Since the Barry Bonds and Phil Mickelson days of the early 1980s, the Arizona State Sun Devils have resided in the Pac-12. This is where they have made rivalries with fellow foes such as the University of Arizona down south and the University of Southern California out west. That was until this past summer, as the Sun Devils followed the footsteps of many other colleges, leaping to the Big 12.
This provides a sound challenge for Sun Devil women’s soccer, which wrapped up non-conference play 5-0-2 after a thrilling 2-1 win against the Utah Tech Trailblazers. Regardless, head coach Graham Winkworth is already darting ahead on the calendar for their upcoming match against Brigham Young University.
“BYU, preseason favorites for the conference, very aggressive, very forward-thinking in the way they play,” Winkworth said. “Different teams provide different problems, but BYU is definitely on a different level.”
The Sun Devils are on the road for three straight, facing Brigham Young University, the University of Houston, and the University of Central Florida. Senior forward Keri Matthews, who played all 21 games with the Sun Devils last year, has a short yet vital message on what she’d like to see in conference play.
“Goals,” Matthews laughed. “Scoring and not leaving it up at the last minute.”
Much like Matthews, junior forward Cameron Valladares has quietly been one of the best Sun Devils this season. The transfer from the University of Arizona has four goals and three assists on the season, including a last-minute buzzer-beater securing the win against the Trailblazers. Still, she has her eyes on bringing momentum and confidence to the Beehive State against the Cougars this Thursday.
“It’s good to go with this win and that confidence.,” Valladares said. “We knew we could beat (Utah Tech), and we know we can beat other teams as well, so just going in with that confidence and with the belief in each other.”
Valladares also alluded to the Sun Devils’ advantage due to their close-knit team. With everyone familiar with each other and knowledge of their play styles, the Sun Devils know how to work together and trust each other on the field, which will be essential in conference play.
“We’re very confident in each other, and all the girls know each other’s play style and play pretty well, so just taking advantage of that and getting the job done,” Valladares said.
The Sun Devils will play the BYU Cougars in Provo, Utah, this Thursday at 6 p.m. PST. This will be a big test for Winkworth and company in their first conference game.
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