ASU Women’s Lacrosse: Sun Devils open Pac-12 play with 17-15 win over Cal

(Photo: Ryan Blank/WCSN)

Spring break may have started for Arizona State, but Sun Devil women’s lacrosse (5-2; 1-0) stayed busy in Tempe as they opened up Pac-12 Conference play with a 17-15 win over the California Golden Bears (2-4; 0-1) on Friday afternoon.

Kerri Clayton, the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week, showcased why she earned the honor as she led the team with five goals. Clayton has recorded at least a hat trick in all seven of the Sun Devils’ games this season, netting a total of 29 goals so far. She also became the first Sun Devil in program history to surpass the 100-goal mark earlier this week.

“It’s always a fun game with Cal,” Clayton said. “Going back and forth and then coming out with a win is really special. Especially opening the Pac-12, it sets the pace for the rest of the season and it’s nice to get another win under our belt.”

Carley Adams continued to put shots in the back of the net after a five-goal game against Fresno State. She opened up scoring with a goal 36 seconds into the game, starting a 3-0 run for the Sun Devils and giving them a lead they would hold on to for the entire game. The senior attacker would finish the game with her fourth hat trick of the year and an assist.

Midfielder Kaylon Bucker would add two goals to the Sun Devil’s total in the first half. She also found Clayton in front of the net to record an assist. Emily Glagolev would score two goals of her own and find two assists, giving her 24 on the season. The attacker also took several draws at center, winning five of them and forcing two turnovers.

“This feels good; it’s going to give us a lot of momentum going into this weekend and the rest of Pac-12 play,” Glagolev said. “It’s a big win for us.”

The Golden Bears had been holding their opponents to the fewest goals out of all teams in the conference. Head coach Tim McCormack combated this by running his up-tempo offense that saw rapid ball movement around the fan. This play style saw the Sun Devils’ bench have a huge impact on the game, with four goals coming from substitutes. Olivia Hood recorded 2 goals, her first career multi-goal game.

“That’s been the name of the game for us, high tempo and fast pace, trying to get chances as early and often as we can,” McCormack said. “It’s awesome when everyone can do that beyond just the initial players. They’re just as ready as anybody else and we have full trust in every single person’s ability that when they’re out there, they’re going to do their job well.”

The Sun Devils’ struggles with discipline continued as they committed 35 fouls compared to 22 from the Golden Bears. ASU faced 14 shots from free position, but only surrendered six goals of the free looks. The Sun Devils also went man-down twice in the final minutes of the game, allowing Cal to capitalize on both opportunities with a pair of goals as they pushed for a comeback.

“That’s a constant point of emphasis for us,” McCormack said. “I feel like every week we’re back having the same discussion and it’s true. It’s something that we’ve got to keep harping on and practice on and take ownership of. I’ve said this too, sometimes it happens. Sometimes it just ends up going that way and it’s about how we react to those days.”

Goalkeeper Berkeley Bonneau picked up 13 saves on 28 shots on goal faced. The Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week was able to make several vital stick saves in the final minutes of the game to preserve the lead and help the Devils earn their first win in a Pac-12 opener in program history.

The Sun Devils improved to 5-2 on the season and are on a three-game winning streak. They will continue their homestand on Sunday when they host the Stanford Cardinal.