In front of one of their best season crowds, Arizona State (8-5-3, 3-5-1 Big 12) defeated Kansas State (3-10-3, 0-4-1 Big 12) two goals to none. Nearly 700 fans showed up to cheer on the Sun Devils in their “Pink Game” to support Breast Cancer Awareness.
“It makes such a difference when we get a big turnout in these games,” said junior forward Keri Matthews.
Fueled by the crowd, Matthews scored the game’s first goal in the 20th minute. After intense back-and-forth battling, junior forward Cameron Valladares scored the game-sealing goal with five minutes left. She and assistant coach Hollie Loud have been focusing on taking advantage of offensive opportunities.
“She wanted me to be taking people on more, one-on-one and getting those shots off, and was encouraging me to go more,” Valladares said.
Those goals were a bright spot in an inconsistent night offensively for the team. The physicality was a limiting factor for a Sun Devil team that had not played with such roughness this year. There were 14 fouls and three yellow cards, one on ASU and two on Kansas State.
While the offense struggled, the defense thrived with the game’s demeanor. The defenders only let up two shots on target, both of which junior goalkeeper Pauline Nelles saved. This was her 27th career shutout, an impressive record that helps cement her as one of the best goalies in the country. Defensive dominance was necessary for this win and the Sun Devils’ chances next week.
“I wanted that clean sheet. It was really, really important for confidence for our backline and Pauline,” said ASU head coach Graham Winkworth.
Defensive confidence could have been low because of the Sun Devils’ prior performances this month. In three losses, ASU was outscored 13 to two. Turning it around was necessary for their mentality and positioning in the Big 12, especially as ASU looks for a spot in the 2024 Sprouts Farmers Market Big 12 Soccer Championship starting Oct. 30.
After Oct. 17, the Sun Devils have moved to No. 10 in the Big 12. The top 12 teams qualify for the conference tournament. Arizona State controls its postseason fate with only two games left against Kansas and Arizona.
The Sun Devils will play the Kansas Jayhawks (7-5-4, 4-4-1 Big 12) on Sunday at Sun Devil Soccer Stadium in their second-to-last regular-season game at 1 p.m. PST.
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