(Photo: Patricia Vicente/WCSN)
Arizona State soccer (6-11-3, 0-9-2 Pac-12) closed their 2019 season with a disappointing 1-0 loss to Arizona (11-6-1, 5-5-1 Pac-12) in Tucson on Friday night.
The contest was opened with quality scoring chances for both teams, with the Sun Devils firing the first shot of the match in the third minute by the foot of freshman forward Dai Williams.
Williams’ shot sailed wide right and five minutes later, the Wildcats responded with a pair of shots of their own. Both were neutralized by Sun Devil freshman keeper Giulia Cascapera.
This narrative of the two sides trading blows would continue for the rest of the first half, but with no results for either team. Arizona held a 6-5 shot advantage at the break.
Despite the close affair at halftime, this game would turn into a tale of two halves. Arizona opened the second half with three corner kicks in six minutes and continued to pile on the pressure on offense with 10 shots in just over 20 minutes.
The Sun Devils nearly made the Wildcats pay for their scoring inefficiency with close chances from Williams and senior midfielder Christina Edwards, however, both opportunities were defused.
The Wildcats, frustrated with their offensive disparity, continued to up the pressure and ante as the game progressed in the 73rd minute, providing four extremely close scoring opportunities in a span of two minutes.
ASU’s Cascapera, who had only been tested twice before Arizona’s micro-onslaught in the 73rd minute, made three incredible saves to keep the game level.
However, the Sun Devil defense finally found themselves outmatched in the 82nd minute.
Arizona junior forward Jada Talley, the first Wildcat ever to score nine goals and eight assists in a season in program history, broke the Sun Devils hearts when she slotted home her 10th goal of the season on a shot from outside the six-yard box.
It was Talley’s sixth shot of the night, her second on goal and it would be one that sealed the victory for Arizona and ended Arizona State’s season.
The Sun Devils finish their 2019 season shrouded in disappointment, not only due to a tough loss to their in-state rival but also the lack of a conference win.
Nine conference losses and two draws are a painful setback for ASU head coach Graham Winkworth, who won five conference games last season.
Winkworth and the Sun Devils will look to improve internally this offseason, as well as recruitment heading into the 2020 season.
