Oct. 27, 2012
UP NEXT
Currently riding a three-game unbeaten streak (2-0-1), the Arizona State women's soccer team will look to get over the .500 mark for the first time this season when it hosts Colorado on Sunday at 4 p.m.
The Sun Devils (8-8-2, 4-4-1 Pac-12) come into Sunday's game tied for fourth place in the Pac-12 with Washington State (10-6-1, 4-4-1 Pac-12). With wins in their final two regular season games (vs. Colorado and vs. Arizona) the Sun Devils would likely punch their ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in the last four seasons.
TELEVISION
Sunday's game vs. Colorado can be seen live on Pac-12 Networks (national telecast). JB Long (play by play) and Kyndra de St. Aubin (analyst) will be on hand to call the action.
LAST GAME
Defeated Utah, 4-1... Devin Marshall tied her single-game career high with two goals... ASU's four goals on Thursday represented the 13th time since 2007 (a span a 117 games) that it has scored four or more goals in a contest... The four goals were the most given up by Utah this season as the Utes came into Thursday's game ranked third in the Pac-12 in goals allowed per game (0.94)... Also scoring goals for the Sun Devils were Holland Crook (third of the season) and Tommi Goodman (second of the season)... With her two goals on Thursday night Marshall, who was questionable to even play after being forced to leave last Sunday's game at Oregon due to injury, now has 15 career goals, tying her for 10th place on ASU's all-time list... Marshall also leads the Sun Devils in goals this season (8) despite being forced to miss five-plus games due to injury.
SCOUTING COLORADO
Colorado (8-7-3, 2-6-1 Pac-12) is currently on a two-game winning streak after defeating USC last week and Arizona on Friday. Colorado is led by junior F Anne Stuller, who has scored eight goals and registered two assists this season for 18 points.
SERIES NOTES VERSUS COLORADO
Arizona State has won all three games it has played against Colorado.
Nicki Stone scored the only goal (via PK) in last year's 1-0 win in Boulder. The Sun Devils came away with the win despite playing the last 20-plus minutes short a player as defender Jasmine Roth received a red card.
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 have yet to get over the .500 hump this season after reaching that mark on two other occasions. After consecutive 2-0 losses to Washington and Cal, the Sun Devils fell to 6-8-1 before once again rebounding with their current three-game unbeaten streak (2-0-1), giving them another chance to get over .500 when they face Colorado on Sunday.
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 77 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 (eight goals, one assist) and freshman Cali Farquharson (seven goals, four assists), who have combined for 15 of ASU's 28 goals this season.
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).
Currently leading ASU in points (18) and second on the team in goals, Farquharson has proven to be one of the top freshmen in the Pac-12 this season. As of Oct. 27, Farquharson is second among Pac-12 freshmen in points (1.06 ppg - 8th place in the Pac-12) and is tied for second among Pac-12 freshmen in goals (7 - tied for 8th in the Pac-12).
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 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 accomplish the feat 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).
Farquharson and Marshall are both currently ranked in the top 10 of the Pac-12 in points and goals, making ASU the only school in the Pac-12 to have two players in the top 10 of both categories.
NEW CAST MEMBERS
Fourteen of the 31 players on ASU's roster are new members of the team in 2012. Of the 14 newcomers, 11 are freshmen to go along with three student-athletes who transferred into the program. Add redshirt 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 this season.
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 (15 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 current average of 1.56 goals per game is its best since 2005 when it averaged 1.66.
Currently with 15 career goals, junior Devin Marshall is tied for 10th place on ASU's all-time list with former Sun Devil Courtney Crane (2003-04, 06-07). Marshall needs three goals to tie Alexandra Elston (2007-10) for ninth place.
Junior Holland Crook scored the first goal of her career (via PK) in ASU's 3-0 win over LMU (Sept. 14) at the Cats Classic in Tucson. She followed that with another goal in ASU's ensuing game against FIU (Sept. 16). She would notch her third goal (via PK) in ASU's win over Utah (Oct. 25).
Senior Courtney Tinnin leads the team in assists with six and is currently tied for eighth place on ASU's all-time list with 15 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 2011 rehabbing the injury, Tinnin returned and ended up tying 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).
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."
Senior Miah Mollay scored her fourth career goal in ASU's 3-0 win over FIU (Sept. 16).
ASU has registered double-digit shot totals in 14 of its 18 games, including 20 or more on five occasions.
Nineteen of ASU's 28 goals have come in the second half (18) or OT (1).
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 six of the seven contests in which it has scored first, collecting shutouts in each of the five of the six wins. 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
ASU's streak of three straight shutouts earlier this season was its longest such streak since the 2008 season.
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. The single-season school record is 8.5 set by Erin Reinke in 2000.
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 (11 starts).
Junior defender Jasmine Roth has started 54 of 56 career games, including all 18 this season.
Three defenders - McKenzie Berryhill, Kaitlyn Pavlovich and Christina Schedel have scored goals for ASU this season.
TOUGH ROAD
The Sun Devils started the 2012 season with five straight games on the road. ASU kicked off its slate with games at CSUN (Aug. 17) and San Diego State (Aug. 19) before traveling to Flagstaff, Ariz., to face in-state foe Northern Arizona (Aug. 24). ASU then traveled to the Midwest the following week for contests at Missouri (Aug. 31) and at Kansas (Sept. 2). Overall, ASU has played 12 of 17 games away from home. ASU is currently in the midst of a three-game homestand (vs. Utah, vs. Colorado, vs. Arizona) to conclude the regular 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 4-2 in one-goal games and have a 1-0-2 record in overtime games.
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).
LePeilbet will be in attendance for ASU's game vs. Colorado on Oct. 28 and will be recognized during the game.