(Photo: Zina Garcia/WCSN)
Arizona State women’s lacrosse (9-6, 2-1 Big 12) cruised to an absolute dominant victory over UC Davis (5-9, 2-2 ) with the final score 20-11. After falling to a two-goal deficit early in the first, as the UC Davis Aggies came out to a hot start, finding the back of the net three times on three shots on goal, the Sun Devils quickly rallied back into the competition, scoring eight goals straight spanning across the first and second quarters.
Even though the Aggies came out with more pressure after 30 minutes played, the Sun Devils were able to add to the lead, securing their second Big 12 win in program history.
Firing from the start
For the first time since the Sun Devils’ matchup against Furman on Mar. 15, ASU was able to outshoot their opponent, tallying 23 shots on goal compared to the Aggies’ 18. While producing offense was not a struggle at the beginning of the season for this crew, the Sun Devils have struggled recently to create offensive opportunities to add to the score sheet.
This struggle was especially evident in their last contest against Colorado, when the Buffs were able to outshoot ASU 27-16 and inevitably win 14-13, despite the Sun Devils’ comeback attempt in the second half. Although it was a disappointing result for the hungry ASU crew, the offense on the pitch against the Aggies was not the same disconnected offense we saw last time.
The Big Three
The big three for this Sun Devil squad continue to be the bread and butter for this offense. The junior trio of attackers in Teagan Ng, Lydia Oldknow and Jordyn Behar have been the constant offensive stars for this historic team.
Against the Aggies, Teagan Ng continues her reign of terror against unsuspecting defenses. Ng added seven more points to her season numbers, scoring six goals on eight shots on goal, marking her fifth consecutive game with five or more goals, and tallying one assist. With this seven-point performance, Ng is now one goal shy of hitting the 60-goal mark on the season with 59, and carries 67 total points.
Lydia Oldknow also made her presence known on the score sheet, adding five more goals to her season total, which is now up to 46.
While Ng and Oldknow are constantly scoring goals, it’s Jordyn Behar who quarterbacks those plays. Even though Behar spends most of her time behind the net drawing up those offensive feats, Behar snuck past Aggies’ net-minder Ally Richardson-Pepper three times for the hat-trick. These three offensive threats lead the team in goals, assists and points, with all three of them occupying the top three spots in each category.
Trouble Between the Pipes?
While goalkeeper Katie Vahle is having a season to remember, after marketing her 600th career save last week against Maryland, this matchup against UC Davis might be one to forget.
After receiving her 15th start of the season, Vahle gave up six goals on six shot attempts from the Aggies. This performance was Vahle’s first game since the 2023 season where she had zero saves.
At halftime, Vahle was sidelined for freshman goalie Regan Spichiger where she made a statement in the second half. Spichiger came out strong, making big saves after UC Davis came out strong at the beginning of the second half. On nine shots faced, the freshman made six saves with a save percentage of .667 and three goals allowed.
All three goalies on the ASU roster made an appearance today. After the Sun Devils had built up a ten-goal lead late in the fourth quarter, sophomore goaltender Sara Flobeck also saw time in the crease.
D-D-D Defense
The Aggies came out recharged in the second half after being kept to just six shots on goal in the first. While Spichiger stood tall in the net, the ASU defense stood its ground as a whole. On 12 shots on goal, UC Davis was only able to capitalize on five of those shots getting past the Spichiger- Flobeck tandem in the final 30 minutes of play.
Turnovers, Turnovers, Turnovers
While this matchup led to a victory for ASU, turnovers still seem to be an issue. While the turnover margin was way less against the Aggies compared to the hot Colorado team they faced, the Sun Devils still turned over the ball nine times compared to the Aggies’ five.
This win was big for the Sun Devils, as it brought them back up to second place in their division ahead of two more games of the regular season, all of which are Big 12 matchups. They will be tested against a struggling San Diego State before their final showdown against the on-fire Florida Gators.
