Soccer
TEMPE, Ariz. --The Arizona State soccer team will hit the road for an important road test at UCF and LSU this weekend. The two-game road schedule will get underway with a 3:00 p.m. PT matchup against the Knights in Orlando on Thursday, before wrapping up the trip with a 10 a.m. PT meeting with the 2018 SEC Champion LSU on Sunday.
ASU will be looking to rebound following their first loss of the season to Oklahoma (2-1) Sunday evening. Despite controlling possession in the match, the Sun Devils were unable to overcome an early Sooner penalty kick, and a late goal off a bouncing ball in the box following a point-blank shot in the 83rd minute.
"We are staying positive about it," head coach Graham Winkworth said of the team's first loss of the 2019 season. "We really weren't expecting a school the size of Oklahoma to come in and sit so many players behind the ball. We weren't prepared for that on Sunday, and we need to be better prepared for teams to respect us as much as Oklahoma did. This week we need to focus on being able to break lines, but also make sure we are not as vulnerable on the counter-attacks. We have worked on that and we feel a lot more solid than we did going into Sunday. Although it is a disappointment that we lost the game, the fact that we held the ball for over 65 percent of the game shows us that we are moving in the right direction."
With three weekends of play under their belts, ASU has outscored opponents 23-6, including twice scoring a program-best seven goals in a single match. Before the 2019 season, ASU had scored 29 goals in 2018 and 19 goals in 2017, moving this seasons squad in striking distance of matching the program best 46 goals scored during the 2000 season. A big reason for the Sun Devil offensive firepower this season, has been due to the team's ability to control possession.
"Our possession of the ball has been one of our major strengths this season. We completed over 410 passes, compared to just about 180 from Oklahoma, on Sunday," Winkworth said of his team's ability to play possession soccer. "We are very comfortable in possession of the ball, and that is our brand. That is how we want to play, but now we have to become more dangerous with that possession. The first step for us is done, creating the opportunity to keep the ball, but now the next step is becoming more dangerous. We also need to limit the quick counter-attacks as we saw on Sunday. That is something that was on me. We will fix that and be ready for the next one."
UCF hosts the Sun Devils after beginning the season with a 1-1-2 record. Three-straight hard-fought matches against Wisconsin, Ohio State, and George Mason resulted in four goals allowed from the UCF defense while surrendering just one loss. The Knights found their first win of the season last Sunday against Florida, where UCF shut out the Gators, 2-0, with goals coming from freshman Ally Gudorf and senior Zandy Soree. Following the win against Florida, the AAC named Konya Plummer Defensive Player of the Week and teammate Ally Gudorf Freshman of the Week.
Led by a relatively young roster, UCF welcomed 14 new players to the fold with four seniors to mold experience around the squad. The anchor in the back end will feature team leader and Jamaican Women's National Team captain Konya Plummer. She enters her senior season as a member of the AAC Preseason All-Conference team.
"They are very good," Winkworth said of the UCF team the team will play on Thursday. They came here a few years back and beat us. They just beat Florida this past weekend, and have tied Ohio State already this year, so this is one of the best teams in the country. For us, it will be like playing a Pac-12 game early in the season. This is an exciting matchup for us and we are looking forward to what will be two tough games on the road. After Thursday we have the SEC Champions waiting for us as well. We are also looking forward to traveling on the road. This is an opportunity for some bonding time with the team. We know being gone for six days is a long time, but we are looking forward to seeing a little bit of Florida and then seeing a bit of New Orleans and Cajun country as well. It should be a fun time for the team to grow off the field as well as on it."
LSU has kicked off the 2019 season with a 2-1-1 record, including winning a pair of 1-0 victories over Navy and McNeese State. The Tigers followed with bouts against ACC powerhouses, No. 1 North Carolina and No. 12 Duke in the Nike Classic. LSU fell short in both contests but competed with the top team in the country to a 1-0 loss. LSU, the reigning SEC Champions, return 11 letter winners to the pitch, including four players that were named to the 2019 SEC Soccer Coaches' Preseason Watch List, including Chiara Ritchie-Williams, Tinaya Alexander, Marlena Cutura and Shannon Cooke.
Following the weekend trip, ASU will return home to host CSUN on Sept. 20 for their final nonconference match of the 2019 season. Fans can follow all of the action from the weekend road series, and the rest of the 2019 season, by following the team at @SunDevilSoccer on Twitter and Instagram.
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