TEMPE, Ariz. -- For the second time in as many games, the Arizona State women’s soccer team was unable to produce any offense in a 2-0 loss to No. 14 Cal on Friday.
Cal (12-3, 5-1 Pac-12), which started the week ranked 15th in the country in scoring offense (2.5 goals per game), came into Friday’s match having scored three goals three times in its last four contests. In addition, the Bears were also perfect in six road games this season, a streak they'd extended to seven at game’s end.
"Cal is a good team,” ASU coach Kevin Boyd said. “The benefit of what they have is they are good in every position. They don’t really have a weak link. I thought they were a good, sound team, but at the same time, we did not play as well as we are capable of playing. We were making technical errors and we just weren’t creative enough, and then in the second half it got worse. It became really quiet out there because our communication stopped.”
The Sun Devils (6-8-1, 2-4) welcomed Devin Marshall back to the starting lineup Friday after the junior forward had missed three straight games due to injury before returning for a brief period in the second half of ASU’s 2-0 loss at Washington last Sunday. Marshall, who is tied for the team lead in goals with six, nearly had her seventh in the 11th minute when she connected on a header off a corner kick that went just over the goal.
Cal would break the scoreless tie in the 28th minute when freshman forward Celeste Boureille took a pass and sent the ball, which was airborne after her first touch, just inside the far post.
Although they were outshot 19-9 for the game, the Sun Devils had the same number of shots on goal as Cal with six. Much like their most recent contest against Washington, the Devils found themselves having to chase the game after falling behind by a goal in the first half.
Friday’s game would follow a similar script to Sunday’s setback against the Huskies, as the Sun Devils had their chances in the second half only to be turned back and eventually face an even more difficult challenge after giving up a second goal. Against Cal, the second goal came in the 75th minute when Bears freshman Celeste Martore scored on a shot from long distance to put the game out of reach.
Courtney Tinnin (three shots) and Cali Farquharson (two shots) led ASU’s offensive effort. Although they were not able to score, the Sun Devils were given a lift by getting Marshall back on the field.
"(Marshall) gives us such a presence on the air balls,” Boyd explained. “She is the one putting her head on every air ball. She adds an immediate threat in the box for us, and she was also clearing balls out on the other end.”
Friday’s game was ASU’s annual 'Pink Out' in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The team wore pink jerseys, which were raffled off after the game.
