TEMPE, Ariz. – The Arizona State women’s soccer team saw its 2012 season come to an end Friday night with a 3-1 loss to third-seeded Baylor in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
The Sun Devils (10-9-2) allowed only three shots in the first half, but the Bears (18-1-4) were able to find the back of the net with two of those shots -- one in the 16th minute and one in the 35th minute -- to take a 2-0 lead into the half.
“It’s really hard to do a lot when a team scores two goals in three shots,” ASU head coach Kevin Boyd said. “It put us behind it, and we had to battle back.”
ASU would cut Baylor’s lead in half when freshman Cali Farquharson scored her 10th goal of the season in the 55th minute, however the Bears would reclaim their two-goal lead by scoring just 46 seconds later.
The second half was played amidst periods of heavy rain and gusting winds, which added to the chaotic atmosphere on the field. The two teams combined for 33 fouls (19 by Baylor and 14 by ASU) and six yellow cards (four given to Baylor and two to ASU).
“That is their style. They are direct, and they’re very good in the air. We knew it was going to be like that,” Boyd said of the physical play.
ASU played much of the game without one of its top offensive performers, Devin Marshall, who was forced to leave the game following a collision in the first half in which a Baylor player was assessed a yellow card.
The Sun Devils were making their third NCAA appearance in a four-year span after a late-season five-game unbeaten streak (4-0-1) enabled them to finish fourth in the Pac-12, their best league finish since 2004.
