ASU soccer couldn’t overcome turnovers and a talented opponent in a 3-0 loss to No. 1 UCLA as they dropped their record to 4-6-2 and 1-2-1 in Pac-12 play.
No. 1 ranked UCLA came to Tempe and took care of Arizona State Thursday night by a convincing 3-0 scoreline.
Despite another big loss to a top-tier Pac-12 opponent, ASU soccer left little doubt concerning improvement in the shadow of their 6-0 drubbing at the hands of No. 2 Stanford last weekend.
Following the big loss in Palo Alto, first year coach Graham Winkworth shook up his team-sheet prior to the match-up with the Bruins. The biggest change came by a shift in formation. Winkworth transitioned from a back-four to a back-three, moving freshman standout Olive Jones from forward to center back.
Arizona State made their improvement known from the opening whistle. They controlled much of the possession in the first 10 minutes and even came close to opening the scoring.
Senior forward Jessica Raybe flashed a shot across the face of goal in the ninth minute, nearly giving the Devils a breakthrough.
“The message going into today’s game was that we didn’t want Stanford to beat us twice,” Winkworth said. “I thought we were the stronger team at the beginning of the match, and if it wasn’t for an inch here or there we could have found ourselves a goal up.”
UCLA quickly responded and took control, proving their number one ranking. Arizona State struggled to maintain possession and turned the ball over on several occasions.
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The Devils’ defense held until the Bruins’ junior forward Hailie Mace slotted home from just inside the 18-yard box to give the visitors the lead.
The Devils didn’t shy in the face of this deficit. Anchored by junior Angela Boyle, the ASU defense stood tall to keep UCLA out of the goal for the remainder of the half. Rapid Bruin attacks and methodical moves toward goal were well stopped. Ultimately, the period would end with a one-goal Bruin lead.
The Bruins made no secret of their intention to put the opportunity for an upset to sleep early in the second half. The Bruins took the kick-off and put together a methodical advance, forcing a last-gasp save by freshman keeper Nikki Panas. The play ultimately forced Panas to come out of the game. Winkworth said the move was a precaution to prevent further injury.
The pitch remained tilted for most of the opening of the second half. The Sun Devils could only keep UCLA at bay for so long. After an unlucky handball in the box, Mace buried a penalty kick into the far-left corner to stretch the Bruins’ lead to two.
Less than a minute later, the visitors struck again. Sophomore Anika Rodriguez ripped a shot off the post before recovering her own rebound and firing into the net amidst a scramble in the box. The Bruins’ one-two punch proved to be the fatal blow for Arizona State.
“They’re the most talented in the nation I think,” sophomore Christina Edwards said of UCLA. “They’re incredibly technical and physically fit, so it just came down to which team wanted it more.”
Even down three, the Sun Devils showed encouraging signs the rest of the way. Rotating their lineup, ASU put several well-executed attacking moves on the field, going close a few more times. Despite this, turnovers proved costly, and the Bruins used incising passes and runs to put the match to bed.
Despite the loss, ASU left upbeat, encouraged by their progress since the Stanford loss. It wasn’t a win, but then again, it wasn’t a 6-0 blowout.
“I think we played spectacularly today,” senior Jazmarie Mader said. “We had a few slip-ups, but we’re a new team with a new coach, and we’re still learning, but I think we’re a team to be reckoned with in the next few years.”
Next: ASU Soccer: To win games, physicality is a must
The Sun Devils next take the field this Sunday against another top-10 opponent in USC. The Trojans come to Tempe looking to take another in-conference win. The game will kick-off at 1:00 p.m PST at Sun Devil Soccer Stadium.