TUCSON, Ariz. – The University of Arizona women's soccer team (5-4-3, 2-2-1 Pac-12) will travel to Corvallis, Ore. this weekend to take on the Oregon State Beavers (4-6-3, 1-3-1 Pac-12). Arizona is 10-11-1 against the Beavers all-time.
Oregon State is coming off a gambit of three-straight against UCLA, USC, and Washington (top-five in the Pac-12). They lost the first two matches, giving up four goals in each, but tied a competitive Washington squad that received seven votes in the latest poll.
So-Cal Blues
Arizona hosted No. 6 USC and No. 2 UCLA last weekend and came out of 219 minutes of play with only one point. The Wildcats held back the Trojans for 108 minutes before they were awarded a deserved PK that gave them the win. On Sunday, Arizona battled back from a two-goal deficit to draw with the former No. 1 team in the nation.
In the Burdett Cage
Junior Burdett has played all 12 matches for the Wildcats this season. Her goals-against average in those matches is only 0.83 as she has allowed only ten goals. Although Burdett has a strong defensive line in front of her that has prevented most shots from finding the frame, Burdett has made some really huge saves this season. The match against Stanford saw 11 saves for Burdett, each one trumping the last as she used fingertips, kick saves, and fully-extended dives to hold back the Cardinal's swell of shots. Burdett has four shutouts on the season (including against No.11 California), pushing her career count to 14. She has 160 career saves which is eighth all-time.
Burdett: Penalty Kicks
Lainey Burdett faced 4 penalty kicks against USC and UCLA and came out at 50% against the lot. One of USC's was skied over the frame while the other gave the Trojans their game winning goal. UCLA scored their first PK while Lainey Burdett made a diving save to keep out the other and keep the game level at 2-2 through 110 minutes.
Freshman Up Front
True freshmen Hannah Clifford and Amanda Porter scored on Sunday's match against UCLA with an assist from (also true freshman) Jada Talley. These three and Jill Aguilera (redshirt freshman) were able to spark the offense for a struggling Arizona squad.
Crisler's Crosses and Corners
Arizona has earned more corners than their opponent in every match save three (Stanford, UCLA, USC) this season. They had a season-high 15 corner kicks against Oregon on Sep. 23 in their 3-1 victory over the Ducks. The Wildcats have taken 76 corner kicks this season versus their opponents 50. Most have come from Crisler and have generated countless opportunities for the team.
Breaking the Dam
The Wildcats had some trouble getting their offensive river flowing this season, taking 94 shots before their match against BYU on Sept. 15, but only scoring four goals (4.26%). There were no shortage of chances but the team couldn't find the back of the net. Since then, the Wildcats have broken the dam with their offensive prowess, finding eight goals on only 66 shots (12.12%) in the last six matches against teams like No. 1 Stanford, and No. 23 California, No. 6 USC, and No. 2 UCLA.
New Line of Defense
Arizona's back line for every match this season has been Samantha Falasco, Brandi Park, Sabrina Enciso, and Morgan McGarry. Falasco and Park saw over 2,500 combined minutes on defense last season, while McGarry and Enciso are new to the starting lineup. Together, the four defenders have been a major part in Arizona's four shutout matches this season, limiting their opponents to only 59 shots-on-frame in 12 games (avg. 4.92 per game).
Defensive Points
Samantha Falasco has been a huge part of the Wildcat's defensive effort this season as discussed in "A New Line of Defense." However, she also put away the Wildcat's lone goal in their match against Texas Tech on Sept. 10 with her nose off a corner from Cali Crisler. This goal matched her tally from the final match of the 2016 season where Falasco scored again off a Crisler cross to beat rival Pac-12 school ASU 1-0 in the final minutes of the match. She scored again last weekend against the Ducks, battling in the box to get off two shots and finding the back of the net after a flick from Kennedy Kieneker put the ball at her feet.
One More Go Around for Gabi
Senior Gabi Stoian is poised to finish her career as the most decorated player in Arizona history. The Scottsdale native started every game last season and earned 1,503 minutes of time over the course of the season. She scored six goals and tallied five assists for a total of 17 points. These stats pushed her career numbers to 25 goals, 20 assists and 70 points. Stoian is second all-time in each of those categories and is in striking distance of breaking all three of those records in 2017. Her two goals at the Sun Devil Desert Classic have moved her one step closer to building that legacy.
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