ASU soccer lost 1-0 to Arizona due to a lack of goal threatening chances and the Wildcats’ aggressive press that lead to many turnovers and lack of possession.
The University of Arizona scored what would be the only goal just six minutes into the game.
The Wildcats, in their second corner of their 1-0 win over Arizona State, crossed the corner in where the first shot was saved off of the line by freshman midfielder Cori Sullivan. The ball stayed in the box where the second shot hit off the post, then junior defender Morgan McGarry finished the rebound for the goal.
The Wildcats pressed high up the pitch and were aggressive with their style of play which earned them the early corners that led them to their goal.
Coach Graham Winkworth felt the Sun Devils could of avoided those corners by forcing throw ins.
“We were inviting them on too much,” Winkworth said. “We were giving them soft corners rather than throw ins.”
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The first half played out in similar fashion as the early part of the game with the Wildcats dominating possession and pace.
The best chance of the first half for the Sun Devils came off of a free kick where freshman forward Marleen Schimmer missed just over the bar.
The Sun Devils were forced to pass the ball early and often which created many turnovers and possession for the Wildcats. When the Sun Devils had the ball, the opportunities they created were not goal threatening.
The second half became a midfield battle for both teams in which each team pressed to the ball and created turnovers. Both teams struggled to find solid chances.
The Sun Devils were only able to put up three shots in the second half and were outshot 13 to 9. That is an important stat line for ASU because they have only been able to win one game in which they were outshot by their opponent.
The Sun Devils look to bounce back and make their playoff resume stronger this Sunday at home when they face No.1 Stanford at 3 p.m.
All quotes in this article were obtained firsthand by Devils in Detail unless otherwise noted.