(Photo: Steve Rodriguez/ASU Athletics)
The Arizona State soccer team dropped its fourth straight game and senior forward Cali Farquharson missed her second match in a row in a 2-1 loss to Washington State Cougars on Sunday.
The Sun Devils started the season with four consecutive wins, during which they did not allow a single goal against them. Since then, Arizona State has allowed seven goals and has yet to win a match.
“Our finishing has been a problem,” head coach Kevin Boyd said. “We need to be more composed and pick our head up and go to a more dangerous place in the goal.”
Farquharson, the Sun Devils’ leading goal scorer, was injured last week against Oklahoma state. Boyd chose to keep his star player on the bench for this one.
“There was a chance we could have played [Farquharson] today. We opted not to just because if she hurts it worse, then we’re going to lose her for even longer,” Boyd said.
Arizona State still managed to outshoot Washington State 15-1 in the first half, but just could not find the back of the net.
The Sun Devils nearly broke through in the ninth minute after Washington state goal keeper Ella Dederick was caught off her line and Arizona State was given an open goal, but the Cougar defense managed to block the shot.
Dederick kept the Cougars alive during the first half with eight saves.
Shot after shot Dederick and the goalposts denied the Sun Devils a goal, and the half ended scoreless.
“Props to the goalkeeper from Washington State. She played amazing,” redshirt junior midfielder Lucy Lara said.
The Cougars took advantage of an unsuspecting Arizona State in the second half and started with two quick goals from senior forward Kourtney Guetlein in the 47th and 52nd minutes.
The goals seemed to wake up Arizona State, which immediately went on the offensive, transitioning to a three-defender formation.
Junior forward Larisa Staub managed to find the back of the net in the 65th minute to put the Sun Devils on the board.
Yet, after an onslaught of shots by the home team, Arizona State failed to equalize before the final whistle.
“It’s not a lack of chances,” Boyd said. “It’s not even a lack of good chances. It’s a lack of putting the ball in goal.”
Next up, the Sun Devils will play Stanford on Friday at Sun Devil Soccer Stadium at 7 p.m.
