Takeaways From Sun Devils’ 20-12 Loss At No. 20 Colorado

(Photo: Zina Garcia/WCSN)

After beating California 18-11 last week, Arizona State women’s lacrosse looked to continue winning as it started a two-game road trip to the Centennial State.

The Sun Devils visited a familiar foe in No. 20 Colorado for a Pac-12 matchup at Kittredge Field. The Buffaloes, who will transition to the Big 12 next year alongside ASU, took both meetings against the Maroon and Gold last year, winning the game in Boulder 15-12.

Colorado (9-4, 4-1 Pac-12) continued its advantage over ASU (7-7, 2-3 Pac-12) on Friday afternoon, beating the Sun Devils 20-12. Here are two takeaways from the defeat.

Sun Devils Crumble After Promising Start

Within the first three minutes, it seemed like ASU was on its way to another commanding performance. The Sun Devils took advantage of their first three possessions, scoring on all of them. They led 3-0 before their opponent could even win a draw control let alone tally a shot.

But the Buffaloes finished the first half on an 8-2 run, blanking the Sun Devils in the second quarter. The hosts scored four goals in each of the first three quarters before strengthening their lead late with eight goals in the final 15 minutes as they scored until the final second.

Colorado seized the game in the second quarter, outshooting the Sun Devils 18-4 and 11-2 with shots on target. Their attack caused the Sun Devils to foul 11 times in that period while Buffaloes’ fouled twice. This was right after the hosts committed 11 fouls in the first quarter.

Overall, the side from Boulder outshot the Maroon and Gold 45-28. The 33 shots on goal tied the Sun Devils’ record for the most they have faced under head coach Taryn VanThof, which was set earlier this year in a 20-8 road loss to then-No. 22 Stanford. Unlike that defeat, ASU’s junior goalkeeper Katie Vahle played all 60 minutes on Friday, saving 13 shots.

Additionally, the Sun Devils struggled to maintain possession. They turned the ball over 18 times and only picked up five ground balls compared to the Buffaloes’ 14.

Buffaloes’ Multiple Attackers Overpower Sun Devils

Both teams had many players find the back of the net, as ASU had seven scorers while Colorado had eight. But it was the individual efforts from the Buffaloes that led them to victory.

Maddie Shoup spearheaded Colorado’s attack, sneaking six shots past Vahle. Not only was the six goals a career-high for the sophomore midfielder, it was also her second career hat trick, with the first occurring in a 19-14 loss to lacrosse powerhouse Northwestern on Feb. 22. Shoup had a hat trick in the first quarter alone.

Graduate attacker Eve Hritzuk picked up a hat-trick and an assist, logging eight shots as well. The Northwestern transfer scored all of her goals in the fourth quarter, with her last coming with 12 seconds remaining. Senior midfielder Madeline Pisani also notched a hat trick. She scored her goals in an individual spurt, with three consecutive goals to give the Buffaloes a 7-5 lead.

Colorado distributed the ball in the attack with 12 assists. While Pisani picked up a hat trick in assists, it was senior midfielder Ashley Stokes who shined in that category. She assisted seven goals, which tied a program record.

ASU has struggled to defend against the nation’s best this season. In six matchups against ranked opponents, the Maroon and Gold have allowed at least 10 goals in each game. Additionally, VanThof’s side has allowed 20 goals in all road clashes against Top 25 teams.

On the other hand, no Sun Devils registered a hat-trick. But five attackers — graduate Shannon Urey, sophomore Teagan Ng, fifth-year Lindsey Dean, senior Mina Scott and junior Anna Thornton — scored twice. Thornton, who was the only non-starter of the group, also had a hat-trick in assists.

The Sun Devils will have another challenge against tough opposition on Sunday when they visit No. 13 Denver (10-3, 4-0 Big East) at 12 p.m. MST. The Pioneers took the previous matchup against the Sun Devils 22-10 back in 2021.