(Photo: Jack Simon/WCSN)
On the night in their honor, it was fitting that two seniors were the stars of the show for Arizona State soccer.
Early in the second half of ASU’s (7-0-1) final non-conference game of the season, the Sun Devils and UTEP (3-5-1) were knotted at one. The momentum had shifted in the visitor’s favor. The Miners were practically living on ASU’s side of the field to that point.
ASU needed a momentum shifter. It had wasted countless opportunities in the first half. UTEP was shutting the Sun Devils down in the attacking third, and it looked like more of the same when freshman forward Addison Baltodano fitted a pass into senior forward Tatum Thomason deep in Miner territory.
It was a 3v1, Thomason was severely outnumbered. Yet, miraculously, the Peoria native found space, juked out all three UTEP defenders, and found the net to stretch the ASU lead to 2-1.
Thomason’s goal ignited a flame in the ASU’s offense. The Sun Devils scored two more times that night, making the final score 4-1, a nice touch to their senior night.
Thomason and senior midfielder Cameron Valladares were a pivotal part of the Sun Devils’ win. They swooped in to save the game like superheroes.
“[Cameron’s] superpower is her dribble,” head coach Graham Winkworth said. “Super proud of her and how far she’s come.”
Valladares transferred from the University of Arizona in 2023 and has turned into a star since moving up north. Her 10 points this year are second-best on the team. She added three more to her total on Friday with a goal and an assist.
Valladares’ assist was what helped seal the win for the Sun Devils. She freed herself down the right wing, creating a 1-on-1 opportunity with a defender. Then, with a perfectly placed cross-field pass, she set up Baltodano flawlessly to knock in goal number four of the night.
“It was like watching Manchester City when they’re at their best,” Winkworth said.
Thomason, the team’s leading scorer this year, also put on a show for the packed home crowd. Her miraculous 3v1, juking score turned the tide for the maroon and gold.
“Just keep dribbling,” she told herself in the moment. “And then I just hit it, honestly, and it just went in.”
Despite the final score, which might suggest total offensive dominance by ASU, the Sun Devils struggled to finish on scoring opportunities in the first half, but kept a positive attitude through it all.
“We went into the locker room, and we were proud of ourselves,” Thomason said. “We were creating so many chances, and now we just really have to finish them. We knew we were going to score goals in the second half. It was just a matter of putting away all the opportunities we were getting.”
Clearly, the halftime speech worked. Led by the dynamic duo of seniors, ASU stormed onto the pitch and delivered a beautiful half of soccer in front of its fans.
Sun Devil faithful packed out the stands for senior night. With an estimated attendance of over 1,400 people, a lot of people got to experience the night.
“There were a lot of students there, there were friends and family, there were alumni there,” Winkworth said. “It felt like what I want our college soccer program to feel like on a Friday night.”
