TEMPE – After a scintillating start to the season, the Arizona State women’s soccer team must find a way to recapture that energy Thursday night at Tucson’s Mulcahy Stadium with a Big 12 Conference tournament berth on the line.
The stakes couldn’t be higher for ASU (10-5-3) in its matchup against Arizona (7-11). A win over the Wildcats in the Territorial Cup, coupled with a TCU victory over Houston on the same night, will punch ASU’s ticket into the postseason with the eighth and final tournament spot.
Despite a difficult conference schedule and some key injuries throughout the season, the Sun Devils have positioned themselves to control their own destiny.
A tie or loss for the Sun Devils would factor in multiple tiebreaking scenarios among Big 12 teams but ASU coach Graham Winkworth likes his team’s chances.
“It has to be very complicated for us to win our game and not make the playoffs,” Winkworth said. “We control our own destiny. I would rather be in our shoes than their shoes going into these games.”
Despite the Wildcats suffering through a seven-game losing streak, the Sun Devils aren’t taking the game lightly as they are seeking to avenge their 0-1 loss from last season.
“We’ve seen (the Wildcats) dogpile, even when their season’s over and the only game they’ve got to play for is the Territorial Cup,” Winkworth said. “We’re excited because maybe they’re in that situation once again and we’ve got a situation where we’ve got a little bit more to play for.”
It hasn’t been exactly smooth sailing for the Sun Devils as they hold a 3-5-2 conference record heading into their Territorial Cup matchup. ASU has an all-time record of 18-12-1 against Arizona and is searching for its first win in Tucson since Nov. 6, 2015.
The Sun Devils hope to recoup the fire that propelled their strong start to the season that included a 10-game unbeaten streak, with the team going 8-0-2. The Sun Devils have used that energy from their early season success to fuel them ahead of the crucial matchup.
Tatum Thomason, a senior midfielder and forward, has led the charge for the Sun Devils’ offense and has been one of the squad’s key factors. She leads the team with 18 points along with seven goals.
“I think we started off really, really strong,” Thomason said. “We’ve had one of the best starts or the best start in program history and we kind of just have been going off that energy for as long as we can. It’s the same energy coming from every single person. Keeping a positive mindset, bouncing off each other’s energy.”
With a postseason berth in reach, Thomason and the rest of the squad aren’t looking ahead quite yet as they have their sights set on the Wildcats.
“I think regardless of the Big 12 tournament, this game is the most important game of the year for us,” she said. “We want to come in and win that game, regardless of the Big 12 tournament or anything else that (the game) controls.”
The Sun Devils are no strangers to playing in big games this season as a victory over 10th-ranked BYU Sept. 18 stands out as their marquee moment.
They’ve also faced adversity as five of their conference losses came against ranked teams – including No. 24 Colorado, No. 12 Texas Tech and No. 9 TCU, who all sit in the top four of the Big 12 standings.
Pauline Nelles, a senior goalkeeper, has been another key factor for the Sun Devils this season, helping them stay afloat in the Big 12 standings. Nelles has been a crucial piece for ASU, breaking the program record for clean sheets with 25 and moving into second all-time in saves.
She described the team’s style of play as exciting and highlighted how it has been one of the main factors to set the Sun Devils up for playoff contention.
“I would say it’s fun to watch,” Nelles said of ASU’s play style. “We don’t want to kick the ball long, so we actually try to play soccer. We’re fast in the front, we want to score goals, and we do. So I think that’s why you should watch us.”
The chemistry, togetherness and positive mindsets among all the players and coaches have been vital in helping the Sun Devils navigate the ups and downs of the season.
“I would never transfer from here,” said Nelles, a member of several German national teams who chose to spend all four years at ASU. “It was the best decision to stay here, to come here at first and I’m just so happy to be here. … I think coaches, people outside manage (the team) pretty well to keep you here.”
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