TEMPE, Ariz. – Devin Marshall scored two goals for the second time in as many games and Chandler Morris recorded her second shutout of the season to lead the Arizona State women’s soccer team to a 4-0 win over Kansas on Sunday.
For the Sun Devils (4-1), who have won their last three contests, it was the second straight game they scored a season high in goals after also scoring four in Friday night’s victory over Illinois. In that contest, the Devils needed every one of those goals in a dramatic 4-3 double-overtime win. There was much less suspense on Sunday, as ASU allowed Kansas (3-2-1) only two shots on goal while putting 12 of its own 23 shots on frame.
“I like that we’re showing resilience,” said Sun Devils head coach Kevin Boyd. “I think we responded really well from Friday night on things we didn’t do as well as we should have. I think we also handled the fatigue factor exceptionally well. The team showed a lot of character this weekend.”
Marshall, who was named MVP of this weekend’s Sun Devil Classic, started and finished the scoring for the Sun Devils, who are 8-1-1 in their last 10 regular season games going back to last season.
In Friday’s game against Illinois, Marshall got the scoring started for the Sun Devils after heading in a cross from teammate Holland Crook. On Sunday the duo would replay the same sequence in the seventh minute to give ASU the early 1-0 lead.
Despite a strong first 45 minutes, ASU found itself leading only 1-0 at the half. That would change less than five minutes into the second half when Sara Tosti broke towards the goal looking for a potential one-on-one opportunity. Before she was able to get off a shot, Tosti was tripped up in the box by a pair of Kansas defenders resulting in the Sun Devils being awarded a penalty kick. With no immediate volunteers to take the kick, Marshall took it upon herself to encourage one of her teammates to take a shot at it.
“No one wanted to step up and take the PK, and I said, ‘Cali, you got to get your goal a game, let’s go,’” Marshall explained, referring to Farquharson, who came into Sunday’s game having scored at least one goal in her last seven games going back to last season. She would make it eight after taking Marshall up on her offer and calmly drilling the penalty kick into the back of the net for her seventh goal of the season.
“I feel like I’m a proud mom when Cali scores,” said Marshall. “I was really excited for her.”
Now up two goals the Sun Devils were determined to make sure there would be no comebacks after having a pair of leads disappear on Friday.
Blair Alderson would quickly remove any doubt of Friday’s events repeating themselves as she scored her second career goal less than three minutes after Farquarson’s penalty kick to extend ASU’s lead to 3-0.
The scoring concluded in the 77th minute when Crook sent a cross to Marshall, who, with a Kansas defender draped on her, still managed to drill the shot home to put ASU up 4-0. Following the game, Marshall acknowledged the outstanding chemistry that she and Crook have had on the field recently.
“Holland and I seem to have this connection lately, with her balls being crossed in,” explained Marshall. “She hits them great—I love her corners and her free kicks. In practice she’s getting them on frame. She’s doing really well.”
Added Boyd on the importance of Crook’s play, “It’s crucial. She’s playing really well. What Holland’s doing is sitting right under that front line and pressuring them, and getting us chances. Where she’s not getting recognized for – and should be – is she’s picking off a lot of balls defensively and doubling and winning balls, and getting us into the attack immediately, and we’re getting goals from it.”
Sunday’s game represented the third consecutive game that Farquharson and Marshall have scored at least one goal. Over the last three games, the duo has combined to score 10 of ASU’s 11 goals.
With her two goals on Sunday, Marshall moved into eighth place on ASU’s all-time list with 21 career goals. She needs two more to tie Antoinette Marjanovic (1997, 99-01) for seventh place.
Now with 17 career goals, Farquharson needs one more to tie Alexandra Elston (2007-10) for 10th place on ASU’s career list.
In the first game of Sunday’s Sun Devil Classic doubleheader, Arizona (3-0-3) and Illinois (3-2-1) played to a 1-1 draw.
The Sun Devils return to action next week when they travel to Tucson for the Cats Classic. The Sun Devils will face Texas Tech on Friday (4:30 p.m.) and Southern Utah on Sunday (11 a.m.).
