The ASU women’s soccer team closed out the Sun Devil Desert Classic with an upset 1-0 win over No.10 Pepperdine.
Junior forward Devin Marshall, who missed the last two games due to injury, was the difference maker in the game. In the 64th minute, Marshall was on the receiving end of a pass from freshman forward Cali Farquharson, and she was able split past two Pepperdine defenders. From inside the box, Marshall chipped the ball over Pepperdine goalkeeper Roxanne Barker and into the right corner of the net for the game-winning goal.
The Sun Devils (2-4-1) were outshot by the Waves (5-2-0) by a margin of 19-13. However, ASU had the upper hand when it came to shots on goal (6-2).
Pepperdine came out hot in the second half. The team had three scoring opportunities, including a shot from Williams in the 48th minute that soared just over the crossbar. Immediately after the Sun Devils scored in the 64th minute, Pepperdine had two close shots that were saved. However, the Sun Devil defense was resilient and was able to close out the game.
In the first half, both teams were closely matched. Pepperdine had two shots early in the game, but it wasn’t until the 32nd minute that they had their biggest scoring opportunity as sophomore forward Lynn Williams had a strong shot saved by Sun Devil goalkeeper Chandler Morris. The Sun Devils answered back with six shots in the first half; however, neither team was able to capitalize on the opportunities.
Next up for the Devils is the Arizona Cats Classic in Tucson. They will face Loyola Marymount on Friday, and Florida International on Sunday.
