Sun Devil Soccer Goes on the Road to Face Colorado and Utah
UP NEXT
The Sun Devil soccer team concludes the road portion of its regular season this weekend when it travels to Boulder, Colo., and Salt Lake City for games at Colorado (Friday at 2 p.m. PT/3 p.m. MT) and at Utah (Sunday at 2 p.m. MT).
The Sun Devils (9-4-4, 2-3-3 Pac-12) come into this week’s action in ninth place in the Pac-12 standings with nine points. Only three points currently separate ninth place from fifth place, which is currently occupied by USC (4-4/12 points). Cal (3-3-2/11 points) is in sixth place and Colorado and Arizona are tied for seventh place (10 points) with identical 3-4-1 conference records. Utah (1-5-2) is in 11th place with five points.
The Sun Devils close out regular season action next Friday (Nov. 7 at 2 p.m.) when they host Arizona.
COVERAGE
Both of this weekend’s contests can be seen on Pac-12 Networks. Christian Miles (play by play) and Christopher Sullivan (analyst) will call Friday’s game at Colorado and Daron Sutton (play by play) and Temryss Lane (analyst) will be on hand for Sunday’s game at Utah.
SUN DEVIL STORYLINES
• The Sun Devils dropped out of the NSCAA Top 25 (25th last week) following home losses to Cal (1-0) and No. 4 Stanford (2-0) last week. ASU was making its second appearance in the Top 25. ASU was ranked as high as No. 18 in the NCSAA Top 25 on Sept. 30.
• With their next win, the Sun Devils will have recorded double-digit wins for the ninth time in program history and the third time under head coach Kevin Boyd (won 10 games in 2007 and 10 games in 2010).
• ASU’s 2-1 loss at Washington on Oct. 10 snapped its nine-game unbeaten streak, which was its longest such streak since 2000. The unbeaten streak included a 1-0 win over then-No. 6 Texas A&M (Sept. 7) and a 1-1 tie vs. current-No. 1 UCLA (Sept. 26). Prior to their tie with UCLA, the Sun Devils had won six straight games, which was their longest winning streak since 2002. ASU’s 8-1-3 record after 12 games tied its second-best record after 12 games in program history. Only the 2000 squad, which started the season 11-1, had a better record after 12 games.
• Eight teams in the Pac-12 concluded non-conference play with one/zero losses. In the most recent NCAA RPI (Oct. 27), nine Pac-12 teams were among the top 51 with ASU checking in at No. 40. In relation to the RPI and ASU’s notable outcomes this season, ASU defeated Texas A&M (No. 4 A&M’s first loss this season), Oklahoma State (No. 32) and USC (No. 61), tied UCLA (No. 2), Washington State (No. 14) and Texas (No. 30) and lost at Illinois (No. 69... was No. 28 on Sept. 29), at Washington on (No. 13), vs. Cal (No. 19) and vs. Stanford (No. 1).
• While ASU’s potent attack has been a key factor in its success this season, its defense has been the story in Pac-12 play as the Sun Devils started the week tied for first in the Pac-12 in saves per game (6.5) and third in GAA (0.81).
• Junior forward Cali Farquharson (1.69) and freshman forward/midfielder Aly Moon (1.25) currently represent the second-best scoring combo (2.94 ppg) in the Pac-12. The duo leads the conference in combined goals (20/Farquharson - 12 and Moon - 8). They have managed to do this despite each of them being forced to miss one game this season due to injury. Both players have tied the single-game school record for goals this season (3) – Moon at Hawaii (Aug. 24) and Farquharson vs. Nevada (Sept. 14 in Tucson), the second hat-trick of her career. Both players were named Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week following the respective weekends in which they recorded their hat-trick. Farquharson added her second player of the week award and was named to the CS360 Primetime Performers Weekly Honor Roll after scoring ASU’s only goal in ASU’s 1-1 tie vs. top-ranked UCLA (Sept. 26).
• Sun Devil senior GK Chandler Morris, who was named the Pac-12’s Goalkeeper of the Week on Oct. 20, is currently in second place on ASU’s career shutouts list with 18.0. The school record is held by Erin Reinke with 23. Currently with 6.5 shutouts this season, Morris needs one shutout to pass Kim Bingham (7.0 in 2006) for second place on ASU’s single-season shutouts list.
• The Sun Devils have earned six Pac-12 Player of the Week awards this season: Cali Farquharson (Offensive - 2x), Aly Moon (Offensive - 1x), Brianna Gonzalez (Defensive - 1x) Mckenzie Grossman (Defensive - 1x) and Chandler Morris (Goalkeeper - 1x).
• Freshman defender Madison Stark has started every game this season. Freshmen Aly Moon (14 starts), Jazmarie Mader (10 starts) and Jessica Raybe (nine starts) have started the majority of this season.
• Returning players who have earned the first starting assignments of their career thus far include senior midfielder Brianna Gonzalez, junior midfielder Whitney Kanavel, redshirt sophomore defender Alyssa Martinez and junior defender Rachel Ometer (start came at forward). Gonzalez has started 16 games and Martinez has started 13. Gonzalez earned Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week honors following ASU’s 1-1 tie vs. top-ranked UCLA (Sept. 26).
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
Colorado (10-6-1, 3-4-1 Pac-12) snapped a two-game losing streak last Sunday (0-0 draw vs. Washington). Four of Colorado’s six losses have come by one goal including matches vs. Kansas, at top-ranked UCLA and vs. Washington State. Last year Colorado advanced to the Sweet Sixteen of the College Cup losing to eventual national runner-up, Florida State.
ASU holds a 2-0-1 advantage in its three Pac-12 games vs Colorado. All three have been closely contested. ASU won 1-0 in Boulder in 2011. In 2012 in Tempe, Cali Farquharson scored the game-winner with just 22 seconds remaining in the second OT of ASU’s 2-1 win, part of ASU’s five-game unbeaten streak to end the season. Last season the two teams played to a 2-2 draw in Tempe. ASU had one goal nullified due to a foul while Colorado scored one of its goals on a penalty kick after ASU was whistled for a foul in the box on a free kick that sailed out of play.
Utah (8-5-4, 1-5-2 Pac-12) entered the Pac-12 with an undefeated mark and had a signature win over BYU who is currently ranked No. 15. Despite having only one win in conference play, the Utes have proved to be a tough foe, tying No. 4 Stanford 1-1 and falling to No. 1 UCLA 1-0.
In three Pac-12 matches ASU holds a 2-1 advantage over Utah. The home team has won each matchup. This will be first time since 2011 that ASU travels to Utah as ASU hosted Utah the past two years. Cali Farquharson scored the game-winning goal in double-OT in ASU’s 2-1 win over the Utes last season.
NOTES FROM LAST WEEK
• The Sun Devils not only dropped back-to-back games for the first this season, but also failed to score in consecutive games for the first time.
• The Sun Devils lost to Cal 1-0 despite big advantages in shots (12-5) and corner kicks (6-0)... Cali Farquharson and Aly Moon had three shots each to lead ASU.
• Moon led ASU with two shots in the loss to Stanford.
• ASU’s crowd of 1,170 vs. Stanford was its largest of the season at home.
FEAR THE FARQ
ASU’s most dangerous scoring threat since her freshman season in 2012, junior Cali Farquharson joined Sun Devil Hall of Famer Stacey Tullock as the only other Sun Devil to score double-digits in goals three straight seasons after recording her 10th in ASU’s 1-0 win over Oregon State on Oct. 5.
Farquharson, who earned Pac-12 All-Freshman honors in 2012 and second-team All-Pac-12 and second-team NSCAA All-Region accolades in 2013, was second in the Pac-12 in goals per game (0.53) and third in points per game (1.16) in 2013.
A Valley native (Shadow Mountain HS/Phoenix, Ariz), Farquharson led ASU in goals (10) and points (24) in 2012. Her 10 goals tied for the seventh-highest single-season total by a Sun Devil while her 24 points were the 10th-highest single-season total in program history. Farquharson’s three goals against USC in 2012 tied both the school record and the highest single-game total by a Pac-12 player in 2012. Her eight points (three goals, two assists) against USC also set a new single-game school record and were the most by any Pac-12 player in 2012.
Farquharson has remained true to form in 2014 as she currently leads ASU in goals per game (0.75 - second in Pac-12 and No. 29 in the nation) and points per game (1.69 - tied for second in Pac-12 and No. 32 in the nation). She was named the Pac-12 Women’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 15 after she scored five goals in ASU’s wins over New Mexico State (two goals) and Nevada (three goals) at the Cats Classic in Tucson. The three goals vs. Nevada, which came in the span of less than six minutes (5:46), represented the second time she tied the single-game school record for goals. She earned Pac-12 Offensive POW a second time after scoring her ninth goal in ASU’s 1-1 tie vs. No. 1 UCLA (Sept. 26). Farquharson had the ninth multi-goal game of her career in ASU’s 2-0 win at USC (Oct. 17).
Currently with 32 career goals, Farquharson is in third place on ASU’s all-time list. She needs five goals to tie Patrice Feulner (37/2000-03) for second place. Farquharson is also fifth on ASU’s all-time points list (73). She needs three points to tie Brittany Cooper (76/2002-05) for fourth place.
Farquharson, who owns the school record for most consecutive games scoring a goal (8 - last three games in 2012 and first five games of 2013), is also tied for fourth on ASU’s all-time list in game-winning goals with nine.
MOON RISE
Freshman Aly Moon earned Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week honors on August 26 following her outstanding debut weekend in ASU’s contests at the Outrigger Resort Shootout (Aug. 22 & 24 in Honolulu, Hawaii). Moon tied a single-game school record with three goals and was one point shy (7) of tying the single-game school record for scoring (currently held by junior Cali Farquharson, who had 8 points vs. USC in 2012) in ASU’s 5-2 win at Hawaii on Aug. 24. In addition, Moon also played a big role in ASU rallying from two goals down to tie Texas, 2-2 in the season opener (Aug. 22). Moon would set up the tying goal after she drew a penalty kick with 5:31 remaining in the game. In addition to being recognized by the Pac-12, Moon was also named to TopDrawerSoccer.com’s team of the week.
Moon, who is tied for the team lead in assists (4), scored her fourth goal of the season in ASU’s contest at Illinois (Aug. 29). She added her fifth goal (rebounded Cali Farquharson’s shot which was knocked down by GK) in ASU’s 2-0 win vs. Oklahoma State (Sept. 7). She scored goals in each of ASU’s wins over New Mexico State (Sept. 12 and Nevada (Sept. 14) at the Cats Classic.
Moon missed ASU’s contest at CSUN (Sept. 19) for precautionary reasons. She returned to the starting lineup for ASU’s contest vs. top-ranked UCLA (Sept. 26) and added her third assist of the season. She helped the Sun Devils keep their nine-game unbeaten streak alive after scoring her eighth goal in the 87th minute of ASU’s 1-1 tie vs. Oregon (Oct. 5). Despite missing one game and at least half of two others this season, Moon remains tied for sixth in the Pac-12 in both goals (8) and points (20).
BERRYHILL GUIDES SUN DEVIL DEFENSE
A starter in 46 of 53 career contests, junior McKenzie Berryhill is proving to be a rising star on the Sun Devils’ back line. Named second-team All-Pac-12 and third-team NSCAA All-Region last season, Berryhill’s experience will be especially critical this season following the loss of two mainstays for the better part of the last four years, Jasmine Roth and Kaitlyn Pavlovich. Berryhill played every minutes of ASU’s 19 games last season. She was named to the CS360 Primetime Performers Weekly Honor Roll for her play in ASU’s games at No. 11 Cal (Oct. 4) and at No. 2 Stanford (Oct. 6) last season. In the latter contest, helped ASU’s 1-0 lead stand up as ASU snapped Stanford’s 73-game unbeaten streak at home and its 44-game conference winning streak.
Although known for her defense, it was Berryhill’s offense that was the story of ASU season-opening 2-2 tie vs. Texas. With ASU down two goals at the half, Berryhill, who had one career goal to her credit coming into the game, scored two in the second half (one on a header and one on a PK) to help ASU come out with a draw.
Berryhill missed ASU’s contests vs. Oklahoma State (Sept. 5) and Texas A&M (Sept. 7) due to an injury in ASU’s prior game at Loyola Chicago (Aug. 31). She returned for the Cats Classic (Sept. 12 & 14) and has played in every game since. She was inserted back in the starting lineup of ASU’s game vs. top-ranked UCLA (Sept. 26) and played all 110 minutes.
MORRIS PROVIDES SUN DEVILS WITH STEADY PRESENCE IN GOAL
One of the most important contributors in ASU’s success over the last three seasons is senior GK Chandler Morris. Since a quicker-than-anticipated ascension into the starter’s role in 2012, Morris has provided the Sun Devils with steady play and has come up big in some of ASU’s biggest games, most notably the Sun Devils’ 1-0 upset of then-No. 2 Stanford last season which ended the Cardinal’s 73-game unbeaten streak at home and its 44-game conference streak. Earlier this season, Morris had a career-high 11 saves in ASU’s 1-1 tie vs. top-ranked UCLA. On Oct. 12, Morris recorded a shutout in ASU’s 0-0 tie vs. Washington State, giving her 17.0 shutouts for her career (currently has 18.0) and moving her into second place on ASU’s all-time list. Morris was named the Pac-12’s Goalkeeper of the Week on Oct. 20 after posting 10 saves (one short of tying her career high) in ASU’s 2-0 win at USC (Oct. 17).
CENTER BACKS PROVIDE LIFT IN SEPTEMBER’S SUN DEVIL CLASSIC
Providing a big lift for the Sun Devils in their wins over Oklahoma State and No. 6 Texas A&M were their center backs – sophomore Mckenzie Grossman and junior Sara Tosti.
Both players were honored for their efforts in the two wins as Grossman was named the Pac-12 Player of the Week in addition to the College Sports Madness Pac-12 and National Player of the Week while Tosti was named to TopDrawerSoccer.com’s National Team of the Week.
Grossman started at center back in place in ASU’s top and most experienced defender McKenzie Berryhill, who missed both of ASU’s Sun Devil Classic games due to injury.
FARQUHARSON, BERRYHILL AND LARA CALLED INTO NATIONAL TEAM CAMPS OVER THE SUMMER
Earlier this year Farquharson and Berryhill were both participants in the U.S. Under-23 Women’s National Team’s training camp. Also getting national team experience was redshirt sophomore midfielder Lucy Lara, who participated in Mexico’s women’s national team’s training camp. Lara made her Sun Devil debut last season after being sidelined with a knee injury incurred prior to the 2012 campaign. She played in 13 games in 2013 and contributed a pair of assists.
TOSTI GIVES SUN DEVILS VALUABLE VERSATILITY
Prior to her Sun Devil career, junior Sara Tosti spent most of her career up top in the attacking position. That changed in 2012 when the coaching staff recognized Tosti’s skills would allow her to transition to the back line where she could be most effective given the team’s personnel at the time. She would go on to play all 21 games as a freshman, including starting assignments in 14 games.
Last season Tosti returned to her natural position up top and proved to be just as effective as she started all but one game. She had a remarkable stretch during the early portion of the Pac-12 season as her critical contributions helped pave the way for ASU’s first three conference wins. She assisted on Devin Marshall’s game-winning goal with 19 seconds left in ASU’s 1-0 win over USC (Sept. 29). One week later (Oct. 6) Tosti was named the Pac-12’s Offensive Player of the Week after she scored the only goal of the game in ASU’s 1-0 upset of (then) second-ranked Stanford. One week after that, Tosti was responsible for the game-winning goal in ASU’s 1-0 win at Oregon (Oct. 11).
Tosti has once again returned to the back line this season where her experience is helping to make up for the combination of losing two regular starters from last season in addition to the team’s relative lack of experience in that part of the field. She has played in 16 games (13 starts) on the back line in 2014 (also sees occasional time up top). She was named to TopDrawerSoccer.com’s National Team of the Week following ASU’s wins over Oklahoma State (Sept. 5) and Texas A&M (Sept. 7).
NOTES
• Going back to 2012, ASU has won 23 of the 26 contests in which it has scored first (23-1-2). ASU’s 2-1 loss at Washington on Oct. 10 ended a 24 game-unbeaten streak in games in which it had scored first (22-0-2). The other games ASU has not won in that stretch are a 1-1 tie at Oregon State (Oct. 19, 2012) and a 1-1 tie vs. top-ranked UCLA (Sept. 26, 2014).
• Freshman Aly Moon scored five goals in ASU’s first five games. The only Sun Devil freshman to have a better start to her career was Patrice Feulner, who scored seven goals her first five games and 10 in her first six games in 2000. Feulner had back-to-back hat tricks in the fifth and sixth games of her career (consecutive 7-0 home wins by ASU over Pittsburgh on Sept. 10 and vs. Eastern Michigan on Sept. 15).
• Moon (#10) and Madison Stark (#81) were both named to Top Drawer Soccer’s Midseason Freshman Top 100 list.
• After not scoring any goals the first two seasons of her Sun Devil career, junior defender Rachel Ometer has scored three in 2014. The biggest of those goals helped ASU tie then-No. 6 Texas A&M at the half in the Sun Devils’ eventual 2-1 win upset of the Aggies.
• RS-junior midfielder Mackenzie Semerad is currently tied for the team lead with four assists. Semerad’s first goal as a Sun Devil was the game-winner in ASU’s 2-1 upset of No. 6 Texas A&M on Sept. 7.
• Senior Jessica Domenichelli’s first goal as a Sun Devil came in the first half (and turned out to be the game-winner) of ASU’s 2-0 win at CSUN (Sept. 19).
• Junior Tommi Goodman returns as ASU’s most experienced player in the midfield. Goodman has played in all 57 of ASU’s contests since 2012 with 47 starts to her credit. She recorded an assist in ASU’s 3-1 win at Loyola Chicago (Aug. 31) and added another in ASU’s win over No. 6 Texas A&M (Sept. 7). She has scored two goals this season, most recently at Washington (Oct. 10).
• Ten different Sun Devils have found the back of the net this season. Six of those players have scored multiple goals
• The Sun Devils scored their 27th goal of the season in the ninth game of the 2014 season. The significance? They surpassed their 2013 total of 26 goals (19 games).
• In 2012 ASU was 6-2 in one-goal games and 2-0-2 in overtime games. They were 5-4 in the former and 2-1-2 in the latter in 2013. They have only had four one-goal games thus far in 2014 and are 2-2 in those games – a 2-1 decision over No. 6 Texas A&M (Sept. 7), a 1-0 win vs. Oregon State (Oct. 5), a 2-1 loss at Washington (Oct. 10) and a 1-0 loss vs. Cal (Oct. 24).
• ASU scored 18 of its 26 goals last season in the second half (16) or overtime (2) last season. In 2012, the Sun Devils scored 23 of their 33 goals in similar fashion. Of ASU’s 33 goals this season, 18 have come in the second half.
• ASU recorded three consecutive shutouts earlier this season, its longest such streak since 2012.
ACADEMIC SUCCESS
On the academic side, the Sun Devils have earned Pac-10/12 All-Academic notice 82 times in Boyd’s seven seasons, including 23 first-team members and 10 second-team members. ASU’s 20 first-team commendations the last six seasons (2008-13) are the most of any school in the Pac-12 during that span. In addition, soccer student-athletes have combined for eight Academic All-America awards since 2007, most recently former Sun Devils Jasmine Roth (second team) and Kaitlyn Pavlovich (third team) in 2013. Roth was also named the Pac-12’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year on 2013.
LEPEILBET ENTERS SUN DEVIL ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME
Former Sun Devil defender Amy LePeilbet (2000-03) was one of six Sun Devil greats welcomed into the Sun Devil Athletics Hall of Fame on October 17, 2014. LePeilbet is ASU’s first Olympic soccer player, as she was a member of the gold medal-winning U.S. Women’s National Team in the 2012 Olympics in London. While at ASU, LePeilbet was one of the cornerstones of the Sun Devil Soccer program as ASU advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament three times during her four years. LePeilbet was a two-time All-American and three-time All-Pac-10 Conference first-team selection. She never missed a start in her four years at ASU, playing in 74 career games. As a junior, LePeilbet earned NSCAA second team All-West Region acclaim and helped the team tie the then-school record of five straight shutouts. LePeilbet was a key component in helping carry the Sun Devils into the second round of the NCAA Championships in 2003. As a senior, LePeilbet scored three goals, including two game-winners, while leading a defense that allowed 1.05 goals per game and posted eight shutouts. Excelling off the field as well, LePeilbet was a two-time Academic All-American as well as a Maroon and Gold Scholar-Athlete. After ASU, LePeilbet was a member of the U.S. Women’s National Team that finished second to Japan in the 2011 Word Cup. LePeilbet is also a member of FC Kansas City, which won the 2014 National Women’s Soccer League Championship in August.