Nov. 5, 2006
SEATTLE, Wash. - The Arizona State University soccer team concluded its 2006 regular season with a 1-1 draw with the Washington Huskies Sunday afternoon at Husky Soccer Stadium in Seattle. The Sun Devils now stand 8-8-3 overall and 3-5-1 in the Pac-10 while the Huskies stand 7-12-1 and 2-6-1 in the league.
"This was a heartbreaker of a match for us today," Head Coach Ray Leone said. "The match was end-to-end and hard faught by both teams. We hit the cross bar three times today, including one in overtime, but the tie kept our hopes of the postseason alive. We will have to wait and see what the selection committee decides and I hope our team playing one of the tougher schedules in the nation will help get us in."
Just before the end of the first half of play, the Sun Devils broke the scoreless draw as the offense earned a corner kick with Kylla Sjoman tapping the ball to Alissa Oldenkamp who passed it back to Sjoman before the sophomore defender sent a ball into the box that Lauren Niblett headed home for a 1-0 lead. The goal was the first of Niblett's career. After the intermission, the Huskies scored similar to the way the Sun Devils did as the hosts also connected on a header off a corner kick in the 51st minute.
Defensively, GK Kim Bingham recorded four saves in the match while UW keeper Kelsey Rasmussen stopped two Sun Devil attempts. The Sun Devils ended the regular season with a school-record for fewest goals allowed with 17, besting the previous low total of 23 allowed in 2003, 2001, 2000 and 1999. Offensively, freshmen Brittney Doty (four shots), Dante Perea (two) and Lindsey Johns (two) led the offense charge for the Sun Devils.
ASU, with a lineup featuring numerous freshmen and just two seniors, played strong throughout the season with all eight losses coming by one goal decisions, including a 2-1 decision to 2005 NCAA Runner-up UCLA and a 1-0 overtime decision to No.1 Florida State, another College Cup participant one year ago. The Sun Devils also carry a 1-0 road victory against No. 12 California on their resume with seven of the team's eight victories on the season coming via shut out.
The Sun Devils, eligible for the post season, will now await the announcement of selections into the NCAA tournament which the national governing body will announce Monday on ESPNews.