Sun Devil Soccer Takes on Kentucky in Second Round of NCAA Tournament

UP NEXT

The Sun Devil soccer team continues play in the NCAA Tournament on Friday (3 p.m. ET/1 p.m. MT) when it takes on the University of Kentucky in a second round game. The game will take place at the University of Virginia’s Klöckner Stadium in Charlottesvile, Va.. The winner of ASU-Kentucky will take on the winner of Friday’s other second round game between Rutgers and Virginia (6 p.m. ET on Friday). The winners from the two games will meet on Sunday at 5 p.m. ET/3 p.m. MT at Klöckner Stadium.  

The Sun Devils (12-5-4, 4-4-3 Pac-12) are making their fourth appearance in the second round of the NCAA Tournament (first since 2003). 

COVERAGE

Live stats of Friday’s game can be accessed via GameTracker. Fans can also follow Sun Devil Soccer’s Twitter page for in-game updates.

NOTES FROM LAST WEEK

• The Sun Devils defeated Northern Arizona 4-2 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in front of a school record crowd of 2,067 at Sun Devil Soccer Stadium.

• Freshman F Aly Moon scored the first two goals of the game. Moon found the back of the net 25 seconds into the contest and scored again at the 5:04 mark to give ASU a quick 2-0 lead.

• Senior M Brianna Gonzalez (42nd minute) and junior M Whitney Kanavel (47th minute) each scored the first goal of their respective careers to help clinch the win for the Sun Devils.

• With Gonzalez’ and Kanavel’s goals, the Sun Devils have now had 13 different players find the back of the net this season.

• Moon’s two goals gave her 10 for the season. Combined with Cali Farquharson’s 14, the Sun Devils now have two double-digit goal scores for only the second time in school history. Stacey Tullock (14) and Patrice Feulner (12) accomplished the feat in 2000.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION

Kentucky (15-6-1) finished third in the SEC during the regular season and then made it all the way to the championship game of the SEC Tournament where it fell to Texas A&M 1-0.

Despite statistically dominating their NCAA Tournament first round game against SIUE – 31-4 advantage in shots and 17-0 in corner kicks – the Wildcats were not able to score in regulation for overtime. They secured their spot in the second round after going to penalty kicks (4-2). 

ASU and Kentucky have had two like opponents this year as each team lost a game at Washington: Kentucky (4-1) and ASU (2-1). Texas A&M is the other common opponent: The Wildcats lost a pair of one-goal games to the Aggies: 2-1 on the road during the regular season and 1-0 earlier this month in the SEC title game. The Sun Devils defeated Texas A&M 2-1 in early September in a game played in Tempe.

SERIES NOTES

This will be the third all-time meeting between the Sun Devils and the Wildcats. ASU won both of the previous games coming away with victories in 2001 (2-0 in Lexington, Ky.) and 2003 (4-0 in Tempe).  

BERRYHILL, FARQUHARSON AND MOON EARN PAC-12 RECOGNITION

McKenzie Berryhill (All-Pac-12 first team), junior forward Cali Farquharson (All-Pac-12 first team) and freshman forward Aly Moon (Pac-12 All-Freshman Team and Pac-12 honorable mention) were all recognized by the Pac-12 this week as the conference announced its annual awards as voted on by the league’s head coaches.

SUN DEVIL STORYLINES

• The Sun Devils are making their seventh NCAA Tournament appearance, including their fourth under current head coach Kevin Boyd. ASU has advanced as far as the second round on three occasions – 2000, 2002 and 2003. In their most recent appearances, the Sun Devils tied Wisconsin 1-1 in Madison in 2009, but the Badgers advanced on penalty kicks. In 2010, the Sun Devils scored the first goal at UC Irvine but were unable to make the lead stand in a 2-1 setback. In 2012, the Sun Devils fell at home to third-seeded Baylor 3-1, a game which in which the entire second half was played under a heavy rainstorm and gusting winds.

• With ASU’s win at Utah on Nov. 2, its 10th of the season, the Sun Devils have now recorded double-digit wins nine times in program history, including three times under head coach Kevin Boyd (also won 10 games in 2007 and 10 games in 2010). Win No. 12 against NAU last week represents the most wins by a Sun Devil squad since 2003 (13 wins). The Sun Devils have won 13 games twice (1999 & 2003). The school record for wins is 14, set by the 2000 squad.

• ASU’s 2-1 loss at Washington on Oct. 10 snapped its nine-game unbeaten streak, which was its longest such streak since 2000. The unbeaten streak included a 1-0 win over then-No. 6 Texas A&M (Sept. 7) and a 1-1 tie vs. current-No. 1 UCLA (Sept. 26). Prior to their tie with UCLA, the Sun Devils had won six straight games, which was their longest winning streak since 2002. ASU’s 8-1-3 record after 12 games tied its second-best record after 12 games in program history. Only the 2000 squad, which started the season 11-1, had a better record after 12 games.

• ASU held UCLA (No. 6 in the NCAA in scoring offense - 2.81 goals per game) and Texas A&M (No. 11 - 2.57 goals per game) to a single goal each.

• ASU’s current average of 1.9 goals per game (scored 40 goals this season) is its highest since 2003 when it averaged 1.9 per game (also scored 40 goals).

• While ASU’s potent attack has been a key factor in its success this season, its defense was the story in Pac-12 play. In 11 Pac-12 games the Sun Devils were third in the conference in saves per game (5.64) and third in GAA (0.86) and tied for fourth in shutouts. In addition, the Sun Devils accomplished this while committing the fourth-fewest number of fouls (8.18 per game). 

• Junior forward Cali Farquharson (14) and freshman forward/midfielder Aly Moon (10) are the top goal-scoring combination in the Pac-12. Farquharson (1.73) and Moon (1.11) were also the second-best scoring combo (2.74 ppg) in the Pac-12 during the regular season. They managed to do this despite each of them being forced to miss one game this season due to injury. Both players have tied the single-game school record for goals this season (3) – Moon at Hawaii (Aug. 24) and Farquharson vs. Nevada (Sept. 14 in Tucson), the second hat-trick of her career. Both players were named Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week following the respective weekends in which they recorded their hat-trick. Farquharson added her second player of the week award and was named to the CS360 Primetime Performers Weekly Honor Roll after scoring ASU’s only goal in the Sun Devils’ 1-1 tie vs. top-ranked UCLA (Sept. 26).

• ASU senior GK Chandler Morris, who was named the Pac-12’s Goalkeeper of the Week on Oct. 20 and again on Nov. 10, is currently second on ASU’s career shutouts list with 19.0. The school record is held by Erin Reinke (23). Currently with 7.5 shutouts this season, Morris is also in second place on ASU’s single-season shutouts list.

• ASU earned seven Pac-12 Player of the Week awards this season: Cali Farquharson (Offensive - 2x), Aly Moon (Offensive - 1x), Brianna Gonzalez (Defensive - 1x) Mckenzie Grossman (Defensive - 1x) and Chandler Morris (Goalkeeper - 2x).

• Freshman defender Madison Stark has started every game this season. Freshmen Aly Moon (18 starts), Jazmarie Mader (11 starts) have also started the majority of games this season.  

• Returning players who have earned the first starting assignments of their career thus far include senior F Jessica Domenichelli, senior M Brianna Gonzalez, junior M Whitney Kanavel, redshirt sophomore D Alyssa Martinez, junior D Rachel Ometer (start came at forward) and senior M/D Courtney Watson. Gonzalez has started 20 games and Martinez has started 14. Gonzalez earned Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week honors following ASU’s 1-1 tie vs. top-ranked UCLA (Sept. 26).

FEAR THE FARQ

ASU’s most dangerous scoring threat since her freshman season in 2012, junior Cali Farquharson joined Sun Devil Hall of Famer Stacey Tullock as the only other Sun Devil to score double-digits in goals three straight seasons after recording her 10th in ASU’s 1-0 win over Oregon State on Oct. 5. 

Farquharson, who earned Pac-12 All-Freshman honors in 2012 and second-team All-Pac-12 and second-team NSCAA All-Region accolades in 2013, was second in the Pac-12 in goals per game (0.53) and third in points per game (1.16) in 2013. 

A Valley native (Shadow Mountain HS/Phoenix, Ariz), Farquharson led ASU in goals (10) and points (24) in 2012. Her 10 goals tied for the seventh-highest single-season total by a Sun Devil while her 24 points were the 10th-highest single-season total in program history. Farquharson’s three goals against USC in 2012 tied both the school record and the highest single-game total by a Pac-12 player in 2012. Her eight points (three goals, two assists) against USC also set a new single-game school record and were the most by any Pac-12 player in 2012.

Farquharson, who was named All-Pac-12 First Team earlier this month, has remained true to form in 2014 as she currently leads ASU in goals (14 - second in the Pac-12) and points (31 - third in Pac-12). She was named the Pac-12 Women’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 15 after she scored five goals in ASU’s wins over New Mexico State (two goals) and Nevada (three goals) at the Cats Classic in Tucson. The three goals vs. Nevada, which came in the span of less than six minutes (5:46), represented the second time she tied the single-game school record for goals. She earned Pac-12 Offensive POW a second time after scoring her ninth goal in ASU’s 1-1 tie vs. No. 1 UCLA (Sept. 26). Farquharson had two goals in both ASU’s 2-0 win at USC (Oct. 17) and its 2-1 win at Utah (Nov. 2), the ninth & 10th multi-goal games of her career.

Currently with 34 career goals, Farquharson is in third place on ASU’s all-time list. She needs three goals to tie Patrice Feulner (37/2000-03) for second place. Farquharson is also fourth on ASU’s all-time points list (77). She needs three points to tie Elizabeth Bogus (80/2002-05) for third place.

Farquharson, who owns the school record for most consecutive games scoring a goal (8 - last three games in 2012 and first five games of 2013), is also fourth on ASU’s all-time list in game-winning goals with 10.

MOON RISE

Freshman Aly Moon earned Pac-12 All-Freshman honors for a season in which she has teamed with Cali Farquharson to give the Sun Devils two double-digit goal scorers – Farquharson (14) and Moon (10) – for only the second time in school history. Moon earned Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week honors on August 26 following her outstanding debut weekend in ASU’s contests at the Outrigger Resort Shootout (Aug. 22 & 24 in Honolulu, Hawaii). Moon tied a single-game school record with three goals and was one point shy (7) of tying the single-game school record for scoring (currently held by junior Cali Farquharson, who had 8 points vs. USC in 2012) in ASU’s 5-2 win at Hawaii on Aug. 24. In addition, Moon also played a big role in ASU rallying from two goals down to tie Texas, 2-2 in the season opener (Aug. 22). Moon would set up the tying goal after she drew a penalty kick with 5:31 remaining in the game. In addition to being recognized by the Pac-12, Moon was also named to TopDrawerSoccer.com’s team of the week.

Moon, who leads the team in assists (5), scored her fourth goal of the season in ASU’s contest at Illinois (Aug. 29). She added her fifth goal (rebounded Cali Farquharson’s shot which was knocked down by GK) in ASU’s 2-0 win vs. Oklahoma State (Sept. 7). She scored goals in each of ASU’s wins over New Mexico State (Sept. 12 and Nevada (Sept. 14) at the Cats Classic.

Moon missed ASU’s contest at CSUN (Sept. 19) for precautionary reasons. She returned to the starting lineup for ASU’s contest vs. top-ranked UCLA (Sept. 26) and added her third assist of the season. She helped the Sun Devils keep their nine-game unbeaten streak alive after scoring her eighth goal in the 87th minute of ASU’s 1-1 tie vs. Oregon (Oct. 5). She was the difference maker in ASU’s NCAA Tournament First Round win over NAU as she scored two goals in the first 5:04 of the game. Despite missing one game and at least half of two others this season, Moon is tied for fifth in the Pac-12 in both goals (10) and points (26).

BERRYHILL GUIDES SUN DEVIL DEFENSE

A starter in 50 of 57 career contests, junior McKenzie Berryhill is proving to be a rising star on the Sun Devils’ back line. Named second-team All-Pac-12 and third-team NSCAA All-Region last season, Berryhill’s experience will be especially critical this season following the loss of two mainstays for the better part of the last four years, Jasmine Roth and Kaitlyn Pavlovich. Berryhill played every minutes of ASU’s 19 games last season. She was named to the CS360 Primetime Performers Weekly Honor Roll for her play in ASU’s games at No. 11 Cal (Oct. 4) and at No. 2 Stanford (Oct. 6) last season. In the latter contest, helped ASU’s 1-0 lead stand up as ASU snapped Stanford’s 73-game unbeaten streak at home and its 44-game conference winning streak. 

Although known for her defense, it was Berryhill’s offense that was the story of ASU season-opening 2-2 tie vs. Texas. With ASU down two goals at the half, Berryhill, who had one career goal to her credit coming into the game, scored two in the second half (one on a header and one on a PK) to help ASU come out with a draw. She assisted on Cali Farquharson’s first goal at Utah (Nov. 2).

Berryhill, who was named First-Team All-Pac-12 earlier this month, missed ASU’s contests vs. Oklahoma State (Sept. 5) and Texas A&M (Sept. 7) due to an injury in ASU’s prior game at Loyola Chicago (Aug. 31). She returned for the Cats Classic (Sept. 12 & 14) and has played in every game since. She was inserted back in the starting lineup of ASU’s game vs. top-ranked UCLA (Sept. 26) and played all 110 minutes.

MORRIS PROVIDES SUN DEVILS WITH STEADY PRESENCE IN GOAL

One of the most important contributors in ASU’s success over the last three seasons is senior GK Chandler Morris. Since a quicker-than-anticipated ascension into the starter’s role in 2012, Morris has provided the Sun Devils with steady play and has come up big in some of ASU’s biggest games, most notably the Sun Devils’ 1-0 upset of then-No. 2 Stanford last season which ended the Cardinal’s 73-game unbeaten streak at home and its 44-game conference streak. Earlier this season, Morris had a career-high 11 saves in ASU’s 1-1 tie vs. top-ranked UCLA. On Oct. 12, Morris recorded a shutout in ASU’s 0-0 tie vs. Washington State, giving her 17.0 shutouts for her career (currently has 19.0) and moving her into second place on ASU’s all-time list. Morris was named the Pac-12’s Goalkeeper of the Week on Oct. 20 after posting 10 saves (one short of tying her career high) in ASU’s 2-0 win at USC (Oct. 17). She earned the honor again following ASU’s 1-0 win over Arizona (Nov. 7). With the shutout over Arizona, Morris now has 7.5 this season, which is the second-best, single-season total in school history.

TOSTI GIVES SUN DEVILS VALUABLE VERSATILITY

Prior to her Sun Devil career, junior Sara 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 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. She assisted on Devin Marshall’s game-winning goal with 19 seconds left in ASU’s 1-0 win over USC (Sept. 29). One week later (Oct. 6) 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. One week after that, Tosti was responsible for the game-winning goal in ASU’s 1-0 win at Oregon (Oct. 11). 

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. She has played in 20 games (17 starts) on the back line in 2014 (also sees occasional time up top). She was named to TopDrawerSoccer.com’s National Team of the Week following ASU’s wins over Oklahoma State (Sept. 5) and Texas A&M (Sept. 7).

CENTER BACKS PROVIDE LIFT IN SEPTEMBER’S SUN DEVIL CLASSIC

Providing a big lift for the Sun Devils in their wins over Oklahoma State and No. 6 Texas A&M were their center backs – sophomore Mckenzie Grossman and junior Sara Tosti.

Both players were honored for their efforts in the two wins as Grossman was named the Pac-12 Player of the Week in addition to the College Sports Madness Pac-12 and National Player of the Week while Tosti was named to TopDrawerSoccer.com’s National Team of the Week. 

Grossman started at center back in place in ASU’s top and most experienced defender McKenzie Berryhill, who missed both of ASU’s Sun Devil Classic games due to injury. 

FARQUHARSON, BERRYHILL AND LARA CALLED INTO NATIONAL TEAM CAMPS OVER THE SUMMER

Earlier this year Farquharson and Berryhill were both participants in the U.S. Under-23 Women’s National Team’s training camp. Also getting national team experience was redshirt sophomore midfielder Lucy Lara, who participated in Mexico’s women’s national team’s training camp. Lara made her Sun Devil debut last season after being sidelined with a knee injury incurred prior to the 2012 campaign. She played in 13 games in 2013 and contributed a pair of assists.

NOTES

• Going back to 2012, ASU has won 26 of the 29 contests in which it has scored first (26-1-2). ASU’s 2-1 loss at Washington on Oct. 10 ended a 24 game-unbeaten streak in games in which it had scored first (22-0-2). The other games ASU has not won in that stretch are a 1-1 tie at Oregon State (Oct. 19, 2012) and a 1-1 tie vs. top-ranked UCLA (Sept. 26, 2014).

• Freshman Aly Moon scored five goals in ASU’s first five games. The only Sun Devil freshman to have a better start to her career was Patrice Feulner, who scored seven goals her first five games and 10 in her first six games in 2000. Feulner had back-to-back hat tricks in the fifth and sixth games of her career (consecutive 7-0 home wins by ASU over Pittsburgh on Sept. 10 and vs. Eastern Michigan on Sept. 15).

• Moon (#10) and Madison Stark (#81) were both named to Top Drawer Soccer’s Midseason Freshman Top 100 list.

• Stark is the only Sun Devil to start every game this season. She has also logged more minutes on the field than any other Sun Devil. She scored her first career goal in the 21st minute of ASU’s 1-0 win over Arizona on Nov. 7.

• After not scoring any goals the first two seasons of her Sun Devil career, junior defender Rachel Ometer has scored three in 2014. The biggest of those goals helped ASU tie then-No. 6 Texas A&M at the half in the Sun Devils’ eventual 2-1 win upset of the Aggies. 

• RS-junior midfielder Mackenzie Semerad is currently second on the team with four assists. Semerad’s first goal as a Sun Devil was the game-winner in ASU’s 2-1 upset of No. 6 Texas A&M on Sept. 7.

• Senior Jessica Domenichelli’s first goal as a Sun Devil came in the first half (and turned out to be the game-winner) of ASU’s 2-0 win at CSUN (Sept. 19).

• Junior Tommi Goodman returns as ASU’s most experienced player in the midfield. Goodman has played in all 61 of ASU’s contests since 2012 with 51 starts to her credit. She recorded an assist in ASU’s 3-1 win at Loyola Chicago (Aug. 31) and added another in ASU’s win over No. 6 Texas A&M (Sept. 7). She has scored two goals this season, most recently at Washington (Oct. 10).

• Thirteen different Sun Devils have found the back of the net this season. Six of those players have scored multiple goals

• The Sun Devils scored their 27th goal of the season in the ninth game of the 2014 season. The significance? They surpassed their 2013 total of 26 goals (19 games).

• In 2012 ASU was 6-2 in one-goal games and 2-0-2 in overtime games. They were 5-4 in the former and 2-1-2 in the latter in 2013. They have only had six one-goal games thus far in 2014 and are 4-2 in those games – a 2-1 decision over No. 6 Texas A&M (Sept. 7), a 1-0 win vs. Oregon State (Oct. 5), a 2-1 loss at Washington (Oct. 10), a 1-0 loss vs. Cal (Oct. 24), a 2-1 win at Utah (Nov. 2) and a 1-0 win vs. Arizona (Nov. 7).

• ASU scored 18 of its 26 goals last season in the second half (16) or overtime (2) last season. In 2012, the Sun Devils scored 23 of their 33 goals in similar fashion. Of ASU’s 36 goals this season, 19 have come in the second half. 

• ASU recorded three consecutive shutouts earlier this season, its longest such streak since 2012.

ACADEMIC SUCCESS

On the academic side, the Sun Devils have earned Pac-10/12 All-Academic notice 82 times in Boyd’s seven seasons, including 23 first-team members and 10 second-team members. ASU’s 20 first-team commendations the last six seasons (2008-13) are the most of any school in the Pac-12 during that span. In addition, soccer student-athletes have combined for eight Academic All-America awards since 2007, most recently former Sun Devils Jasmine Roth (second team) and Kaitlyn Pavlovich (third team) in 2013. Roth was also named the Pac-12’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year on 2013.

FARQUHARSON NAMED TO CAPITAL ONE ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT FIRST TEAM

LEPEILBET ENTERS SUN DEVIL ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME

Former Sun Devil defender Amy LePeilbet (2000-03) was one of six Sun Devil greats welcomed into the Sun Devil Athletics Hall of Fame on October 17, 2014. LePeilbet is ASU’s first Olympic soccer player, as she was a member of the gold medal-winning U.S. Women’s National Team in the 2012 Olympics in London. While at ASU, LePeilbet was one of the cornerstones of the Sun Devil Soccer program as ASU advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament three times during her four years. LePeilbet was a two-time All-American and three-time All-Pac-10 Conference first-team selection. She never missed a start in her four years at ASU, playing in 74 career games. As a junior, LePeilbet earned NSCAA second team All-West Region acclaim and helped the team tie the then-school record of five straight shutouts. LePeilbet was a key component in helping carry the Sun Devils into the second round of the NCAA Championships in 2003. As a senior, LePeilbet scored three goals, including two game-winners, while leading a defense that allowed 1.05 goals per game and posted eight shutouts.  Excelling off the field as well, LePeilbet was a two-time Academic All-American as well as a Maroon and Gold Scholar-Athlete.  After ASU, LePeilbet was a member of the U.S. Women’s National Team that finished second to Japan in the 2011 Word Cup.  LePeilbet is also a member of FC Kansas City, which won the 2014 National Women’s Soccer League Championship in August.