In a frustrating match, Stanford (5-5-1, 4-3-0) women’s soccer lost to Arizona State University (8-2-2, 4-1-2 Pac-12) on Sunday. Despite outshooting the Sun Devils, the Cardinal could not come back after it conceded two early goals and fell 2-0.
The first goal of the match came as early as the fifth minute. A poor pass from Stanford’s defense allowed Arizona State junior midfielder Olivia Ngyuen to capitalize and send a smooth pass to her teammate, freshman midfielder Jazmine Wilkinson. Wilkinson shot near post to put the ball in the back of the net.
Despite conceding this early point, Stanford maintained poise until the second goal — which came in the 25th minute. After ricocheting out from a corner kick, Sun Devil junior midfielder Eva Van Deurson took a chance with a long shot from far outside the 18-yard box. The Netherlands native placed it perfectly in the upper right corner, giving Stanford redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Katie Meyer no chance at a save.
Although Meyer conceded two goals, she had a strong game overall. With seven saves, the sophomore was vital in keeping ASU within reach.
The second half displayed signs of promise for Stanford, as the team came out with more energy. Within the first 20 minutes of the second half, the Cardinal had outshot the Sun Devils 5-2. It was not over. As a trend throughout the season, the Cardinal has had a phenomenal ability to score in the latter parts of the game, with seven of their 16 total goals coming in the last 15 minutes of games.
However, the heat during the match may have hindered the Cardinal’s final push. With temperatures getting up to 98 degrees, the Cardinal had to continuously substitute players to keep energy high.
On the whole, Stanford was sloppy. Although the Cardinal had 12 shots, outshooting the Sun Devils by one, they were rushed and lacked accuracy. Their passing lanes were intercepted, and they only had two shots on goal as opposed to ASU’s impressive nine.
Stanford will have to improve in its patience and precision as it takes on USC (6-3-1, 5-3-0 Pac-12) in a home match on Friday. Fans will be able to stream the game on Pac-12.com. Kick-off is set for 3 p.m. PT.