ASU Soccer: Can the forwards stay healthy and consistent?

ASU soccer will rely heavily on last season’s leading goal scorer, Jazmarie Mader, but where are the other goals going to come from?

Last season was ravaged by injuries as the injury bug hit their leading goal scorer Jazmarie Mader.

The senior forward tallied eight goals in 12 matches last season as Arizona State averaged 1.58 goals a game.

Mader’s season was ultimately cut short due to injury and missed the final six matches of the season where the team scored one goal and were shut out five times.

Before Mader’s injury, the team was only shut out once so it’s safe to say the Sun Devils missed her presence on the pitch when she was out.

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While Arizona State will rely on Mader to score plenty of goals, which of the other forwards will step up and score goals?

The Sun Devils second-leading goal scorer was a midfielder in Adriana Orozco who scored three goals last season.

Senior forward Jessica Raybe is looking to make a larger impact this season after playing in all 19 games, starting in 15 of them and recording one goal last season.

Mader and Raybe are the leaders in the forwards group with junior Natalie Stephens and freshmen Olive Jones and Aubree Incardone.

Stephens also played in every match last season finishing with two assists while Jones played the most minutes (94) in their exhibition win Saturday vs. Cal State Northridge.

While Arizona State won’t need goals from all their forwards as it appears their defenders, like Jemma Purfield and Angela Boyle, can score goals this season.

Boyle scored the lone goal vs. CSUN on a corner kick taken by Purfield so Arizona State have the potential to have more goal scorers.

Head coach Graham Winkworth said he was going to go with three in the back and two wing backs to get up and down the flanks, and that should create more chances for the forwards in the box.

Despite all the injuries, Arizona State was a bit unlucky last season as they were outscored in all matches 28-23 despite firing 42 more shots than their opponents.

Next: ASU Soccer: Reconstructing the midfield

If Mader and her supporting cast can stay healthy, the Sun Devils could be looking at a dangerous and efficient attack.