(Photo: Jordan Keats/WCSN)
TEMPE – On any August night in the East Valley, there is always a risk of a monsoon. That risk became reality on Sunday night at Sun Devil Soccer Stadium as Arizona State took on Cal Poly.
Wind and dust hissed through the semi-visible Tempe night sky as the Sun Devils led 1-0 through a fourth-minute goal by junior forward Sierra Bergen with just under 10 minutes to play.
Senior midfielder Emmie Ennis walked up to take the corner with an extra sense of urgency, as the possibility of a game delay loomed over all.
As Ennis sent the ball in, it seemed to glide through the air like a parachute before landing on the foot of freshman defender Jenna Whinney.
Whinney knocked it straight to freshman defender Mya Angus, who slotted it into the bottom corner.
Angus’ lead-doubling goal proved crucial as the match would go final just five minutes later as lightning moved in too close to the stadium. Both teams headed to the locker room as the Sun Devils (4-0-1, 0-0 Big 12) defeated the Mustangs (2-2-1, 0-0 Big West) 2-0 to remain unbeaten on the season.
“It was quite concerning because the wind really picked up,” head coach Graham Winkworth said. “So we were not just battling a great opponent, but we were battling the elements and trying to get the ball out.
“I thought the girls did reasonably well at that because in the past we’ve not always been successful.”
Had the Sun Devils’ lead remained 1-0 when the forced weather stoppage occurred, Winkworth said that the teams would’ve returned to play the final three minutes of the match once the lightning passed. In such a case, ASU would’ve had to come back when it was safe, warm up for 30 minutes, just to play 180 seconds of soccer.
“I thought we were going to have to come back out,” Winkworth said. “But Coach Bernardo was very classy. He spoke to his staff, and they decided that, as it was a two-goal game with three minutes left. If it was a one-goal game, we would obviously resume.
“But as it was a two-goal game, they wanted to get on the road and get back to the hotel. So again, an incredibly classy coaching staff, and I wish them the best this season.”
Even before the early stoppage, the weather forced the Sun Devils into different second-half tactics. The wind blew towards sophomore goalkeeper Kennedy Zorn, forcing ASU to play with the ball on the floor, while Cal Poly maintained their direct style.
“There wasn’t really too much that we could do,” Winkworth said. “We don’t want to change too much from what we were from the game plan. We pick a plan based on how to win a game and then hope that we’ve got the numbers to do it. Maybe the elements coming in and cooling the temperature a little bit helped them.”
The Sun Devils turned to their midfielders with graduate captain Peyton Marcisz and junior Ella Kettles leading the charge. On multiple occasions, Marcisz picked the ball up in her own half and cruised past Cal Poly defenders, allowing ASU to break out of pressure and keep possession in the attacking half.
Although she is the Sun Devils’ captain, Marcisz started the match on the bench with freshman midfielder Maja Madon taking her place after a solid second-half performance against LSU on Thursday. Winkworth said he hopes that leaving his captain as a reserve sets a tone for his squad.
“I always tell the team it’s not about having 11 starters, it’s about having 18,” Winkworth said. “When you can do that to your captain in a big game like this, then it just demonstrates the type of quality people that we’ve got. So I want to praise Peyton for the classy way that she handled not starting tonight.”
While the incoming dust storm changed the style of soccer ASU played in the second half, it did allow them to leave players on the field for longer periods of time — with only 6 reserves available on the bench after sophomore forward Addison Baltodano suffered an injury against LSU.
Along with Baltodano’s injury, the Sun Devils were without freshman defender Amy Medley and junior forward Kierra Blundell as the pair were selected as part of the preliminary squad for Canada’s U-20 national team. Due to both players being named alternates in Canada’s final U-20 Women’s World Cup team, Winkworth said he expects both to return next week.
As the Sun Devils move forward into the season, they will hope that last season’s Big West conference champions will have similar success as a means to boost their Rating Percentage Index. ASU will remain in Arizona, but will travel to Tucson to play Dartmouth on Thursday at 4 p.m. MST.
“Really pleased with the result,” Winkworth said. “They’re a really hardworking opponent. I know they’re going to win a lot of games this season. That feels like a big win that might seem like a big win at the end of the season, certainly from an RPI standpoint, so delighted.”
