Tempe, Ariz. - The University of Arizona Wildcat soccer team took on the Arizona State Devils in Tempe on Friday afternoon at Sun Devil Soccer Stadium. Arizona could not beat ASU for a second-straight year, falling by a score of 1-0. The team's regular season record ended at 10-7-2 (4-6-1 Pac-12) and Arizona State finished with a record of 11-5-4 (4-4-3 Pac-12). The loss means that Arizona State claimed a point in the Territorial Cup Series.
Arizona won two corner kicks early in the match, both taken by freshman Gabi Stoian. The second one was particularly dangerous as the Wildcats nearly broke the 0-0 deadlock at the 10:57 mark. The ball was loose in the box and sent in by junior defender Sheaffer Skadsen and then junior forward Kaitlyn Lopez took a shot off a deflection. ASU's goalkeeper Chandler Morris saved Lopez's shot off the goal line. ASU had a quick counter attack but senior goalkeeper Gabby Kaufman was positioned well and saved the ASU shot with ease.
ASU struck first at the 20:45 mark when their defender Madison Stark made a run up the right flank and received a through ball from Aly Moon. Her shot was fired into the upper right corner of the net for the goal.
The Wildcats responded well to the ASU goal, seeing a lot of the ball and creating chances. Junior Lexe Selman had a rip with her left foot that sailed just over the crossbar. She did well to get the shot off in very tight space.
ASU nearly scored again the 29th minute but sophomore Hannah Stevens was there to save the shot. Kaufman came off her line to recover a through ball but Moon beat her to it and shot it. The ball slid past Kaufman and in came Stevens from the back post to clear the ball off the goal line and away from danger.
In the 44th minute, junior Alexa Montgomery received the ball at the top of the box off a flip throw-in from sophomore Paige Crouch. Montgomery faked the shot with her left and went back to her right, firing from around 30 yards away. Her cracking shot was saved by Morris as she dove to her right and stretched to parry the ball out for a corner kick.
Arizona ended the half with seven shots and two were on target. The Wildcats committed nine fouls and won five corner kicks. Arizona State had eight shots and four were on target. They committed one foul and won two corner kicks.
Arizona started the second half well with two flip throw-ins from sophomore Jaden DeGracie and a corner kick from Stoian but the Wildcats couldn't capitalize. Arizona did some strong defending to keep ASU from netting another goal. Cali Farquharson of ASU got in on goal in the 62nd minute but her shot was wide of the target.
Arizona's best chance of the half up to that point came when Montgomery played an outstanding ball to the far post and picked out DeGracie but her header was too high and landed on the top net of the goal.
Arizona subbed the starting attacking players back into the match after a rest on the bench at the 76th minute. As soon as they subbed in the Wildcats completed a series of one-touch passes that led to a shot for senior forward Alexandra Doller. Her left-footed shot missed wide left by inches.
In the 81st minute, Farquharson of ASU fired a shot that drilled the crossbar and went out for a goal kick. In the 86th minute, Arizona had a quick counterattack of a set piece by ASU. Brascia found DeGracie who found Doller who had a shot. The shot took a deflection and was easily saved by ASU's keeper.
The Wildcats had two great looks at it in the last minute of the match. Selman had a shot on a cross that sailed wide of the target. Then, with around 30 seconds left in the match Brascia found the ball in space inside the 18-yard box and her rocket of a shot went right at Morris who saved it.
“We're disappointed in the result,” head coach Tony Amato said. “I thought the first half wasn't as sharp as we would want. We competed better in the second half and that's where those chances came from. We created some chances and on the day we didn't put them away. I know the girls are disappointed in not finishing those chances but we'll learn from that and hopefully get another opportunity to be better the next time out.”
Arizona finished with 14 shots in the match and four were on target. UA committed 14 fouls and won eight corner kicks. ASU had 15 shots and six of those were on target. They committed six fouls, won five corner kicks and were called offside once.
The 2014 Women's College Cup selection show will take place on Monday at 2:30 p.m. MST
“We talk about building a legacy all the time and it takes one brick at a time and the girls have done that,” Amato said. “Whether we are in the NCAA Tournament or not, we made another step as a team, as a program, individually, we could go on and on about the progress we're making. Hopefully, we're in the tournament, that would be an even bigger achievement. We didn't get the result today but we're hoping Monday we get another shot at it.”
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