Devils in Detail
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ASU Soccer: ASU Looking to Bounce Back Against Utah

By Matthew Stolbof

Nov 21, 2015; Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils fans cheer during the fourth quarter of the territorial cup against the Arizona Wildcats at Sun Devil Stadium. The Sun Devils won 52-37. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 21, 2015; Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils fans cheer during the fourth quarter of the territorial cup against the Arizona Wildcats at Sun Devil Stadium. The Sun Devils won 52-37. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports /
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After a tough lost against UCLA, the Sun Devils are looking to bounce back with a win against Utah.

Utah is currently 6-2-1. They haven’t lost a game since September 5th against BYU.

The key to the Utes’ winning is their defense. Led by two Freshman defender Tavia Leachman and Aleea Gwerder, has completely shut out teams, not allowing against since their game against North Dakota State on September 11.

Utah also knows how to put the ball in the back of the net. The leading scorer on the Utes’ squad is Sophomore Hailey Skolmoski with 6. The Utah native hasn’t been in top form as of late scoring only two goals during Utah’s winning streak.

Sophomore Eden Jacobsen has also contributed to Utah’s attack with two goals. Both of her 2 goals came within the first four games of the season. Expect her to step up against an ASU defense that has played poorly as of late.

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ASU really struggled in their first game of Pac-12 play against the Bruins.

Despite giving up two early goals last week, Freshman Emma Malsy is expected to start at goalkeeper.

One of the main issues ASU had against UCLA was possession, especially in the first half. The Sun Devils struggled maintaining the ball and possessing it on UCLA’s attacking side. If they want to win against Utah, this issue will need to resolve.  Freshman Kylie Miniefield will have to step up in the midfield.

One of the few bright spots against UCLA was ASU’s aggressive play in the second half. Both Lucy Lara and Jazmarie Mader had five total shots in the second half with three of them being on target. If they continue to attack and take shots, eventually the ball will land in the back of the net.

Next: ASU Football: Manny Wilkins Keeps Getting Better

Kickoff for today’s game will be at 4:30 p.m at Sun Devil Soccer Stadium and can be seen on Pac-12 Network.