(Photo: Nicholas Badders /WCSN)
With goals from Alexia Delgado and Nicole Douglas, the Arizona State Sun Devils (3-2-0) defeated the South Dakota State Jackrabbits (4-4-0) 2-0 in Brookings, South Dakota to get their first road win of the season.
ASU freshman Nicole Douglas keeps on adding goals to her resume, scoring her fourth goal of the season in minute 77 to add onto the Sun Devil’s scoring. Douglas is averaging one goal per game in the mtches she has participated in. Not only that, but she is also tied for third in Pac-12 scoring.
Douglas’ night did not just stop at her lone goal, she also had a total of three shots on target and played 81 minutes. She was subbed out four minutes after scoring and played two minutes shy of the time she played on Friday against Baylor.
The Mexican freshman Alexia Delgado opened up the scoring, notching her second of the season in minute 21. However, just a bit after the game had kicked off, Delgado had one good look for the Sun Devils and happened to fire it just high of the bar. Both of Delgado’s shots on goal this season have gone in.
Not only did the Sun Devils play an offensive game, they additionally had 13 fouls, which is only two less than against Baylor on Friday in Tucson. This high number of fouls is a big difference in comparison to the number of fouls they have when they play at home.
Even though the number of fouls has increased, the goalies are not finding any problem stopping potentially dangerous shots.
Senior goaltender Sydney Day stopped all two shots on goal that she faced in 90 minutes of play. Both shots looked dangerous for the Sun Devils, who were working to keep the lead after Delgado’s early goal. This is her third game in net so far this season and her first clean sheet of the year.
However, on the other side of the field, South Dakota’s Maggie Smither was not as lucky. Smither allowed two goals on eight shots on target, one goal coming in each half of the game.
Two Sun Devils also walked away without a goal, but yellow cards. Both senior Angela Boyle and freshman Isabel Dehakiz walked away with yellow cards from the win with each happening in every half.
The physical and offensive game the Sun Devils played is something they have been struggling with, especially after their encounters in the Sun Devil Desert Classic. During the tournament, ASU struggled to play a physical game against teams such as New Hampshire and Southeast Missouri State.
Arizona State is using non-conference play to determine what fits them best when they face a competitive Pac-12 conference in the next few weeks.
The Sun Devils will close non-conference play this weekend when they head to Flagstaff to face Northern Arizona at 7 p.m. MST on Friday before hosting Weber State on Sunday at Sun Devil Soccer Stadium in Tempe.
