TEMPE, Ariz. -- Third-ranked UCLA proved to be too much for the Arizona State women’s soccer team on Monday night, as the Bruins scored three first-half goals en route to a 4-1 win.
Looking to get over the .500 mark for the first time this season, the Sun Devils (5-6-1, 1-2 Pac-12) were handed a tough assignment in the form of a UCLA squad (9-0-2, 2-0-1) that had outscored the opposition 23-3 coming into Monday’s game. Making ASU’s task even more difficult was playing without junior forward Devin Marshall, who is currently tied for the team lead in goals with six.
“To UCLA’s credit, that’s the best any team has played against us this year,” ASU head coach Kevin Boyd said following the game. “(UCLA came out fast) and really played well, and as they did that it made us a little bit gun-shy.”
UCLA’s first goal came less than nine minutes into the game and was set up by a corner kick. UCLA defender Caprice Dydasco sent in a cross that was over the reach of Sun Devil goalkeeper Chandler Morris, leaving an open target for Bruins defender Abby Dahlkemper who headed the ball into the net for an early 1-0 lead.
The Bruins went up 2-0 in the 27th minute when Sarah Killion slipped a pass across the 18, ahead of teammate Zakiya Bywaters, who was able to her shot past Morris after the Sun Devil goalkeeper came off her line in an attempt to beat Bywaters to the ball.
Despite being down 2-0, the Sun Devils would come out and play their best soccer of over the final 18 minutes of the first half. Freshman Cali Farquharson, who led the Sun Devils with four shots, had ASU’s first good look of the evening in the 32nd minute when she got a hold of a loose ball, turned and quickly shot it to the near post, but UCLA goalkeeper Katelyn Rowland was waiting to make one of her five saves on the night.
In the 33rd minute senior Courtney Tinnin had the ball roll her way after a shot by senior Kiara Williams was deflected toward her. Coming in at a wide angle, Tinnin sent a shot to the near post where once again Rowland made the save.
Farquharson would get another chance in the 36th minute after a goal kick by Rowland came straight to her. Despite being chased by a UCLA defender, Farquharson was able to create just enough separation for a split second to get off a shot just inside the 18, but Rowland once again came up with the save.
“We had three great chances,” Boyd said. “If we had made one of those it would have been a whole different game and would have given us confidence.”
UCLA would put more distance between itself and ASU in the 39th minute when a counter attack by the Bruins produced their third goal of the game, this one coming from Ally Courtnall.
The Bruins would add a fourth goal (Taylor Smith) in the 70th minute before ASU responded with a goal of its own in the 72nd minute, coming off the right foot of senior Alyssa Freeman.
The goal was the product of a heads up play by Freeman, who took advantage of a slow rolling pass from Rowland to teammate Chelsea Stewart. Freeman beat Stewart to the pass, then went the other way and sent a looping shot over Rowland for her second career goal.
“I was very happy for her,” Boyd said. “It was a good goal by her. She took a good shot and bent it in.”
It was only the fourth goal of the season given up by the Bruins.
Monday’s loss was only the Sun Devils' second in six games, and those two losses came to two of the top three teams in the country, No. 2 Stanford and No. 3 UCLA.
