ASU women’s lacrosse is welcomed home with the sunshine in commanding victory

(Courtesy Sun Devil Athletics)

TEMPE — Sun Devil women’s lacrosse lit the fire in the Inferno today, at their home opener in a stunning 21-1 victory.

Arizona State women’s lacrosse cruised to a dominant win over the Detroit Mercy Titans today, with the final score of 21-1. This victory marks the Devils’ 3-0 on the record column, making this their second consecutive season being undefeated in their first three contests.

The home crowd, and the sun, brought the energy to the first home game of the season, giving the Devils a warm welcome after a cold, two-game road trip up north.

“It’s great to be in warm weather. It’s great to be sunny, 75 [degrees]… I think for our kids, playing at home just means, more,” ASU Head Coach Taryn VanThof Puls said. “You’re protecting a whole lot more. You’re always protecting a win or a loss, but we’re protecting our home turf, so it’s fun to get out here on the grass.”

ASU saw ten different goal scorers find the back of the net, with four having three or more goals. Junior attacker Lydia Oldknow led the team in goals with four out of her five shots ending up on the scoreboard. Oldknow, who recorded her 100th point versus Pittsburgh, extends her point streak and sits second among her peers in goals.

Along with Oldknow, Junior attacker Jordyn Behar also tallied four points on the game with three goals and an assist. Behar also marked a milestone in her career with ASU coming off a career high of six assists against Niagara. Behar currently leads the Sun Devils in assists and points with 12 and 18 respectively.

The matchup was heavily tilted in favor of Arizona State since the first quarter, the Sun Devils held no mercy for Detroit, scoring ten goals in the second quarter leaving Detroit Mercy in a 13 point deficit going into halftime.

Mercy’s fatal flaws

Constant turnovers, both in midfield and in-front of the net was the main killer for the Titans today, as well as minor miscommunications leading to the Titans not being able to connect on all of their passes. Throughout the whole game, Detroit was only able to produce four shots on goal, compared to Arizona State’s 34.

In addition to their turnover issues, the Titans were also failing to control draws. Of 23 total draws, Detroit was only able to gain possession on four of them.

While it was a hard loss, the Titans’ lone goal belonged to Libby Cuckler in the first period, marking her first goal of the season.

The Sun Devils moving forward

With the 2025 season being an inaugural season for women’s lacrosse in the Big 12, the Sun Devils have a lot of work ahead.

“Yeah you know the Big 12 is fierce competition. You know we’ve seen some of them, yes in the past, but it means more when it’s in conference right, it’s do-or-die in those moments,” VanThof Puls said.

The Arizona State Sun Devils will take on their next opponent in the form of the University of Denver Pioneers at a neutral site in sunny San Diego, on Friday, Feb. 21 at 12 p.m. AZT.