(Photo: Patricia Vicente/WCSN)
The No. 21 ranked Arizona State Sun Devils’ seemingly unstoppable momentum from its five-game winning streak met an immovable object in the form of the No. 17 ranked Louisiana State University Tigers on Sunday.
A 5-2 victory for the Tigers (6-0) at Sun Devil Soccer Stadium did not completely reflect the whole story of the game. The Sun Devils (5-1) had 22 shots with 11 on target. Most of the offensive flurry came during the second half as the Sun Devils’ second wind kicked in simultaneously as the Tigers’ stamina was getting away from them.
“We had our chances, we had 22 shots, they had nine saves,” senior forward Olivia Nguyen said. “So I think it’s good that we’re getting in there, we’re getting in the box, we’re getting shots, but frustrating not seeing them going in the back of the net.”
The first half was blown open as Nguyen scored the opening goal in under a minute tapping home a good, low driven cross from senior forward Cori Sullivan. The Tigers responded instantly, equalizing through junior forward Rammie Noel’s sweetly placed side foot volley. That goal helped LSU shake off Nguyen’s early strike and take over the first half.
LSU’s talent, speed and strength were on full display during the first half as the Tigers won aerial duels, dashed by defenders and quickly passed around the ball.
Set pieces were ASU’s undoing in the first half. LSU scored off free kicks and corners to dig the Sun Devils a hole too deep to climb out of.
“We gifted our opponents a couple of goals, two or three goals early on in the game,” ASU head coach Graham Winkworth said. “And we were unable to recover from that.”
With a halftime score of 4-1, the Tigers seemed primed for a comfortable second half.
“At halftime, we had nothing to lose,” Nguyen said.
That mentality breathed life into the team and especially senior forward Nicole Douglas. Every time she had the ball she took on defenders and dragged the Tigers defense with her. With all the attention on Douglas, she picked out wide-open teammates on the wing for a good look at goal.
Junior Tigers goalkeeper Mollie Swift had a more eventful second half, but was up to the task, recording nine saves on 22 shots faced.
“LSU is a very good team and I think that we competed with them very well, especially in the second half,” Sullivan said. “We had a lot of shots so we just need to get those on target and put them in the corner, so we’re almost there.”
Just when ASU looked to gain some momentum, a sharp, darting run into ASU’s penalty box by a Tiger forward led to a penalty kick. Senior forward Alesia Garcia stepped up and confidently slotted the ball into the bottom left corner for the Tigers’ fifth goal in the 66th minute.
Heads remained up for the Sun Devils as they continued pestering LSU’s box. Graduate student defender Jayda Hylton-Pelaia made a darting run of her own and won a penalty kick for the Sun Devils. Senior midfielder Eva Van Deursen couldn’t replicate the Tigers’ penalty kick, missing the goal wide right.
Not long after, Van Deursen quickly made up for her mistake, scoring a beautiful volley from beyond the box to give her team its second goal in the 77th minute.
From that moment, the Sun Devils found their rhythm. ASU’s vertical runs stretched the Tigers’ defense and pulled them out of position leaving open wingers on the touchline. Unable to maximize their good opportunities, the team couldn’t find a way to overcome the three-goal defecit.
“I thought we created a lot of chances today,” Winkworth said. “I mean, really good chances, we just didn’t capitalize.”
Aside from a hard scoreline to look at, Sullivan and the rest of the team are taking an ‘iron sharpens iron’ mentality from this game.
“I mean these are the games we live for,” Sullivan said. “This almost feels like playing your UCLAs or USCs so it just helps us to go into the season even more prepared and ready to take on some good teams.”
The Sun Devils travel to Tucson to take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Sept. 9 for a shot to get back in the win column.
