Sara Tosti Named to TopDrawerSoccer.com’s National Team of the Week

TEMPE, Ariz. – Sun Devil soccer junior defender Sara Tosti was named to TopDrawerSoccer.com’s National Team of the Week, according to an announcement by TDS on Tuesday.

Tosti was recognized by TDS for her contributions in ASU’s wins over Oklahoma State (2-0) and No. 6 Texas A&M (2-1), during this past weekend’s Sun Devil Classic.

On Friday, Tosti, who has started all six games on ASU’s back line this season, helped ASU post its first shutout of the season in the Sun Devils’ 2-0 win over Oklahoma State.

On Sunday, Tosti’s experience, poise and outstanding tactical play helped lift the Sun Devils to the upset win over Texas A&M. Tosti, and fellow center back Mckenzie Grossman, who was named the Pac-12’s Defensive Player of the Week on Monday, both helped anchor the Sun Devil back line as ASU surrendered only one goal to a Texas A&M squad, which came in averaging 2.8 goals per game and had scored fewer than two goals only one time before Sunday.

Tosti, who played all 180 minutes of both games, shook off the effects from a collision in the second half to remain in the game after she slid to knock the ball away from an Aggie attacker, who was headed toward ASU’s goal.

Now in her third season, Tosti has been the ultimate team player during her time at ASU. Prior joining the Sun Devils, Tosti spent most of her career up top in the attacking position. That changed in 2012 when the coaching staff recognized Tosti’s skills would allow her to transition to the back line where she could be most effective given the team’s personnel at the time. She would go on to play all 21 games on the back line as a freshman, including starting assignments in 14 games.

Last season Tosti returned to her natural position up top and proved to be just as effective as she started all but one game. She had a remarkable stretch during the early portion of the Pac-12 season as her critical contributions helped pave the way for ASU’s first three conference wins. Tosti was named the Pac-12’s Offensive Player of the Week after she scored the only goal of the game in ASU’s 1-0 upset of (then) second-ranked Stanford, arguably ASU’s biggest regular season win in school history.

Tosti has once again returned to the back line this season where her experience is helping to make up for the combination of losing two regular starters from last season in addition to the team’s relative lack of experience in that part of the field. 

Combined with the aforementioned victory over Stanford last season, Sunday’s victory over the No. 6 Aggies represented ASU’s second victory in as many seasons against a Top 10 team. 

Currently on a three-game winning streak, the Sun Devils (4-1-1) return to action this week when they travel to Tucson, Arizona, for the Cats Classic being hosted by the University of Arizona. The Sun Devils will open play on Friday when they take on New Mexico State at 4:30 p.m. before closing out the weekend on Sunday against Nevada at noon.