Bay Area Bound: Lacrosse Hits the Road For Two
TEMPE, Ariz. – Sun Devil Lacrosse embarks on their first Pac-12 road trip, heading to the Bay Area to play Stanford and California.
Arizona State starts the weekend with a 4 PM MST match up on Friday, Mar. 18 against defending Pac-12 Regular Season and Tournament Champion Stanford. The game against the Cardinal will be broadcasted via the Stanford Live Stream, with live stats also available. Two days later, Arizona State is back on Pac-12 Network (Bay Area) when they take on California at 12 PM MST on Sunday, Mar. 20. For more information on how to watch on Pac-12 Networks, visit the following link, with live stats provided here.
MILESTONE WATCH
- Emily Glagolev currently sits at 97 goals and 120 assists in her career
- She is three goals she of becoming the first Sun Devil to reach the century mark in both categories
- Carley Adams has 99 goals in her career, just one shy of becoming the second Sun Devil to reach triple digit career goals (Kerri Clayton)
- Maddy Hunter is one goals shy of 50 for her career, while Katie Brodsky is only three away.
LAST TIME OUT
Sun Devil Lacrosse cruised to a 20-6 victory over No. 23 Colorado at Sun Devil Soccer/Lacrosse Stadium last Sunday. Arizona State (3-2, 2-0) took control of the game early and never looked back, overwhelming the ranked Buffaloes during an 8-0 second period. The 14-goal margin of defeat was the largest in the nine-year history of the Colorado program.
The Maroon & Gold received contributions from individuals throughout the roster, highlighted by the play of Emily Glagolev. The attacker took over the game with her ability to both pass and score, finishing with nine points (six goals and three assists).
Glagolev was not alone in finding the back of the net with frequency, as fellow attacker Carley Adams was also extremely productive. Adams scored five goals of her own, one of nine total Sun Devils to score at least one goal.
The defense was equally as effective, holding the Buffaloes to only six goals. It is the fewest goals Colorado has scored against an unranked opponent since their first year as a program in 2014 (7-6 loss at Cal). In all three home games, the Sun Devil defense has held their opponent to single digit goals.
Thanks to the victory, the Sun Devils start out Pac-12 play 2-0 for the first time. They claim their second win over a Top-25 team as a program, doing it in impressive fashion.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sun Devil Lacrosse earned a Pac-12 Player of the Week honor for the second time this season, the conference announced on Monday. Katie Vahle was selected as the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week for the second time, only five games into her young career.
In Friday's win over Oregon, Vahle registered 10 saves, while allowing only nine goals. She also collected three ground balls and caused a turnover as the Sun Devils needed a great defensive effort in the 11-9 win.
On Sunday, Vahle and company claimed only the second victory over a Top-25 team in program history, defeating No. 23 Colorado in impressive fashion. In her 49:28 of playing time, Vahle allowed only five goals, while making six saves. The six goals by the Buffaloes were the fewest they had scored on an unranked team since a loss to Cal back in their inaugural 2014 season. She also added four ground balls and a caused turnover, showing off her all-around game.
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
When asked about what impressed her the most about Katie Vahle so far during her freshman season, team captain Carley Adams had high praise for her teammate.
"I'm the oldest on the team and Vahle is the youngest on the team and I look up to her as an athlete in so many ways. She's is extremely confident in the cage (and all over the field) because of how she prepares everyday."
Vahle makes difficult saves look routine and impossible saves possible, brining Sun Devil fans to their feet on several occasions during this three-game home stretch. The fans aren't the only ones pumped up by the effort of the freshman goalkeeper, as Adams recognize it has an effect on the team.
"Seeing her make those types of plays in games fires everyone up and helps us transition the ball into offense with even more confidence, but it is also to be expected coming from her. She plays every practice likes it's game day so seeing her make a save with her elbow or big toe is kind of the Katie Vahle standard. She's unlike any other goalie out there."
Captain Emily Glagolev shouted out her teammates Paige McGlothlin and Olivia Kroah for stepping up into starting roles last weekend.
"It shows that any game anyone can go in and make a difference. I think our team, we compete every day at practice like it's a game day so I think that helps a lot too."
KNOW YOUR FOES
STANFORD
A huge test awaits on Friday, Mar. 18 at 4 PM MST, when ASU travels to defending Pac-12 Regular Season and Tournament Champions Stanford. The Cardinal defeated California last weekend to open 1-0 in conference. They are the lone Pac-12 program that the Sun Devils have not defeated, with the two sides matching up in three epic showdowns last season.
The 2022 Cardinal team is 3-4 so far this season, playing an extremely difficult schedule. They went toe-to-toe with No. 3 Syracuse to begin the season, before defeating Albany later in the road trip. They also faced off with Top-15 opponents in No. 15 Denver and No. 13 Virginia.
On offense, they are led by attacker Ashley Humphrey, who has 10 goals and 31 assists on the season. Returning Pac-12 Attacker of the Year Ali Baiocco missed the first road trip of the season, but has come on strong in the four games since. Annabel Frist has scored 20 goals for Stanford, who averages 13.4 per game. Kara Rahaim has started all seven games in net for the Cardinal, making 54 saves in 349 minutes of play.
CALIFORNIA
The matchup with the Golden Bears is scheduled for Sunday, Mar. 20 at 12 PM MST on Pac-12 Network (Bay Area). Last season, California became the first team to lose three-times in a season to Arizona State, with the Sun Devils sweeping the home-and-home during the regular season before knocking out the Golden Bears in the Pac-12 Tournament.
Arizona State returns to the site of their first Pac-12 Conference victory, as then freshman Emily Glagolev scored a sudden death goal in overtime to clinch the win. This year's California team is 0-7 and has a matchup with USC on Friday before taking on the Sun Devils. Both attacker Amanda Morse and midfielder Liz Scott have double-digit goals for the Golden Bears offense that averages 7.4 goals per game. Riley Drullinger has seen a majority of the time in net, making 62 saves, including three double-digit save performances.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
The Sun Devils are coming off a season in which they nearly earned a NCAA tournament berth last year and will face a 2022 slate filled with opportunities to build their postseason resume. The schedule consists of 16 regular season games and the Pac-12 Lacrosse Tournament, hosted by Arizona State in Tempe. Of those 16 games, nine of them are against teams ranked in the Top-20 of at least one major preseason poll. The Sun Devils have arguably the toughest non-conference schedule in the nation, featuring matchups filled with connections to the ASU coaching staff.
Arizona State earned the chance to host the 2022 Pac-12 Lacrosse Championships, running May 4-7 in Tempe. Two first round matchups will take place on Wednesday, May 4 with the two semifinal showdowns following on Thursday, May 5. The Pac-12 Championship comes after an off day, hosted at Sun Devil Lacrosse/Soccer Stadium on Saturday, May 7.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Friday's game against the Cardinal will be broadcasted via the Stanford Live Stream, with live stats also available. Visit the following link for more information on how to watch the ASU vs. California match up Sunday on Pac-12 Networks, with live stats provided here. For in-game updates, follow our Twitter and Instagram accounts (@SunDevilWLax). Like our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/sundevilwlax/) for content throughout the season. Visit our website, TheSunDevils.com, for the latest updates and information on the program.