TEMPE– Fans braved the heat at Sun Devils Soccer and Lacrosse Stadium as Southern California (4-2) defeated Arizona State (2-3) 16-14, extending the Trojans’ all-time series lead to 13-2.
The Sun Devils’ last win against the Trojans came on March 5, 2022, in Tempe while hosting the Pac-12 tournament.
Offensive struggles early
Arizona State wasn’t able to capitalize on turnovers or scoring chances, losing momentum in the first half to give the Trojans high-powered offense a 7-point lead.
“We had an offensive opportunity,” ASU head coach Taryn VanThof said. “It’s a game of momentum. If we had capitalized a little bit sooner, I think that game could have carried in a different direction.”
The Sun Devils continued their rotation in goal, as freshman goalkeeper Gabriella Henry made her second career start. She played the opening 18 minutes and allowed 7 goals before being relieved.
Sophomore goalkeeper Regan Spichiger played the remainder of the game and recorded four saves on 13 shots.
ASU continued to fight
The Sun Devils outscored the Trojans 10-5 in the second half, but the Marron and Gold ran out of time after falling behind early.
“We performed when we needed to in the second part of the game,” VanThof said. “I think we dug ourselves just too deep of a hole early on, but I am really proud of the fight, good to see that we can dig ourselves out.”
Senior attacker Lydia Oldknow dominated down the stretch and led the team with five goals and an assist. She has 17 goals on the season and extended her point streak to 42 games. Oldknow has recorded a goal in 41 of those 42 games.
Senior attacker Jordyn Behar also delivered a strong performance for the Maroon and Gold, finishing with one goal and four assists.
Veterans Oldknow and Behar combined for 14 points in today’s game.
“What’s expected, right? I think they were putting the ball where they needed to,” VanThof said.
In the third period, Senior attacker Teagan Ng scored her 15th goal of the season, moving her closer to history. She now sits at 142 goals, six behind Kerri Clayton’s for the all-time goal-scoring record.
After nearly completing a comeback, Arizona State aims to build on the strong performances from today’s game while reducing mistakes to maintain its offensive power, which has averaged 16.33 points per game at home.
“Consistency early, I think you saw it, we were hitting shot clock violations but then giving up things early on our clock and just finding that balance,” VanThof said.
What’s next?
Arizona State will play its fifth game in 28 days when it hosts Niagara at 6:00 p.m. MST on March 5. The Sun Devils look to get back on track against a Purple Eagles squad that has struggled to open the season, currently owning a 1-3 record
