(Photo: Patricia Vicente/ WCSN)
The Arizona State women’s soccer team will take on California State Northridge to close out their final game of non-conference play on Friday at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe.
Entering Friday’s contest, the Lady Sun Devils are 6-2 with a 3-1 record at home.
Despite facing their first season losses against Oklahoma and UCF last week, ASU bounced back with a hard-fought 1-0 victory against LSU on the road.
Head coach Graham Winkworth’s squad has outscored their opponents 25-10 in non-conference play with a 16-4 margin at home. That mark ranks second in the Pac-12 and fifth overall in the nation. Along with the goals, the team has tallied 24 registered assists, which also ranks second among Pac-12 teams.
Within their all-time series, ASU leads CSUN with a 4-1-0 record and has managed to snag wins in their two most recent meetings in 2013 and 2014.
Since 2013, the Matadors struggled to take down a Pac-12 opponent and will be looking for their second-ever win on the road against a Pac-12 team since 1999.
Led by head coach Keith West, the Matadors currently ride a five-game unbeaten streak, dawning a 2-1 road record and a 5-1-2 overall record.
The Matadors have held opponents to only six goals in eight games, all the while managing five shutouts.
CSUN sophomore Alexis White leads the Matadors with three goals despite only starting one of the eight games she has played in.
The Matadors have also depended heavily on their sophomores, including goalie Amanda Delgado who has allowed five goals in her six starts.
Meanwhile, the Sun Devils have posted impressive wins over Big West teams this season, such as Cal State Fullerton (4-1) and UC Irvine (3-1).
Sophomore Nicole Douglas is creating the loudest noise again this season by scoring a team-leading seven goals in eight games, tying her for second in the Pac-12. Douglas has also managed to log in 596 minutes in her eight starts as the team’s highly-skilled striker.
Fellow sophomore Eva Van Deursen currently leads the conference with six assists to accompany her three goals on the year.
The Sun Devils will host the Matadors on Friday with kick-off scheduled for 6:30 p.m. MST at Sun Devil Stadium.
