Photo: Jack Simon/WCSN
TEMPE – As a corner kick flew into the box, ricocheting around, junior defender Lucy Fazackerley’s foot found the ball to give Arizona State a late lead.
Sun Devil Soccer Stadium erupted in cheers, and players celebrated as the Sun Devils finally broke the dam of Denver’s defense in the 80th minute.
ASU had been aggressive all game, but couldn’t strike pay dirt. It attempted 16 corner kicks and only netted one on the 14th. Though the Sun Devils’ breakthrough goal didn’t come in the most elegant fashion, it was enough to give ASU its fourth consecutive home win.
“Ugly goals count the same as pretty goals,” head coach Graham Winkworth said. “[I’m] delighted that we scored a couple of set pieces today.”
The Sun Devils (6-0-1) picked up a 3-1 win against Denver (2-2-3) Sunday in a game that didn’t see much action until an explosion late in the second half.
ASU tacked on an insurance goal via a corner kick when sophomore forward Sierra Bergen rocketed the ball to the back of the net off an assist from senior defender Ava Wright. The Sun Devils’ third goal of the afternoon capped a late-game surge that iced the game for them.
Despite the final score giving the impression that the Sun Devils were in control for most of the game, ASU struggled to find a rhythm in the first half and had several missed opportunities that could have cost them the game if it wasn’t for their end-of-game strikes.
In the first half alone, the Sun Devils had six shots on target but didn’t have any open-play goals. Their first goal came in the fifth minute after a Denver handball gave ASU a penalty kick that senior forward Tatum Thomason was able to knock through.
After Thomason’s early goal, the Sun Devils remained aggressive but couldn’t get anything to go. ASU’s 16 corner kicks were the highest single-game mark of its season and the second highest during the Graham Winkworth era. Even Winkworth was surprised by the number, double-taking at it when mentioned in his postgame presser.
Yet, even after not being able to capitalize on the first 13 corner kicks, the Sun Devils were able to rally and extend their undefeated streak.
“We’re a team that’s never going to quit,” Bergen said. “No matter what time is left on the clock.”
The Pioneers were able to match ASU on the scoreboard when, in the 77th minute, senior forward Brooke Ahern received a corner kick from teammate Audrey Miller and booted it in for a goal.
Ahern’s goal not only tied the score but it broke senior goalkeeper Pauline Nelles’ three-game shutout streak. Nelles, who has 22 career shutouts, remains just two away from tying the ASU record.
Nelles, who hails from Bonn, Germany, is one of the many international players on ASU’s roster. More than half of the team’s 26 players are from abroad.
Winkworth, a native of Reading, England, is not a fan of dividing his international-heavy squad into different categories.
“I don’t think about seniors, juniors, sophomores, freshman,” Winkworth said. “I don’t think about whether somebody’s local or international… They’re just teammates.”
The culture Winkworth has created is one of the many reasons why he has thrived as a coach, with Sunday’s win marking the 250th of his coaching career.
When the clock hit 90, Winkworth’s players dumped blue Gatorade on him in celebration, mobbing around their coach with joyous hoots and hollers.
“I’ve been blessed,” Winkworth said, still dripping blue. “To [be able to] work with some incredible teammates, staff, coaches, assistant coaches [has been a blessing]. Ultimately, players have won 250, I’ve just sat on the sidelines.”
