(Photo: Nicholas Badders/WCSN)
Down in Tucson and facing a Baylor Bears (5–2–0) team that was receiving votes in the most recent United Soccer Coaches poll, Arizona State (2–2–0) fought hard on Friday afternoon before eventually falling to the Bears 1–0. Julie James scored the winning goal with 31 minutes left to play at Mulcahy Soccer Stadium.
Sun Devil goalkeeper Nikki Panas was the star of the show for ASU, standing tall on multiple opportunities in the first half to keep the match scoreless. Possibly her best save came with 34 minutes on the clock, smothering a close-range opportunity from Baylor’s Taylor Moon. Panas made six saves in the first half alone, and finished the night with seven in total.
However, it only took one good chance for the Bears to take the lead. ASU defender Olive Jones committed a foul 20 yards out, allowing Baylor senior midfielder Julie James a straight-on chance to go for goal. James took that chance, curling a left-footed blast over the wall and beating Panas to the left side. It was James’ fourth goal of the season, and the 14th of her career. She had previously scored twice last Sunday as the Bears put six past Nebraska.
ASU took the initiative to start the game, peppering five first half shots at Baylor goalie Jennifer Wandt. Forwards Nicole Douglas and Casey Martinez, as well as defender Jemma Purfield, each tallied a shot on target before the halftime interval.
After the break, however, the Sun Devil offense collapsed. ASU did not manage a shot of any kind in the second half, even after going a goal down. Instead, it was Baylor who continued to go on the attack, notching three more shots after they took the lead. The Bears also won nine second-half corners, without conceding any.
Six minutes prior to taking the lead, Baylor had briefly thought they had the opening goal. Off of an Emily Bunnell corner kick, James had put a header into the back of the net on one bounce. However, the referee’s flag had gone up on the near side, with defender Sarah King standing in an offside position in front of Panas as the goalie tried to make the save. While ASU would get a momentary reprieve, James would get one to count minutes later.
Marleen Schimmer and Alexia Delgado also tallied shots for Arizona State, to go with the attempts from Douglas, Martinez, and Purfield. Forward Christina Edwards had a late opportunity to run at the Baylor goal, but was stifled by the Bears defense before she was able to get off a shot.
With the defeat, ASU falls to 2–2–0 on the season. The Sun Devils will return to action on Monday, September 10, making the trip to Brookings, South Dakota to take on the South Dakota State Jackrabbits. That game will kick off at 5:00 pm MT. Head coach Paul Jobson and the Bears still have one more game in Tucson as part of the Arizona Tournament, facing the host Wildcats on Sunday afternoon.
