For Arizona State Soccer (8-5-3, 4-5-1 Pac-12), Sunday’s match against Oregon State (5-10-3, 1-8-1 Pac-12) was a whirlwind of emotions.
The excitement surrounding senior day in Tempe quickly turned into frustration, as the Sun Devils suffered a 3-1 defeat despite generating countless scoring chances. But the disappointing result didn’t stop head coach Graham Winkworth from expressing gratitude for this year’s senior class, which features big names like graduate forward Nicole Douglas and graduate midfielders Alexia Delgado and Eva van Deurson.
“As disappointed as we are about one game, it’s not about one game today,” Winkworth said. “Some of the greatest players to ever kick a ball for Sun Devil Soccer are in this senior class, and so I think it’s all about trying to celebrate them today.”
It was the Sun Devils who were celebrating early on Sunday, with Douglas capitalizing on a penalty kick just sixteen minutes into the contest. With nobody to beat except for Beavers goalkeeper Hailey Coll, Douglas made no mistake, finding the back of the net for the 14th time this season.
However, the visitors didn’t take long to respond. During the 31st minute, OSU freshman forward Lindsey Antonson corralled a cross deep inside the ASU 18-yard box before finding junior attacker Amber Jackson with a chip pass. Jackson then tapped the ball in with ease, erasing the Sun Devils’ short-lived lead.
Aside from Douglas’ early tally, the story of the match for ASU was squandering opportunities, particularly on set pieces. The Sun Devils were awarded 10 corner kicks throughout Sunday’s contest, failing to convert any of them into scoring chances.
“We’re still trying to teach the girls to show that sort of ambition in those areas, to not be afraid to whack their face on the end of a ball,” Winkworth said. “There are teams with those types of players, and it is a disadvantage for us when we’re not scoring from set pieces and opposition are, like today.”
ASU’s lack of scoring wasn’t completely in its control. Whenever the Sun Devils challenged Coll, the junior keeper had an answer, stopping 10 of the 11 shots that came her way.
It didn’t help that the Beavers looked like polar opposites of their counterparts during the second half. On a 57th-minute corner kick, junior defender Bryana Pizarro sent a cross into a crowded penalty area that was tracked down by Amaya Bautista, who slotted the go-ahead goal past freshman goalkeeper Pauline Nelles.
But Pizarro would put the Sun Devils into a deeper hole just 10 minutes later on another corner kick, scoring a goal of her own to double OSU’s lead. Pizzaro’s strike proved to be the dagger, as the Beavers were able to hold off ASU and earn a convincing victory on the road.
The Sun Devils will now shift their focus to their final match of the season – a date with the archrival Arizona Wildcats (8-6-3, 5-4-1 Pac-12) on Friday. ASU has yet to defeat its in-state foe during the Winkworth era, giving the upcoming contest even more importance.
“What I like about this team is usually after a setback, we come back stronger,” Delgado said. “And it’s all about U of A. That’s the rival team and it’s the last game of the season. We’ve never beat them, so I’m pretty sure everyone’s going to be buzzing for that game.”
