(Photo: Steve Rodriguez/ASU Athletics)
If Arizona State is going to have a chance at qualifying for the NCAA tournament, Sunday’s game against the University of Utah in Salt Lake City is a must win.
The Sun Devils enter the game as the favorites, but based on the current slump they are in, it’s anybody’s game.
Heading into the matchup ASU is 9-5-4 overall and 2-4-3 in conference play. The Utes are 8-6-4 overall and 1-6-2 in the Pac-12. Record wise Utah looks like the weaker team having only won one conference game. However, Arizona State has been shutout in each of its last three games and is not playing at the level it was nearly a month ago.
Both of these teams have proven they can win. ASU has been ranked a majority of the year and has wins against multiple ranked opponents. Utah has also looked impressive at times. The Utes were unbeaten in non conference, and then in their first game of the regular season tied No. 4-ranked Stanford 1-1.
The Sun Devils and Utes have had similar tales to their season. Both squads started the year looking like real contenders and have fallen off in the last month of Pac-12 play. As much as these teams have shown they can win, they’ve also looked vulnerable. Utah has six loses in the Pac-12 and ASU has four. ASU has scored a mere six goals in conference play — two less than Utah. But the Devils have allowed only nine goals compared to Utah’s 13.
It might be too late for the Utes to make a push for the NCAA tournament, but that doesn’t mean that they will let ASU bolster its chances without a fight. Kickoff starts at 2 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on the Pac-12 Networks.
