Tempe, Ariz. - Arizona State's diverse roster is represented at Sun Devil Soccer Stadium by eight flags flying behind the north goal. The flags represent players from countries across the globe, making up one of the most diverse rosters among all of Sun Devil Athletics.
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The blend of international players on the roster provided the Sun Devils some unique challenges this season, including having to take the pitch without a complete roster six different times this season. Most recently, Arizona State's leading goal-scorer
Nicole Douglas spent time with the English U19 team in Croatia, causing her to miss matches against Utah, UCLA and USC.
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"I think the national team helped me grown as a player," said Douglas. "It's very competitive and in my opinion I think that's what helps me grow as a player. If you don't play against the best players, you won't develop. I'm just thankful for the opportunity."
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The international makeup of the team is something that head coach
Graham Winkworth has welcomed, and even benefited from.
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"It's great, the more ideas you have the more likely you are to find the solution," Winkworth said of the wealth of talent and experience on the roster. "Sometimes ideas come from the players because they are very experienced. They might be young, but they are very experienced and have played for good clubs domestically here in America and overseas as well."
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The international group - Netherland's
Eva Van Deursen, England's
Nicole Douglas and
Jemma Purfield, Mexico's
Alexia Delgado, Japan's
Hikaru Minami Canada's
Nikki Panas, Brazil's
Lara Barbieri and Germany's
Marleen Schimmer - all play different brands of soccer. The American style is known to be more physical while the European are known to be more technical.
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"It's nice having those physical athletes on our team, but also the technical athletes," said goalkeeper
Nikki Panas. "It just gives good depth to the team."
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Panas is an international player from Canada who brings experience from the U15 and U17 Polish national teams. Each player brings a little part of themselves to the group, allowing the team to get better as a unit.
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"I think it's massive because we bring cultures from all over," said English national and former Sun Devil captain
Jemma Purfield. "I think it is exciting because we've got a team that likes to adapt and likes to learn from each other. We all kind of work off each other and learn each other's style of play."
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The coaches are well equipped for the stylistic variety the team possess. The staff is comprised of two English coaches, a Japanese coach, and a Scottish goalkeeping coach that adds to the influx of ideas.
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"I think the English side of it helps us play with composure, get the ball on the floor and try and play an English style of soccer," said Purfield. "I think it's exciting having those three and i'm excited what they'll do with the program in the next few years."
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As a team, the Sun Devils doubled its win total from last season and captured three more conference victories. The success is credited to the team's strong relationships and veteran leadership.
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"At least three minutes," said Winkworth when asked how long it took for the team to gel. "It's important that players show good skills with the ball, but it's even better that they show good character and our senior leadership shows great character."
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The group has been close since the beginning, stemming from an open-minded approach that developed a healthy environment in the locker room. Many of the international players don't get to see their family very often, but their teammates from the United States have welcomed them into their homes with open arms.
"Sometimes when new players come to a program, particularly so many new players, they are not always welcome because older players feel like 'well she's coming in to take my place' so, they don't treat them very nicely," said Winkworth. "This program, whether someone is coming in to play above them or not, they have just been such good people."
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Purfield mentioned she competed with many diverse groups, but this one is differs from the rest. To her, it contains the most diversity among the styles of soccer, but it's also the best group she's ever played with. "It works," said Purfield.
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The young team made a large jump as a program, poised for an even more successful season next year behind All-Pac-12 Freshmen
Nicole Douglas and
Marleen Schimmer.
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@THE SUN DEVILS INTERNATIONAL STUDENT-ATHLETES BY COUNTRY
AUSTRALIA
Michael Sleep-Dalton, Football
Cater Swift, Men's Swimming
BAHAMAS
Justin Roberts, Men's Tennis
BRAZIL
Lara Barbieri, Soccer
CANADA
Max Balinson, Hockey
Megan Beedie, Volleyball
Tyler Busch, Hockey
Rebecca Deacon, Women's Diving
Evan DeBrouwer, Hockey
Luguentz Dort, Men's Basketball
Jarrod Gourley, Hockey
Avery Hamill, Lacrosse
Taya Hanson, Women's Basketbal
Hannah Henry, Triathlon
Dylan Hollman, Hockey
Pietro (P.J.) Marrocco, Hockey
Ashley McCool, Women's Diving
Blaire McDowell, Water Polo
Nicole Panos, Soccer
Brinson Pasichnuk, Hockey
Steenn Pasichnuk, Hockey
Kyla Roy, Triathlon
Glynis Sim, Women's Cross Country
Jordan Sandhu, Hockey
CHINA
Peter Zhong, Hockey
COSTA RICA
Paul Chaplet, Men's Golf
CZECH REPUBLIC
Dominik Kellovsky, Men's Tennis
DENMARK
Benjamin Hannestad, Men's Tennis
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Will Kirkman, Men's Tennis
EGYPT
Youssef Selim, Men's Diving
FINLAND
Elias Valtonen, Men's Basketball
Fanny Teijonsalo, Women's Swimming
FRANCE
Sophia Elenga, Women's Basketball
Lejeune Cecile, Cross Country
Anne Kuhm, Gymnastics
Makey Rakotomalala, Men's Tennis
GERMANY
Tim Ruehl, Men's Tennis
Marleen Schimmer, Soccer
Charlotte Ahrens, Women's Track
GREAT BRITAIN
William Paulson, Men's Cross Country
Thomas Wright, Men's Tennis
Nicole Douglas, Soccer
Jemma Purfield, Soccer
Lauryn John-Baptiste, Women's Tennis
IRELAND
Fearghal Curtin, Men's Cross Country
Olivia Mehaffey, Women's Golf
ITALY
Andrea Bolla, Men's Tennis
Roberta Liti, Women's Golf
Nicole Fossa Huergo, Women's Tennis
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JAPAN
Koichiro Ishika, Men's Golf
Hikaru Minami, Soccer
KENYA
Ian Kebenei, Men's Cross Country
KOREA
Won Jun Lee, Men's Golf
LATVIA
Filips Buncis, Hockey
Gvido Jansons, Hockey
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MEXICO
Alexia Delgado, Soccer
NETHERLANDS
Bente Rogge, Water Polo
Maud Koopman, Water Polo
Eva Van Deursen, Soccer
NORWAY
Beatrice Llano, Women's Track
PORTUGAL
Jessica Barreira, Women's Track
RUSSIA
Sofia Anokhina, Women's Golf
SERBIA
Ivana Jeremic, Volleyball
Danica Krstonosic, Volleyball
Uros Plavsic, Men's Basketball
SINGAPORE
James Leow, Men's Golf
SLOVENIA
Sasa Klanecek, Women's Tennis
SOUTH AFRICA
Ilze Hattingh, Women's Tennis
Tereza Kolarova, Women's Tennis
Marlies Ross, Women's Swimming
SWEDEN
Jakob Stridsberg, Hockey
Anna Frida Kaellgren, Diving
SPAIN
Alex del Rey, Men's Golf
Raquel Olmos Ros, Women's Golf
Carmen Unzue, Volleyball
TAIWAN
Chun An Yu, Men's Golf
Lyle Linx, Baseball
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
Holland Cabara, Men's Track and Field
UKRAINE
Vitaliy Shibel, Men's Basketball
