TEMPE, Ariz.– Arizona State soccer ended non-conference play by defeating UTEP 4-1 on Friday night at Sun Devil Soccer Stadium. The victory capped off Alumni Night, as the program celebrated its 30th anniversary.
“There were some wonderful people over there,” ASU coach Graham Winkworth said. “It was cool … to see so many of them come back and support the team, and for us to be able to honor them at halftime. It’s just so nice seeing them come back. Some of them were here many years ago and some (were here) last year. It was just incredible to see them and for them to be a part of our Senior Day.”
“I feel like there have been a lot of emotions recently,” senior forward Cameron Valladares said. “Senior Night and all the alumni here … it’s good vibes all around, having the girls here and the team’s really close and has a lot of chemistry. So I feel like it’s a perfect team to have this kind of year with all of these big moments.”
Senior Night started on a fiery note, as Valladares opened the scoring in the 12th minute after multiple chances. Fittingly, the buildup to her goal featured fellow seniors, as both defender Grace Gillard and midfielder/forward Tatum Thomason earned assists.
The Sun Devils’ second goal continued with the theme of senior contributions, as Thomason got herself a goal in the 54th minute after splitting through two UTEP defenders.
“I was like ‘keep dribbling,'” said Thomason, who has now scored five goals in 2025. “Either they are going to foul you or you’re going to find a shot. So (I) just kept dribbling, and then kind of just hit it and it went in.”
The home side’s third goal came from a set piece, as junior defender Lucy Fazackerley notched her fifth career goal and first goal of the season. The train of senior impact left the station again as midfielder Peyton Marcisz logged her second assist with the Maroon and Gold.
Freshman forward Addison Baltodano tallied the fourth goal, the second of her collegiate career. Valladares and Thomason notched the assists.
“Oh it’s awesome,” Thomason said about Senior Night. “You can’t really beat a great crowd on senior night, history being made. (It’s) just a great feeling to be a part of this team and (I) really enjoy being part of it.”
The Sun Devils broke through UTEP’s strong defense multiple times. It gave up eight shots on goal, almost double the amount it allowed per game up to this point.
“We’re so proud of ourselves,” Thomason said. “We’re like, ‘oh my gosh, we’re creating so many chances, and now we just really needed to finish them’ … We had the ball so much. It was like, ‘hey, just put them away,’ and in the second half, we came out and did that.”
Winkworth’s squad hopes to start conference play on a high note as they remain undefeated with a record of 7-0-1. Their next matchup at home against BYU on Thursday night. They will have two more home matches afterwards before going on a three-game road trip.
“(I feel) pretty prepared, and I think the team does too,” Valladares said. “We are coming together really well…(and) I’m excited to start with BYU. I think there’s going to be a lot of people here, and we’ve had a pretty good turnout so far this season. So I think (we) got a lot of momentum going in.”
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