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Sun Devil Lacrosse Wins in Boulder for First Time

Apr 17, 2022

BOULDER, Colo. – Sun Devil Lacrosse set out to make a statement, and they did just that in their 16-8 victory over Colorado on Sunday.
 
No. 23 Arizona State (9-6, 7-2) had never won in Boulder, but that changed in a big way today, as Head Coach Tim McCormack's team put together a complete and focused effort.
 
"The message was pretty simple," Coach McCormack remarked. "Let's go out and play 60 full minutes of Sun Devil Lacrosse, it was great that we were able to execute that."
 
The Sun Devils jumped out to a 7-0 lead and never looked back, utilizing a balanced attack and aggressive defense to overwhelm the Buffaloes from the opening whistle. ASU took the home crowd out of the game as Colorado never got back within four goals, with the Maroon & Gold eventually establishing a running clock thanks to a double-digit lead.
 
Attacker Carley Adams continues her brilliant play, finishing with eight points (five goals & three assists) to lead the way offensively. She had plenty of help, including the efforts of Katie Brodsky, who tied a career-high with four goals. Emily Glagolev was doing what she does best, setting everyone up for scoring chances. She finished with five assists and added two goals of her own, as five different Sun Devils had at least two goals.
 
The defensive was equally as effective, shutting down a potent Colorado offense. They did so by taking away the Buffaloes top two scorers, attackers Sadie Grozier and Charlie Rudy. The duo came into the game with a combined 80 points through 13 games. In this contest, the combination of goalkeeper Katie Vahle along with defenders Bella Gaspar, Gigi Gaspar, Sydney Payne, Paige McGlothlin, Berit Brookfield and many others held them to two points combined (one assist each).
 
Arizona State returns to Tempe for the regular season finale, one that will be filled with emotions. The Sun Devils will not only take on No. 17 USC with a shot at a share of the Pac-12 Regular Season Championship and No. 1 Seed in the Pac-12 Tournament, they will also be honoring a legendary senior class. 16 seniors will be honored in a ceremony following the 3 PM MST game with the Trojans. More information on Senior Day festivities will be available this week.  
 
"It's great to be in the position we are in," Coach McCormack reflected. "We got here taking things one day at a time and keeping it simple by playing Sun Devil Lacrosse. This will not change as we move forward and get back out together on the field tomorrow."
  
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Sun Devils were on a mission to get the season sweep over Colorado, executing the game plan from the very start. A common theme throughout the building up of the lead was the toughness and fearlessness displayed on both ends of the field. This was pointed out by Coach McCormack postgame.
 
"Anytime someone sells out and executes you love to see it, it brings great energy to the team and provides a boost." Coach McCormack added. 
 
Arizona State established a 7-0 lead, catching Colorado off guard with intense and relentless effort. The Sun Devils would display a killer instinct, never allowing the home team or their crowd back in the game. The Buffaloes did not score more than two goals in any period, while the Sun Devils were able to get whatever they wanted offensively. When it was all said and done, Coach McCormack was able to empty the bench with a comfortable fourth quarter lead.  
 
NOTABLES

  • This is the program's first win in Boulder, doing so in impressive fashion.
    • Colorado came in with a 51-12 record at Kittredge Field, with ASU handing them a rare home loss.
    • Only their second loss of the season at home, as they had previously defeated Louisville, Ohio State, Vanderbilt, and Stanford at Kittredge Field.
  • Arizona State moves to 7-2 in Pac-12 Conference play, building on their best record ever.
    • The Sun Devils have given themselves an opportunity to clinch a share of the Pac-12 regular season with a win at home against USC
    • There is also a top two spot in the Pac-12 on the line and first round bye in the Pac-12 tournament
  • ASU is on a five-game winning streak for only the second time in program history
  • Arizona State finishes the regular season with four wins away from home, two of which have come against NCAA Tournament contenders (No. 14 Rutgers, Colorado)
  • This is the straight win over Colorado, as ASU has now won 3 of the last 4 in the series after dropping the first four matchups between the two teams.
    • The Maroon & Gold sweep the regular season series against Buffaloes for the first time.
  • Colorado came into the game as a successful first half team, outscoring teams 77-61 through the first 30 minutes. ASU flipped the script on the Buffaloes, taking a 10-4 advantage into the break.
  • Katie Brodsky matched a career high with four goals, while also adding two assists.
  • Emily Glagolev had at least five assists for the seventh time in her career.
  • Carley Adams continues her tear, putting together another epic season in a Sun Devil uniform.
    • She now has 40 goals and already a career-best 24 assists.
    • Her eight-point day is her second straight and eighth career 7+ point performance.
    • Over her last five games, the reigning Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week has compiled 31 points.
    • Through her first two seasons, Adams played in 33 games and had 15 points (13 goals & 2 assists). Over her past 39 games, she has 165 points (116 goals & 49 assists).
  • Taylor Pinzone continues her emergence in a Sun Devil uniform.
    • Through 15 games of her Arizona State career, Taylor Pinzone already has 35 goals and 10 assists (45 points).
    • In 50 games at Northwestern, she had 34 goals and six assists (40 points).
  • The Sun Devil defense shut down Colorado's best two attackers.
    • Sadie Grozier and Charlie Rudy came into the game with a combined 80 points and were the top two scorers for the Buffaloes.
    • The duo combined for only two points (one assist each), as the Sun Devils held them both goalless.

QUOTABLES
Senior attacker Katie Brodsky
 
On the team's mentality heading into the game
"The teams mentality going in started with us believing in ourselves and focusing on us rather than our opponent. We came in playing our game and didn't wait for CU to step up."
 
On how she was able to find openings in a four-goal performance
" I think the reason I was able to capitalize on open cuts came from our ball movement. Glag and Carley gained a ton of attention which allowed me to slip through the gaps down low. Our team was great at keeping our heads up to thread the needle and hit those open cuts the whole game."
 
On getting the program's first win in Boulder
" It was definitely special to win a game in Colorado since we hadn't done it before. But, this wasn't something we came in thinking about, we just wanted to get the job done. It doesn't matter what field we play on, our focus remains on us."

Sophomore defender Gigi Gaspar
On how they were able to neutralize Charlie Rudy and Sadie Grozier

"Our defense has been solid these past few games. We all take a lot of pride in making stops and Dor always does a great job preparing us for their biggest attacking threats every game. Being able to hold such talented players off the score sheet was huge for us and I'm super proud to be a part of such a tough unit."

On getting back health and playing a major role

"It was super fun to be back out on the field. Obviously being out for the first half of pac-12 play wasn't ideal but our team is so deep in talent especially defensively and we always play with the "next man up" mentality which allows us to be successful no matter who's on the field. Getting our second win this season over Colorado was huge for us and it was awesome to be a part of."

On Katie Vahle's performance in net
"I could talk about how amazing Vahle is for days. She's a stud. Having her back there brings an incredible amount of confidence to our whole unit every single day. She comes up big when we need her most and I'm super proud of how she performed today."

UP NEXT
The Sun Devils return home to Tempe for the regular season finale on Friday, Apr. 22 at 3 PM MST against No. 17 USC. The Trojans are tied at the top of the conference with the Sun Devils and the Cardinal, making this one of the biggest matchups in program history. As if the emotions weren't high enough, Arizona State will be honoring a class of 16 seniors in a ceremony following the game. Another legendary class that was part of establishing the foundation of the program will play one final game at Sun Devil Soccer & Lacrosse Stadium. The game will be broadcasted on the ASU Live Stream, with live stats available here. Stay tuned to our social media accounts this week as we honor our seniors and provide more information regarding senior day.
 
PAC-12 CHAMPIONSHIP COMING TO TEMPE
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. This is a way for the Sun Devils to control their own fate, as a win at the Pac-12 Lacrosse Championships means an automatic berth into the 2022 NCAA Lacrosse Tournament.
 
HOW TO FOLLOW
For the latest updates, follow our Twitter and Instagram accounts (@SunDevilWLax). Like our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/sundevilwlax/) for content on the team throughout the season. Visit our website, TheSunDevils.com, for the latest updates and information on the program.