Sun Devils find first road victory of conference play away to Kansas State

Photo courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics

Arizona State soccer’s first conference road trip ran through Manhattan, Kansas, where the Sun Devils capitalized on early success.

On Sunday, ASU (7-2-2, 2-1-0 Big 12) topped Kansas State (5-2-4, 0-2-1 Big 12) 2-0. Standout performances from second-year goalkeeper Kennedy Zorn and fifth-year midfielder Peyton Marcisz led to a three-point performance.

Early Quality Over Sustained Quantity

In the ninth minute, Marcisz took advantage of a Kansas State defensive breakdown to strike her third goal of the season.

With that goal, the Sun Devils were put in a good position to succeed as they had won all five previous matches when scoring first.

After fast-paced, back-and-forth action, Marcisz picked up another point when she delivered a perfect through ball inside the box to third-year forward Kierra Blundell, who put the Sun Devils up two in the 23rd minute.

It was the Sun Devils’ second shot of the match at that point, with both hitting the back of the net. From the start of the match to that point, the Wildcats had four shots, hitting the target just once.

The quality of shots proved to be much more crucial than the total amount, as the score stood for the remainder of the game. Kansas State-State ended with 16 total shots, with nine on target. Meanwhile, ASU shot on goal four times in 10 total tries.

Zorn Shines

In her 11th match as a Sun Devil, Zorn surpassed her career high of five saves in a single match. She denied the Wildcats nine times, with two being highlight-reel-worthy saves.

Kansas State’s first shot on goal came before the Sun Devils took the lead 1-0. A defensive miscue led to a one-on-one between Zorn and third-year forward Allison Marshall, ending in a close encounter that Zorn deflected just enough for the ball to miss high.

Her one mishap occurred in the 28th minute when a Wildcat cross slipped through her fingers, but first-year defender Mya Angus was on the back post to clean it up.

Zorn’s decision-making was on full display. On a variety of occasions, she was seen way out of the net, making a play that many keepers may not.

Before Sunday, the Wildcats had only been shut out twice, most recently on Sept. 18, in a 3-0 loss against Houston to open conference play.

After Sunday, Zorn and the Sun Devils have now posted five clean sheets. They have only allowed seven goals through 11 matches, ranking in the top half of the Big 12.

Banged Up Sun Devils

Play was stopped in the 13th minute after second-year forward Bela Puccinelli was hit in the head after fourth-year goalkeeper Maddie Sibing kicked the ball.

It was a scary sight as Puccinelli squirmed in pain, then lay prone on the grass for an extended period of time. After about a 10-minute delay, she was carted off on a stretcher, but was seen moving her arms to show signs of being alright.

Late in the second half, Puccinelli rejoined the team on the bench with sunglasses on and was seen smiling with her teammates – a promising sign for the severity of the injury.

The game was delayed again in the 57th minute after the Sun Devils cleared a Kansas State corner kick; Zorn was down with a non-contact injury. The trainers assessed the situation, stretched her out, and she finished the game.

In the 73rd minute, the final stoppage was for third-year midfielder Addison Haws, who was down with a collision-related injury. A Wildcat slide tackle took Haws to the ground, where she instantly grabbed her knee.

A few minutes later, she was helped off the field, putting little to no pressure on her right leg. During the stoppage, head coach Graham Winkworth challenged the play for a potential penalty.

The challenge was successful, and ASU had an opportunity to extend the lead to three, but Sibbing denied Blundell from the spot.

Next Up

ASU picked up three points to move up in the Big 12 standings and will now look toward Lubbock, Texas, where they will face No.25-ranked Texas Tech on Friday, Oct. 2 at 5 p.m. MST.