Arizona State faced the University of Pennsylvania Quakers Sunday afternoon at Sun Devil Soccer Stadium, where the Sun Devils emerged victorious with a commanding 3-0 win, thanks to a hat trick from freshman forward Kierra Blundell.
The match was played under sweltering conditions, prompting the referees to call for water breaks midway through each half. Despite the heat, ASU dominated the game, controlled possession and created numerous goal-scoring opportunities throughout the match.
Blundell was the star of the day, scoring in the first half against the Quakers. The goal came in the 24th minute after a corner scramble in the Penn box, where the Quakers struggled to clear the ball. Blundell, the striker, capitalized on the chaos, rifling the ball into the roof of the net to give ASU the 1-0 lead.
When asked about her goal contribution to the squad, Blundell mentioned how much it has meant.
“To come in and to make such a big impact is so powerful for me. I knew I wanted to come in and do good for the team, so scoring goals and starting is even better, and I’m very grateful for that.”
The home side continued to push forward, with junior forward Enasia Colon and Grambling State game-hero senior forward Keri Matthews alongside Blundell in the attack.
ASU only took two minutes to double its lead, which is a credit to the pressure put on UPenn’s backline. Blundell shielded the ball from a Penn defender in the box and was swiped from her feet, causing the referee to blow the whistle for a penalty.
Although junior Penn goalkeeper Annabel Austen guessed the right direction, Blundell’s shot proved too powerful and inevitably found the back of the net to double ASU’s lead in the first half.
The hat trick hero’s afternoon was completed as she topped off her third goal with a moment of individual brilliance in the second half. Positioned at the top of the box, she turned away from her defender and unleashed a curling shot that sailed into the top right-hand corner of the goal, leaving Austen with no chance.
ASU head coach Graham Winkworth had high praise for Blundell’s dominating performance after the match.
“She was very efficient in front of goal today, which I’m pleased to see. She’s been slightly frustrated that she hasn’t been finding the net, but we all knew the goals would come.”
ASU’s defense held strong throughout the 90 minutes, securing a fourth clean sheet on the season and earning its third consecutive win. Now, the Sun Devils look to prepare for their last non-conference matchup of regular season play.
Arizona State (4-0-2) will look to continue its strong form against the Utah Tech Trailblazers (2-0-2) at home Sept. 8 at 2 p.m. PST.
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