Lacrosse Drops Close Battle with USC
TEMPE, Ariz. - Sun Devil Lacrosse fell to No. 17 USC in their regular season finale on Friday afternoon.
In front of family and friends from around the country who had visited to honor the senior class, No. 23 Arizona State (9-7, 7-3) put forth a valiant effort. They went toe-to-toe with the highly-touted Trojans, nearly pulling off the victory which would have yielded a Pac-12 Championship. Nonetheless, the Sun Devils put the finishing touches on a historic conference campaign, finishing with a new high in wins (7) and win percentage (70%).
"We left it all out on the field today," Head Coach Tim McCormack remarked. "This will be a great learning experience for our group and we look forward to getting back to work."
It was fitting that on senior day, three seniors led the way offensively. Carley Adams was spectacular all game, delivering a four-goal performance. She spearheaded several Sun Devil comeback efforts, but the Trojans were able to hold on. Both Emily Glagolev and Taylor Pinzone had two goals and two assists, with Arizona State executing for most of the afternoon. Several bad bounces, shots that hit the post, and some effective Trojan defense kept the Maroon & Gold from overcoming the deficit.
Freshman goalkeeper Katie Vahle did everything she could to keep her team within striking distance, putting together another productive performance. She finished with a career-high 14 saves, including several on free-position attempts, preventing the Trojans from creating much separation. She had plenty of help with her defensive unit faring well with the tough test of checking the USC potent offense.
Arizona State will be the No. 3 seed in the 2022 Pac-12 Lacrosse Tournament hosted right in Tempe at Sun Devil Soccer/Lacrosse Stadium. The Sun Devils will match up with the No. 6 seed at 7 PM MST on Wednesday, May 4. It will either be against Oregon or California depending on the result of the Golden Bears' contest with Stanford tomorrow. More information on the entire Pac-12 Lacrosse Tournament will be available next week.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The importance of this game could be felt from the very first draw, with both teams competing at a high level every second of the 60 minutes. USC managed to score the first two goals of the game, as the Sun Devils took some time to get settled in. Once they did, it was back-to-back Carley Adams goals only a minute a part that evened the game back at two. The two sides exchanged goals before the Trojans went on the first major run of the game. To end the first period, USC scored the final three goals to take a 6-3 lead after one.
The second quarter belonged to the Sun Devils, starting off with a Katie Brodsky goal. Following the lone USC goal of the period, it was all Maroon & Gold from there, as they outscored the Trojans 4-1 in the second period. Three straight goals off the sticks of Emily Glagolev, Katie Brodsky, and Emily Munro pulled Arizona State right back even at seven entering the break.
A goal from each side got the third period underway, with the game in the balance at 8-8. This is when a crucial Trojans' run took place, as they went on to score the next four goals of the game to jump out to a 12-8 advantage. It was nothing the Sun Devils hadn't come back from before and they had an entire fourth quarter to try and pull it off.
With the home crowd providing a huge lift, Arizona State finished with a 5-3 advantage in the fourth period. However, it wasn't enough to overcome the four-goal USC lead. Kaylon Buckner was the first to cut the lead to three, with Mina Scott doing the same following a Trojans goal. USC extended their lead to a game-high of five goals, taking a 15-10 lead with 6:56 left in the game. The Sun Devils showed tremendous fight in mounting a ferious comeback effort, controlling the end of the game. ASU scored the final three goals courtesy of Emily Glagolev, Taylor Pinzone, and Carley Adams, ending on a positive note.
HONORING THE SENIORS
Coach McCormack
"This senior class is extremely special. The group has acheived so much and set a tone as to how we operate and what our expectations are. They still have a lot left in them and are hungry to compete in the postseason. I will continue to enjoy every moment I get to be with this group."
Sophomore defender Bella Gaspar
"I'm so blessed to have been able to play and get close with this monumental class. They built this program from nothing and have gone through so much to get us where we are and for that me and everyone who comes after us are forever grateful. Looking at them walking down the field today was definitely very sad because I've grown really close to a lot of them and things will definitely not be the same without them but I'm just trying to not get sad about it quite yet because we are taking everything day by day and need to enjoy every second we have with each other!"
Sophomore defender Gigi Gaspar
"This class is so important to every person to ever be a part of the Sun Devil Lacrosse program. I am so blessed to have gotten to play alongside them for the past two years. Each individual in this class has brought so much personality, joy, and incredible memories for our team. It really is incredible to think about how far they have come since they started here at ASU and they have done such an incredible job laying such a strong foundation. It's hard to think about not seeing all of these awesome seniors on the team next year but I am so grateful that they have done such a great job in preparing all of us and the future of Sun Devil Lacrosse for success."
Senior midfielder Morgan McCaffrey
On her time with Sun Devil Lacrosse
"It has been very special to be a part of SDL. We have such a great group of girls and staff that have built up this program tremendously over the four years I have been here. I have made so many memories over these four years that I will remember forever. SDL has provided me with friends for life as we've helped each other through the good and bad times and have created amazing memories along the way."
On what she has learned about herself during this journey
"I've learned so much about myself through this process and the experiences I had. From having two surgeries during my time here, I've had to go through a lot. I've had additional challenges that have showed me how strong I am physically and mentally. It showed me that I am able to navigate through challenges and still accomplish so many things at the same time. I have been able to not only build on myself as an athlete but outside of lacrosse as I discovered what drives me and what goals I wanted to push towards outside of lacrosse."
On her favorite memories of being a Sun Devil
"I will remember all the memories and experiences this senior class shared. Although some of them are a year older, they are the girls that we first met freshman year and have played all four years with. We all feel like one class as we have spent four years growing and sharing experiences together. This senior class shares experiences and memories that only us and other SDL members can understand. The way we can find ways to laugh and create memories no matter the situation is what is so special about this class. The energy this class brings is unmatched and I am so grateful to have spent the past four years with these girls."
QUOTABLES
Freshman midfielder Bella Ingrao
On getting the start today
"It feels amazing that the coaches trusted my abilities on the draw today. They made it known that they believed in me and that gave me the confidence to go out on the field and play without any hesitations."
On how they were able to match USC in draw controls
"I think the fact that I haven't really played in a ton of games this season actually worked to our advantage. To put it simply, they pretty much had no draw film on me and had no way to prepare to go against me. Also, having girls on the circle that trust where I am placing them is a huge thing. I like to switch things up on the draw a lot and they were very receptive to that and trusted where I was telling them to go."
UP NEXT
Arizona State will be the No. 3 seed in the 2022 Pac-12 Lacrosse Tournament hosted right in Tempe at Sun Devil Soccer/Lacrosse Stadium. The Sun Devils will match up with the No. 6 seed at 7 PM MST on Wednesday, May 4. It will either be against Oregon or California depending on the result of the Golden Bears' contest with Stanford tomorrow. More information on the entire Pac-12 Lacrosse Tournament will be available next week. Every game of the 2022 Pac-12 Lacrosse Tournament be featured live on Pac-12 Networks and the Pac-12 Now App. More information can be found at the tournament central page.
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.
TICKETS ON SALE
Tickets for the 2022 Pac-12 Lacrosse Tournament are now available for purchase at the following link. Tickets purchased on Wednesday's quarterfinal and Thursday's semifinal action will be good for both games during that session. Both general admission and reserved seating options will be sold. Group prices are available throughout the event, with more information found here or by calling the Sun Devil Ticket Office at (480) 727-0000.
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Wednesday, May 4 - Quarterfinals
Game 1 (4:30 PM MST) - No. 4 seed vs. No. 5 seed
Game 2 (7:00 PM MST) - No. 3 seed vs. No. 6 seed
Thursday, May 5 - Semifinals
Game 3 (4:30 PM MST) - No. 1 seed vs. Winner of Game 1
Game 4 (7:00 PM MST) - No. 2 seed vs. Winner of Game 2
Saturday, May 7 - Championship
Game 5 (12 PM MST) - Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4
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.