Sun Devil Soccer hosts Stanford on Sunday in annual Breast Cancer Awareness Game

THE GAME: Sun Devil Soccer (6-0-2, 2-0 Pac-12) vs. Stanford (8-2-1, 1-1 Pac-12)
WHEN: Sunday at 1 p.m. MST
WHERE: Sun Devil Soccer Stadium • Tempe, Ariz.
WATCH: ASU Live Stream
LIVE STATS: Click here
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UP NEXT
The Sun Devil soccer team (6-0-2, 2-0 Pac-12) will look to keep its unbeaten record intact when it hosts perennial Pac-12 power Stanford (8-2-1, 1-1) on Sunday (1 p.m. MST) at Sun Devil Soccer Stadium. The contest will be ASU's annual Breast Cancer Awareness Game.
 
ASU had to come from behind to get off to its first 2-0 start in league play since 2007 following its 2-1 win over Cal on Thursday. For the second straight game, fifth-year seniors Alexia Delgado and Eva van Deursen found the back of the net for the Sun Devils. Van Deursen's goal in the 73rd minute – assisted by Delgado and Lucy Johnson – gave the Sun Devils a lead they would not relinquish.
 
In ASU's Pac-12 opener at Colorado (Sept. 23), Delgado scored the game's first goal and van Deursen accounted for the other two, including the game-winner with three seconds remaining in ASU's dramatic 3-2 win.
 
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
• Coming into Sunday's action, ASU is one of four Pac-12 teams unbeaten in league play. ASU, top-ranked UCLA and No. 20 USC are all 2-0. Washington State is also unbeaten with a 1-0-1 record.
• From an overall record standpoint, ASU's current 6-0-2 mark is its best record after eight games since it started the 2020 campaign (played in the spring of 2021) with the same record.
• Four of ASU's next five games are against the Pac-12's 2021 NCAA Tournament teams: vs. Stanford, next weekend at #1 UCLA and at #20 USC and at #15 Washington State (Oct. 20).
• ASU comes into Sunday's game third in the nation in assists per game (3.38), is fourth in points per game (9.62), fifth in scoring offense (3.12 goals per game) and 15th in shots on goal per game (9.62).
• ASU has been led by returning All-American Nicole Douglas. Now the program's all-time career leader in goals (55), points (129) and game-winning goals (17), Douglas is currently fourth in the nation in goals per game (1.12) and SOG per game (2.50), fifth in points per game (2.50), sixth in total goals (9), eighth in total points (20) and 15th in game-winning goals (3). 
• After not finding the back of the net in ASU's season opener vs. South Dakota State (Aug. 18), Douglas scored nine goals in ASU's next five games. In ASU's 5-0 win over Toledo (Sept. 14), Douglas, who was named the Pac-12's offensive player of the week on Sept. 19, tied the school's single-game school record for goals (3) for the fourth time in her career. She has now scored multiple goals in a game 12 times and has accounted for 28 goals in ASU's last 26 games.
• ASU has scored 21 goals in its last five games (6 vs. UAB, 5 vs. Grambling State and Toledo, 3 at Colorado and 2 vs. Cal). During ASU's current five-game winning streak, Douglas (6 goals), van Deursen (5 goals) and Delgado (4 goals), have combined for 15 of ASU's 21 goals. Van Deursen and Delgado have both set new single-season career highs in goals.  
• Both Lucy Johnson (vs. UAB) and Kennedy Mayo (vs. Toledo) have tied the single-game school record for assists (3). Johnson currently leads the nation in assists per game (1.0) and freshman teammate Enasia Colon is 35th (0.5).
 
STATE OF PLAY
The fact the Sun Devils are unbeaten is a testament to the team's focus and leadership.  

Both of ASU's opening weekend contests were affected by weather. ASU's opening game, 1-1 tie vs. 2021 NCAA Tournament participant South Dakota State, started on the night of Aug. 18 and finished on the morning of Aug. 19. Keri Matthews' first career goal tied the game at 1-1 on Aug. 19 after SDSU took the lead the previous night. ASU's next scheduled contest vs. Hawai'i (Aug. 21) did not even start (lightning) and was eventually canceled.

ASU was able to start and finish its first road contest, a 2-1 win at Boise State (Aug. 25) without any unusual stoppages. However, weather issues once again came into play – a 50-minute lightning delay before the start of the second half – in ASU's 1-1 tie at Denver (Aug. 28).

ASU returned home and scored its most goals since the 2021 season opener in a 6-2 win over UAB (Sept. 1). The Sun Devils then went 13 days without playing a game after their home contests vs. Georgia Southern (Sept. 4) & Pepperdine (Sept. 8) were canceled (Covid-19 protocols).

ASU returned from the extended break with a pair of 5-0 wins over Grambling State (Sept. 14) and vs. Toledo (Sept. 18) before opening Pac-12 play with a dramatic, 3-2 win at Colorado (Sept. 23) and Thursday's 2-1, come-from-behind win over Cal.
 
DONE THIS BEFORE
The tremendous job ASU has done of playing through adversity this season – weather affecting multiple games, pause in play due to Covid, managing in-game momentum changes – should come as no surprise to anyone who has followed the program in recent years. During the Covid season of 2020 (played in the spring of 2021), ASU made its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2014 and was just short of making its first Sweet 16 after falling to Duke in 2OT. Last season, ASU still managed to post a double-digit win total (10) despite having to play 22 different players in the starting lineup due to an unlucky spate of injuries. Including this season's 4-0-2 record, ASU now 28-7-2 in regular season, non-conference games since 2018, including a 14-1-2 the last two seasons.
 
IT'S EARLY, BUT STILL WORTH NOTING...
At the outset of conference play, ASU had the second-highest RPI among Pac-12 teams (No. 31). In the most recent RPI (Sept. 25), ASU moved up to No. 17 following its win over Colorado. Every Pac-12 team is currently among the Top 100 with nine teams among the Top 60: UCLA (No. 1), ASU (No. 17), Washington State (No. 25), Utah (No. 33), USC (No. 39), Oregon (No. 40), Cal (No. 49), Stanford (No. 51) and Washington (58).
 
MAKING HISTORY
All eyes have been focused 2021 NCAA scoring leader Nicole Douglas, who earned Third-Team All-America honors in 2021 and was one of 13 players named to the All-Pac-12 First Team. The first Sun Devil to earn All-America honors since 2002, in 2021 Douglas set single-season school records for goals (19/No. 1 in the nation) and points (45). She also led the nation in goals per game (0.95) and points per game (2.25).
 
On Sept. 1, 2022, Douglas became ASU's all-time leader in career goals after scoring twice in ASU's 6-2 win over UAB. Douglas tied and then and passed Sun Devil Hall of Famer Stacey Tullock (50 goals/1998-2001) vs. UAB. On Sept. 14 vs. Grambling State, Douglas became ASU's new career leader in points (126/54 goals and 18 assists) and game-winning goals (17), passing Tullock in both categories Grambling State (Sept. 14).
 
Douglas, who has started all 79 games in her career, accounted for a goal or assist in all but five games last season and had a stretch in which she scored at least one goal in seven straight games. She has scored multiple goals in a game 12x in her career and has tied the single-game school record for goals (3) on four occasions – most recently in ASU's 5-0 win over Grambling State (Sept. 14) – and the single-game record for assists (3) once.
 
On Aug. 18, it was announced Douglas was one of 60 players on the 2022 Hermann Trophy Watch List. Presented annually by the Missouri Athletic Club, the Hermann Trophy is the nation's highest individual honor recognizing the National Player of the Year.
 
CHASING HISTORY
Also within reach of breaking a program career record is fifth-year midfielder Eva van Deursen (23 career assists/second place), who needs three assists to become ASU's all-time leader. Tullock (first place/25 assists/1998-2001) holds the school record. Van Deursen has already accounted for a single-season, career-high five goals and three assists this season. She scored the game-winning goal with three seconds remaining in ASU's 3-2 win at Colorado (Sept. 23) and followed that with another game-winner in the 73rd minute of ASU's 2-1 win over Cal (Sept. 29).
 
In 2021, van Deursen set the school's single-season assists record with 10 in addition to scoring three goals. At season's end, van Deursen led the Pac-12 and was No. 19 in the nation in assists per game (0.56). She tied her single-game career high in assists (two) twice in ASU's wins at UAB (Aug. 29) and vs. Utah (Oct. 31).
 
Van Deursen was named to the College Soccer News Women's National Team of the Week for the week ending Sept. 25. Van Deursen was recognized after scoring a single-game, career-high two goals, including the game-winner with three seconds remaining in ASU's 3-2 win in its Pac-12 opener at Colorado (Sept. 23). game remains tied, a penalty-kick shootout will be held to determine the winner.