(Photo: Nicholas Badders/WCSN)
For the first time in program history, the Sun Devils have opened the season with back-to-back road wins following a 24-6 rout of Detroit-Mercy on Friday night.
The team got off to a fast start and never looked back. Despite UDM making a switch from Maddie Johnson to Hannah Shrader at goalie midway through the first period, the Sun Devils’ offense could not be stopped. They tallied 15 goals in the first half, with a total of nine players contributing to the scoring.
Head coach Tim McCormack emphasized the importance of getting out early, referencing draw controls as being a big part of their offensive outburst. The Sun Devils managed to collect 22 draw controls compared to UDM’s 9 over the course of the game.
The offense never let off the gas, as they piled on nine more goals in the second half.
By the end of the game, 12 different players had at least one goal and set a program record for single-game goals as a team to show for it. Kerri Clayton, Carley Adams, Anna Winkeler, Kate Dougherty, Taylor Carson and Kaylon Buckner all had multi-goal performances. Freshman Brynn Holohan got in on the scoring as well, collecting her first career goal.
The sophomore midfielder Buckner led the team with four goals, including two free-position shots and caused a turnover.
“I was in the right place at the right time,” Buckner said about her career game. She also alluded to the team effort that was displayed on the field being the key factor behind her big game.
Not only was the offense impeccable, but the team was able to stay out of foul trouble for a majority of the game. McCormack revealed that the team was more focused on playing disciplined and that they had harped on it in practice. He was pleased with how the team improved in that area.
To say that the Sun Devils dominated would be an understatement. They controlled practically every aspect of the game, as they outshot UDM 36-13. They also racked up 23 ground balls to UDM’s 12, and committed five fewer turnovers.
Today’s victory is a landmark win for the program, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. The Sun Devils have all the momentum in the world heading into Sunday’s match against powerhouse Northwestern. McCormack plans to have the team ready in his return to Evanston in what is shaping up to be a program-defining game.
