Deursen (Veldhoven, Netherlands) was in the Dutch squad at the U-20 Women’s World Cup this summer.

It isn’t just the international freshmen that bring pedigree to the Sun Devil program, however.

Forward Naomi Aguilar (Litchfield Park, Ariz.) scored 41 goals over her last two years of high school, and midfielder Olivia Nguyen (Tempe, Ariz.) set a school record with 75 points scored as a senior.

Staying local, midfielder Julia Koharko (Scottsdale, Ariz.) was a two-time state champion at Notre Dame Preparatory and defender Dominique Ballard (Phoenix, Ariz.) was the state Defensive Player of the Year last season.

Of the eighteen players joining the program this season, seventeen are freshmen.

The one transfer, midfielder Casey Martinez (Towson, Md./Duke), will look to play a large role in the Sun Devils’ success this season. She brings 61 games and four goals of collegiate experience to the program, and upon her arrival becomes one of just three players on the roster to have appeared in the NCAA Tournament.

She will, however, be coming off a knee injury that forced her to miss the entirety of the 2017 season.

Although this deep recruiting class will play a large part in Arizona State’s success this year, it is the returning players that will be leaned upon to help turn around the Sun Devil program. Defender Jemma Purfield (Cottingham, England/South Alabama) looks to be a key cog this season, after scoring six goals in 2017 and spending time over the summer with the England U-23 national team.

Midfielder Kylie Miniefield (Chandler, Ariz.) should play a large role for the third season in a row, after starting 34 of her first 37 games with the program. Forward Christina Edwards (Bend, Ore.) will look to build on her successful sophomore campaign, when she scored three goals while primarily appearing off the bench.

In goal, it will be a three-way competition for the playing time on offer.

Senior Sydney Day (Monroe, Wash.) looks to have the upper hand after starting the season-opener against Montana, marking her first appearance for Arizona State. Sophomore Nikki Panas (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) returns after appearing fifteen times last season, while true freshman Amanda Green (Phoenix, Ariz.) is the tallest of the three goalies and won two state championships in high school.

This young Sun Devil team will be tested early, with perhaps their biggest non-conference game coming on September 7 against 2017 Elite Eight participant Baylor. The non-conference slate also includes the annual Sun Devil Desert Classic, road matches against South Dakota State and Northern Arizona, and a home match against Weber State before conference play kicks into gear.

Arizona State opens Pac-12 play on the road against California on September 22.

The Sun Devils will be in Los Angeles to open October, playing at UCLA and USC within a four-day span, and will then return home for three consecutive games. After a trip to Oregon to take on the Ducks, as well as Oregon State, the regular season concludes on November 2, with the Arizona Wildcats coming to Tempe for Senior Day.

After going unbeaten in three preseason matches, notably a 10-0 victory over a team representing the Federation of University Sports of China, ASU experienced a bit of turmoil at the beginning of the regular season.

A scheduled trip to Hawaii to play the Rainbow Wahine, as well as Montana, was canceled due to Hurricane Lane. The Sun Devils instead opened the regular season against Montana on August 23 in Tempe, claiming a 3-1 victory courtesy of two goals from freshman Nicole Douglas and one from freshman Cori Sullivan (Prescott, Ariz.).

Arizona State will return to action this weekend in the Sun Devil Desert Classic, hosting New Hampshire on Friday at 7:00 pm and Southeast Missouri State on Sunday at 1:30 pm. The Sun Devils will open Pac-12 play on Saturday, September 22, playing at California.