ASU Soccer: ASU vs. OSU Preview
With a well-fought loss against USC this past weekend, the Sun Devils enter their game against Oregon State with a 1-4-1 in-conference record.
The team showed a lot of heart against the Trojans which left head coach Kevin Boyd feeling better about the team going forward to finish out their final four games of the season.
OSU is sitting at a record of 0-6-0 right now and haven’t had more than five shots on goal in conference play.
Players hoping to make a return to the lineup for the Devils include Aly Moon, Jazmarie Mader, and Lucy Lara. Not having the presence of these three players is becoming less apparent as players begin to step up, but the lack of these key players is still there.
Mader, the top scorer this season, is no longer hanging on the back line to slip in shots and passes through the defense.
Moon’s explosive style of play is missing in the offense, which is the cause for a lack of offensive attack for the Devils. With no real offensive attack the Devils are left trying to figure out how to make an impact and break down the opposing team’s defensive line.
This game could be sophomore Natalie Stephens much needed breakthrough game. Stephens has not gotten on the board in a single game this season, yet she still poses as a threat to the Beavers. She is able to cause a stir on the opposing defensive lines, but has trouble breaking through them. The combination of her and Larisa Staub this game could be potential to break though.
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The biggest factor in this game will be the midfield stepping up and stopping OSU’s attacks down the middle. Not being able to stop players in the midfield allows teams to plow through the Devils’ midfield and put a lot of stress on the back line.
For ASU’s goal tending this game, Meghan Delany is expected to start. Delany has totaled 15 saves in the past two games, making her a stronger keeper and a more reliable player for her defenders to trust.
Offensively for the Beavers, their biggest threats to the Devils’ back line is freshman forward Taylor Lemmond and junior forward Nikki Faris. Lemmond and Paris were able to both break through the Stanford defense and not only contribute a single shot on goal, but the single shot was a goal that put two on the board for them. Though the team doesn’t take many shots, the ones they do take are deadly.
Something else the Devils need to watch for is runs and attacks from the Beavers’ back line. The Devils seem to have a hard time being able to defend these types of attacks and allow them to get through the middle of the field as well as get crosses in from the corners.
If the Sun Devils want to come away with a win tonight, they need to step up just as they did against USC. Even if their top forwards aren’t back the team has enough talent to come away with the victory and boost their record in in-conference play.
Next: ASU Soccer: Late-Season Roundtable
The game will be away at OSU at 7 p.m. but will not be broadcasted by Pac-12 Networks, stick with Devils in Detail for coverage.