(Photo Courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics)
After reaching its highest regular-season finish in program history, No. 3 Arizona State will have a chance to set a new record again after defeating No. 6 Cal 17-8 on Wednesday, thus setting up a matchup with No. 2 seed USC in the semifinals of the Pac-12 Lacrosse Championships on Thursday night.
Ten different players found the back of the net for ASU to make up those 17 goals, with no player scoring more than twice. Six different players also earned an assist in Wednesday’s contest.
“We’re at our most successful when we can get the ball moving and get everyone involved [because] it’s just really hard to stop,” graduate attacker Emily Glagolev said. “You just never know where the ball is going to come from, where we’re looking or where we’re trying to throw from, so I think that’s a really big edge we have.”
“It was good to see that a lot of girls were able to get involved and any time you can do that, there’s a lot of confidence in the group, so hopefully we can keep building on that,” ASU head coach Tim McCormack said.
The Sun Devils gained control right away Wednesday, scoring first on a free position attempt after a foul on the Golden Bears’ senior defenseman McKenna Vranicar with just under 13 minutes remaining in the first quarter. Ninety seconds later, graduate midfielder Maria Villanti earned her 11th goal of the season, giving them an early 2-0 lead.
Shortly thereafter, Cal punched back as fifth-year attacker Liz Scott scored her first of three goals, before ASU answered back with three goals in a two-minute span, setting the tone for the rest of the evening and leading 5-2 at the end of the first.
The Sun Devils’ dominance Wednesday evening was a result of their effectiveness in the draw circle, holding the Bears to just one in the first quarter alone while securing seven of their 15 for the evening. Freshman midfielder Bella Ingrao was responsible for seven of those 15, as she started her second consecutive game for ASU due to an injury to junior midfielder Zoe Mazur.
“Bella has been doing an outstanding job. She’s a great communicator, she fights so hard, and I’m proud to be her teammate,” senior midfielder Kaylon Buckner said.
“It was super nerve-wracking for me,” Ingrao said. “Being a player who only [played in] blowout games, I never saw the field a ton. I was just waiting for a moment like this to really capitalize on it and I’m happy it’s worked out that way.”
“She’s put a lot of time into this and it’s paid off for her. It was great to see that and hopefully, she continues to grow,” McCormack said.
The Sun Devils maintained control for the rest of the game from there, outscoring the Golden Bears 6-3 in the second quarter and always leading by at least three goals, en route to their 17-8 victory. Clears and ground ball pickups were also very strong for ASU, successfully completing 20 of 21 clear attempts and picking up 29 ground balls. The Bears completed 16 of 18 clear attempts, while only picking up 16 ground balls.
In a season already full of firsts, the 2022 season also marks the first time ASU has hosted the Pac-12 Lacrosse Championships and only the second home night game in program history, an easy setup for the lively home crowd Wednesday evening.
“We have the best fans in the NCAA for sure,” Ingrao said. “Everybody shows out, [there’s] so much cheering, it’s awesome. It’s been a dream of mine to play on our home field, so it’s just really cool.”
“We’re so well supported,” McCormack said. “When you come to this stadium, but realistically anywhere, our fans travel incredibly well.”
“Night games are a different approach because the prep is different,” he added. “There’s a long lead-up and a lot of anticipation, so you [have to] prepare and be ready for it. It was nice to be out here on our own field. We have great lights, so it was easy to see the ball. [Overall,] it was a cool atmosphere.”
The Sun Devils will get ready to take on the No. 2 seed USC Trojans on short rest in the semifinals Thursday evening at Sun Devil Soccer and Lacrosse Stadium at 7 p.m. The winner will compete in the championship game at 7 p.m. on Saturday.
“Every day is a game day, so for us, whether it’s a practice day or an opponent, it’s a game day and we have another one tomorrow,” McCormack said. “Hopefully we can get some rest tonight and take care of business.”
