TUCSON, Ariz. -- The Arizona State women's soccer team had its three-game winning streak snapped Friday with a 1-0 overtime loss to No. 24 Texas Tech on the first day of play at the Cats Classic, hosted by the University of Arizona.
Briana Rohmer scored off a cross with 32 seconds left in the first overtime to bring an end to the contest, handing the Sun Devils only their second loss in their last 11 regular-season games going back to last season (8-2-1).
“Our quality of soccer was poor,” said ASU coach Kevin Boyd. “I did not think our effort was bad; I thought that our technical ability was poor.”
The Sun Devils (4-3) entered Friday’s game coming off back-to-back four-goal efforts in wins over Illinois (4-3 in two overtimes) and Kansas (4-0). ASU averaged 28 shots in those two wins while applying constant pressure on the opposition throughout the weekend. On Friday, Texas Tech outshot ASU 14-12 and had an 11-3 advantage in corner kicks as the Sun Devils struggled to find their rhythm offensively.
“My complaint is what we did with the ball when we had it,” explained Boyd. “And that’s where the quality wasn’t as good as it had been recently. We are a much better team than what we showed tonight.”
ASU’s best scoring chance came in the 12th minute when Devin Marshall beat her defender to the outside and sent a sliding shot toward the goal that got knocked away at the last second by a Texas Tech defender.
“Devin beat the keeper and slotted one by her, and their defender did a real good job getting inside the goal and blocked it on the line,” Boyd said of Marshall’s shot.
ASU was not the only team having difficulty on the offensive end. The Red Raiders (6-1), who came into Friday’s contest averaging three goals over their last five games, were consistently turned back by the Devils as they failed to generate any goals off of 11 corner kicks.
In the end however, the percentages would eventually catch up to ASU.
“To Texas Tech’s credit, they kept coming and ultimately got one,” said Boyd. “If you let a team get that many chances, they are eventually going to get one in, and that’s what happened.”
Marshall had four shots to lead the Sun Devils, who are now 7-3 in their last 10 one-goal games. Also tallying multiple-shot totals were Jasmine Roth (three) and Cali Farquharson (two).
The Sun Devils close out play at the Cats Classic on Sunday at 11 a.m. when they take on Southern Utah.
