Nov. 9, 2012
UP NEXT
The Arizona State women's soccer team opens NCAA Tournament play on Friday night (7 p.m. MT) when it hosts Big 12 champion and third-seeded Baylor.
The Sun Devils (10-8-2) are making their sixth appearance in the NCAA Tournament and their third in the last four years. A strong regular-season finish enabled the Sun Devils to earn an at-large NCAA berth as they went undefeated in their last five games (4-0-1) and closed out the season on a four-game winning streak. ASU's 6-4-1 record in Pac-12 play tied it for fourth place, its highest finish in league play since 2004 when it also finished fourth.
The winner of Friday's game will play the winner of the first round contest between Georgetown (15-3-3) and Virginia Tech (13-5-1). The second round game will be played next week at a site to be determined.
COVERAGE
There will be no live video or audio of Friday's game. Fans can follow the action on GameTracker
LAST GAME
Defeated Arizona, 2-1... Cali Farquharson scored the game-winning goal (with 1:53 remaining in regulation) for the second game in a row... Courtney Tinnin scored ASU's first goal of the game in the 51st minute before Arizona tied it in the 66th minute... With the win, ASU improved its all-time record against Arizona to 15-2-1. Each of the last six and six of the last seven matches contested between the two schools have been decided by 2-1 scores with ASU winning five of those games... The Sun Devils finished the regular season 6-2 in one-goal games after going 5-5 last season.
SCOUTING BAYLOR
Baylor (17-1-4) won the Big XII Tournament last weekend to extend its unbeaten streak to 18 games, its longest unbeaten streak in school history.
Eleven of Baylor's 17 wins have been a shutout and it also has two more shutouts this season that ended in a tie
The Bears, who are making their fourth NCAA appearance, are led by senior Dana Larsen, who has 10 goals and nine assists - 29 points.
Baylor is one of three teams in the country ranked in the top 15 in scoring offense (15th, 2.36), goals against average (first, .474) and shutout percentage (eighth, .591).
SERIES NOTES VERSUS BAYLOR
ASU leads the all-time series with Arizona 4-0.
Arizona State won the last meeting in 2010 by a final of 3-1.
Arizona State has outscored Baylor by a combined total of 8-1 in its four meetings.
SUN DEVIL SOCCER HOME SUCCESS VERSUS NON-CONFERENCE OPPONENTS
Since head coach Kevin Boyd's arrival in 2007, ASU is 19-6-2 at home against non-conference opponents. All six of the losses were by scores of 1-0 and only one non-conference opponent has scored more than one goal at ASU (Tennessee scored 2 in 2010, but the Sun Devils beat them 4-2).
SUN DEVILS BATTLE BACK FROM 1-4-1 START
After starting the season 1-4-1, the Sun Devils won three straight games to get back to the .500 mark (4-4-1) at the start of conference play. ASU outscored the opposition 7-0 over that stretch.
The Sun Devils were unable to get over the .500 mark after reaching it on two other occasions. After consecutive 2-0 losses at Washington vs. Cal, the Sun Devils fell to 6-8-1 before once again rebounding with a three-game unbeaten streak (2-0-1), giving them another chance to get over .500 against Colorado. The Sun Devils would get over the hump this time, defeating the Buffaloes 2-1 in double overtime. ASU's win over Arizona in last week's regular-season finale capped a five-game unbeaten streak to close out the regular season and gave it double-digit wins for the first time since 2007.
MCCARTER MAKES IT HAPPEN
One of the key figures in ASU's success is senior midfielder Taylor McCarter, who has consistently provided ASU with outstanding play in the midfield since her freshman season in 2009.
"She's been our best player for the last two years," Boyd said. "We're hoping to get her a little further up the field [this season] and when we do that our game is better."
McCarter, who earned third-team All-Pac-12 and third-team NSCAA All-Region notice last season, has started every one of ASU's 79 games the last three-plus seasons.
McCarter was named to the Cats Classic All-Tournament Team after helping lead ASU to wins over Loyola Marymount (Sept. 14) and FIU (Sept. 16). McCarter scored her third career goal in the win over LMU. One week earlier she was named the MVP of the Sun Devil Desert Classic for her performance in ASU's games against Houston (Sept. 7) and in the Sun Devils' 1-0 upset of No. 10 Pepperdine (Sept. 9). She added her second assist of the season in ASU's 5-4 double overtime win over USC on Sept. 28.
MARSHALL AND FARQUHARSON LEAD THE WAY
Leading ASU's offensive attack this season has been the duo of junior Devin Marshall (nine goals, two assists) and freshman Cali Farquharson (nine goals, four assists), who have combined for 18 of ASU's 32 goals this season.
Marshall and Farquharson tied for first on the team in goals (9 - tied for 5th in the Pac-12). Marshall, who missed five-plus game due to injury, finished the regular season second in the Pac-12 in goals per game (0.60) while Farquharson finished 6th (0.47). The nine goals by each player ties them for 10th in ASU's record book for most goals in a single season. In addition, both Marshall (3rd 1.33 ppg) and Farquharson (7th, 1.16 ppg) finished the regular season among the top seven in the Pac-12 in points per game.
Marshall was third on the team in scoring (10 points) and tied for first in assists (4) in 2011 when she was limited by an ankle injury that caused her to miss seven games. Among returning members of the team, she was ASU's leader in goals (4) from last season.
Marshall was named to the Pac-10's All-Freshman Team in 2010 when she was third on the team in scoring. Last May, Marshall was one of 24 players called to participate in the U.S. Under-23 Women's National Team training camp.
"Devin had a terrific preseason and I think this could be a breakout year for her," Boyd said prior to the start of the 2012 season.
Marshall tied her single-game career high with two goals in ASU's win at NAU (Aug, 24). She scored her third goal of the season at Missouri (Aug. 31), a game in which she also sustained a head injury that caused her to miss ASU's next two games -- at Kansas (Sept. 2) and vs. Houston (Sept. 7). She returned for ASU's contest against No. 10 Pepperdine and scored the only goal of the game in ASU's 1-0 upset of the Waves. She was named the MVP of the Cats Classic hosted by the University of Arizona after scoring a goal in both of ASU's games -- vs. LMU (Sept. 14) and vs. FIU (Sept. 16). Marshall missed ASU's games vs. USC (Sept. 28), vs. UCLA (Oct. 1) and at Washington State (Oct. 5) before returning in the second half of ASU's 2-0 loss at Washington (Oct. 7). Marshall scored her seventh and eighth goals of the season in ASU's 4-1 win over Utah (Oct. 25) and added her ninth in ASU's 2-1 double OT win over Colorado (Oct. 28). Marshall would record her second assist of the season on Farquharson's game-winning goal in the regular-season finale vs. Arizona (Nov. 2).
Currently leading ASU in points (22), Farquharson has proven to be one of the top freshmen in the Pac-12 this season. At the conclusion of the regular season, Farquharson ranked second among Pac-12 freshmen in both goals (9) and points (22).
Farquharson tied Marshall with two goals in ASU's 4-0 win at NAU (Aug. 24). She added her third goal of the season in ASU's 2-2 tie at Kansas (Sept. 2). One week later she assisted on Marshall's game-winning goal in ASU's 1-0 upset of then-No. 10 Pepperdine (Sept. 9). After going scoreless in ASU's next three games, Farquharson would break out with a virtuoso performance in ASU's 5-4 double OT win over USC (Sept. 28). With Marshall out of the lineup, Farquharson provided the ASU offense with a spark -- and then some -- as she tied the single-game school record with three goals and also added a pair of assists to set the single-game school record for points (8). She became the third Sun Devil in school history to score three goals and the second one to do it as a freshman (former Sun Devil Patrice Feulner, who is currently an associate director in ASU's Office of Student-Athlete Development, scored three goals in back-to-back games as a freshman in 2000).
Farquharson had a goal and assisted on the game-winning goal in ASU's 2-1 win at Oregon (Oct. 21). One week later against Colorado (Oct. 28), Farquharson scored the game-winning goal with 22 second left in double OT to give ASU the 2-1 win.
Farquharson needs three points to move into a tie for 10th on ASU's all-time list for most points in a single season and one more goal to move into a tie for ninth for most goals in a single season.
THREE SUN DEVILS EARN ALL-PAC-12 HONORS
Senior midfielder Taylor McCarter (All-Pac-12 second team), junior forward Devin Marshall (All-Pac-12 second team) and freshman forward Cali Farquharson (All-Pac-12 honorable mention and Pac-12 All-Freshman Team) were recognized by the Pac-12 on Wednesday as the conference announced its annual awards for the 2012 season as voted on by the league's head coaches.
NEW CAST MEMBERS
Fourteen of the 31 players on ASU's roster are new members of the team. Of the 14 newcomers, 11 are freshmen to go along with three student-athletes who transferred into the program. Add RS-freshman Chandler Morris to the mix and nearly half the team (15 of 31) is comprised of players who did not play in a game for ASU prior to 2012.
The Sun Devils have had seven players who have made the first start of their respective ASU careers thus far, including six true freshman - McKenzie Berryhill, Nina Brueggemann, Cali Farquharson, Tommi Goodman, Christina Schedel and Sara Tosti.
INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR
Among the incoming freshmen this year are Nina Brueggemann from Pinneberg, Germany and Christina Schedel who is from Rosenheim, Germany.
Brueggemann and Schedel are the first international players on ASU's roster team since Kylla Sjoman (Canada), who graduated in 2008.
Both Brueggemann (17 games/10 starts) and Schedel (15 games/15 starts) have been two primary contributors on the Sun Devils' backline in 2012. Schedel recorded her first career assist and goal in ASU's 2-2 tie at Kansas (Sept. 2).
OFFENSIVE NOTES
ASU's average of 1.6 goals per game is its best since 2005 when it averaged 1.66.
Senior Courtney Tinnin leads the team in assists with seven (2nd in the Pac-12) and is currently tied for seventh place on ASU's all-time list with 16 assists. She recorded a single-game school-record-tying two assists in ASU's 3-0 win over FIU (Sept. 16). Tinnin, who tied for second on the team in points (14), was second in goals (4) and tied for first in assists (6) in 2009, did not play in 2010 due to a knee injury sustained in the spring of 2010. After missing the first eight games in 2011 rehabbing the injury, Tinnin returned and ended tied for the team lead in assists (3). She scored her first goal of the 2012 season in ASU's 5-4 double overtime win vs. USC (Sept. 28). She scored her second goal, which turned out to be the game winner, at Washington State (Oct. 5). She added another in ASU's 2-1 win over Arizona (Nov. 2).
Senior Taylor McCarter scored her third career goal in ASU's 3-0 win over LMU (Sept. 4). The shot on which McCarter scored against LMU was only the 27th of her career. "That's great [for Taylor]," Boyd said of McCarter's goal vs. LMU. "She does so much for our team. Her getting in the attack and scoring goals is really not the role she plays because she is so far from goal. She is more our playmaker, the one that connects and wins a lot of balls for us. Scoring goals is rare and I'm really happy when she gets them."
ASU has registered double-digit shot totals in 16 of its 20 games, including 20 or more on seven occasions.
22 of ASU's 32 goals have come in the second half (20) or OT (2).
Tommi Goodman's first career goal was a game winner (ASU's 5-4 2OT win vs. USC on Sept. 28). She added her second vs. Utah (Oct. 25).
Kaitlyn Pavlovich's first career goal was also a game winner (at Oregon - Oct. 21)
ASU has won eight of the nine contests in which it has scored first,. The only game it did not win when it scored first was at Oregon State (Oct. 19), which ended in a 1-1 tie.
DEFENSIVE NOTES
Currently with five shutouts in 2012, redshirt freshman goalkeeper Chandler Morris is tied for sixth on ASU's all-time list for most shutouts in a single season. Her next shutout will move her into a tie for third place. ASU's starting backline has included three true freshmen in the majority of its games thus far -- McKenzie Berryhill (15 starts), Nina Brueggemann (10 starts), Christina Schedel (15 starts), Sara Tosti (13 starts).
Junior defender Jasmine Roth has started 56/58 career games, including all 20 in 2012.
Three defenders - McKenzie Berryhill, Kaitlyn Pavlovich and Christina Schedel have scored goals for ASU this season.
CLOSE ONES
The Sun Devils were 5-5 last season in games that were decided by a single goal, losing two of them in overtime. Had a few of those games gone the other way, the Sun Devils likely would have been making their third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance despite having to deal with a rash of injuries to key players. This season ASU has found itself on the positive end of those games more often than not as they are 6-2 in one-goal games and have a 2-0-2 record in overtime games. The Sun Devils needed clutch performances in their last two games of the regular season to secure an at-large NCAA berth. On Oct. 28, ASU appeared to be headed for a tie with Colorado until freshman sensation Cali Farquharson scored with 22 seconds remaining in the second overtime to give the Sun Devils a 2-1 win. One week later, Farquharson would come through with late-game heroics once again as she scored the game winner with 1:53 left in regulation of ASU's 2-1 win over Arizona.
ACADEMIC SUCCESS
On the academic side, the Sun Devils have earned 59 Pac-10/12 All-Academic awards in Kevin Boyd's five seasons, including 16 first-team members and nine second-team members. ASU's 13 first-team commendations the last three seasons (2009-11) are the most of any school in the Pac-12 during that span. In addition, the Sun Devils have three student-athletes -- Kaitlyn Pavlovich, Jasmine Roth and Sarah Van Horn, who are currently enrolled in ASU's prestigious Barrett Honors College.
In June 2012, Sun Devil Soccer was among three ASU teams recognized by the NCAA for recording an Academic Progress Rate (APR) in the top 10 percent nationally.
LEPEILBET HELPS USA WIN GOLD AT OLYMPICS
Former Sun Devil soccer player Amy LePeilbet helped the U.S. capture the gold medal at the London Olympics this past August.
LePeilbet, a 2004 graduate of ASU (B.A. in Sociology, Magna Cum Laude), started in five of the team's six matches at the London Olympics, including the gold medal game against Japan.
A member of the national team since 2004, 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 in her four years (2000-03).
A two-time All-American and three-time All-Pac-10 Conference first-team selection, LePeilbet did not miss a start in her four years at ASU, playing in 74 career games.
LePeilbet, who was also a two-time Academic All-American, is one of just four Sun Devils to earn a team sport gold medal, joining Justin Huish (archery in 1996), Joe Caldwell (men's basketball in 1964) and James Harden (men's basketball in 2012).