(Photo: Rebecca Striffler/WCSN)
On Sunday, the Arizona State women’s soccer team drew with the Washington Huskies 1-1. The Sun Devils are now 5-0-1 on the season and 1-0-1 in conference play.
The Huskies began the game on the front foot, constantly pressuring the entire ASU team on all sides of the ball. This led to a goal by the Huskies that came from junior Ruby Hellstrom who fired a header in the back of the net from a cross.
“[Washington] came out with energy and I thought we tried, but they just had a better position in the first part of the game,” said head coach Graham Winkworth. “Then they created some chances because we did not do a great job of denying crosses early in the match.”
After the goal by Washington, the Sun Devils came roaring back with a goal from junior Alexia Delgado in the 26th minute. The play began with a cross from junior Vildan Kardesler on the right side of the field. The cross found junior Olivia Nguyen who played the ball to Delgado at the top of the box and Delgado smashed the half volley right past the UW goalkeeper to tie the game 1-1.
“When I saw the cross I predicted [Nguyen] was going to have a bad touch because the ball was coming at the middle of her hip,” Delgado said after the game. “So I was just ready and I knew the ball was going to come to my side. I’m just happy I could execute the volley and score to help the team.”
The Sun Devils came out attacking in the second half, looking to break the tie. In the final 15 minutes of the game, ASU had six shots but failed to find the back of the net. Then just a few minutes into OT senior Olive Jones found herself on a breakaway which was saved by the Washington goalie.
“I just told [junior Evan Van Deursen, junior Nicole Douglas and Jones] if they miss a chance like that they just need to be a goldfish,” Winkworth said. “Goldfish are very clever creatures because they have 10-second memory, so when you miss chances like that you need to be a goldfish and take the next one.”
This game was very physical from the start and the Sun Devils did not back down. Coach Winkworth was audibly frustrated on the sideline with the referee, receiving a yellow card and yelling, “Protect the players’ ref that is your number one job,” after junior Isabel Dehakiz became the second Sun Devil to stay down with an injury.
The physical battle left the Sun Devils with two potential long-term injuries. Both Dehakiz and Kardesler walked off the field on their own power after going down with injuries. However, both of them would not return to the game after leaving the field. In the post-game press conference Winkworth had no updates on the condition of either player.
Even though the game finished as a 1-1 draw it felt like a loss for Delgado, “I’m really happy with the team. I feel like it was a great performance today, but of course, we are disappointed because I think we deserve more. Overall I am still very happy with the team and we have come a long way to be where we are.”
ASU will look to continue the unbeaten streak in their first away game of the season in Eugene, Oregon against the Oregon Ducks on Friday, March 12.
