(Photo: Joey Plishka/WCSN)
By the time early light dawns on the Bay Area, Friday morning, the Arizona State women’s soccer team and their fans will know just how elite this group can be this year. It will be put up or shut up time for the Sun Devils when they kick off the night before at No. 2 Stanford on Thursday at 7 p.m. The Sun Devils flew through its nonconference schedule relatively unfazed save for a single 1-0 blemish against Texas Tech. They started their Pac-12 campaign with an authoritative 2-0 victory at home against Oregon State last week. They are flying at their highest at the moment anchored by their suffocating defensive unit, according to ASU head coach Graham Winkworth.
“To keep seven clean sheets in 10 games is magnificent and I am very proud of the efforts,” Winkworth said per Sun Devil Athletics. “This was maybe our most complete performance so far this season.”
To say the defense has been “magnificent” even still seems to be an understatement for truly how asphyxiating the back line has been. Not only has the team held seven clean sheets out of 10 games to date, but have only allowed three goals in those three games they were scored on. ASU has yet to allow a team to permeate its net more than once in a single match this season, as its 0.3 goals-against average is currently tied for 4th best in the nation. For reference, only one other Pac-12 team is even in sniffing distance in terms of defensive strength, as the Sun Devils next opponent Stanford is tied at 13th at a 0.44 goals-against average. The industry of the team against the Beavers was a key contributor to yet another shutout for the Sun Devils, according to Winkworth.
“I am very proud of the amount of running the team put in when out of possession,” Winkworth said. “It is not the fun part of the game, but it makes such a difference, and it was this that helped us to limit our opponent’s offense.”
With all that said. it’s important to note that they have yet to face any team of the Cardinal’s caliber. The Sun Devils go marching into Palo Alto to face the conference leaders in goals (22), points (62), and total shots (164) so far. They’re part of the gold standard of programs in NCAA Division I women’s soccer and are currently ranked No. 2 nationally. Stanford, the three-time national champion, has started its 2023 campaign on a tear. Through nine games so far they are undefeated at 8-0-1, including a 3-0-1 record against ranked opponents, three of which ranked inside the top 15, and it outscored its opposition 22-4 in all contests. It’s the classic case of an unstoppable force that is the Cardinal attack meets a seemingly immovable object that is the Sun Devils’ defense.
ASU will look to make a statement of intent in the Pac-12 and in the nation as a whole against Stanford before a more favorable matchup the following Sunday, Oct. 1st against the California Bears in Berkeley. Stanford will attempt to continue bulldozing through its schedule in the hunt for title No. 4 as they host both ASU on Thursday and Arizona on Sunday.
