Senior day at Sun Devil Soccer Stadium. A penalty kick with the game and the team's postseason aspirations on the line.
It's the kind of moment that has senior forward Cali Farquharson's name written all over it.
Go figure.
ASU soccer's home schedule came to a fitting end when its hero delivered on a golden chance, the difference in a 1-0 win over Oregon on Sunday.
The Sun Devils (7-7-1, 2-4-1 Pac-12) dominated possession and shot attempts from the very beginning of the match, outshooting the Ducks (4-12, 1-7 Pac-12) by a margin of 11-1 in the first half.
ASU scored its first goal of the game in the 25th minute thanks to the active feet of Farquharson.
Gaining possession of the ball near the left corner, Farquharson fired it into the box toward redshirt senior midfielder Mackenzie Semerad.
Semerad couldn't get on top of the ball before she was taken down by the Oregon defender, warranting a penalty call and an opportunity for the Sun Devils to take the lead.
Farquharson stepped up to the spot, as she's done for ASU so many times over the last four years, and drilled it into the upper right corner of the net.
The score marked Farquharson's 40th career goal as a Sun Devil.
"I'm really glad our seniors got this win," Farquharson said "We haven't had the best run so far, so getting these wins at home – especially on senior day – just made it extra special."
Given the shot disparity, there was no shortage of ample opportunities for ASU to extend its lead in the first half.
Most notably in the 31st minute, sophomore defender Madison Stark had a shot from outside the box that sailed up, dipped down and deflected off of the crossbar. Oregon cleared to prevent any further damage.
In the second half, momentum shifted in favor of the Ducks.
What started the shift was a controversial call in the 47th minute as senior Lucy Lara elbowed an opposing player in the chest and was assessed a straight red card. Lara was sent off and the Sun Devils had to continue with 10 players for the remainder of the match.
ASU head coach Kevin Boyd called the decision to issue a red card "soft".
"I didn't think the management of the game was particularly good," Boyd said. "But it's really not a smart move for a player to put themselves in that position anyway."
Playing shorthanded and on their back heels for most of the second half, ASU got a tremendous lift from its goalkeeper in the 55th minute.
After a shot deflected off of her and toward the middle of the box, redshirt senior goalkeeper Chandler Morris made an unbelievable one-handed save as Oregon's redshirt junior midfielder Maryn Beutler attempted to score off the volley.
The shutout was Morris's 25th career clean sheet, extending the school record that she set on Friday night against Oregon State.
"We're finding our rhythm again – it feels like us," Morris said. "I think (this win) is kind of what we need to push through the last part of the season."
The Ducks had their chances in the waining moments of the match, including a counterattack shot attempt in the 77th minute by sophomore forward Zoe Higgins that was saved by Morris.
In the 87th minute, Oregon had one of its best opportunities all game as freshman forward Taylor Kuroda sent a cross toward junior midfielder Marlo Sweatman in the box in an attempt to set up a score.
Sweatman whiffed it, the ball sailed wide, and the Sun Devils walked away with the eventual victory.
Back at .500 once again, ASU faces a tough task with three road games to end the season at Utah, Colorado and Arizona.
Boyd said his team is aiming to win out.
"It was great for (the seniors) to not only get this win but sweep at home this weekend," Boyd said. "We've just got to take it one game at a time and put everything out on the field in that moment."
Related Links:
ASU soccer takes on Oregon and Oregon State in final home stand
What to watch for in ASU soccer's games against Oregon State, Oregon
Reach the reporter at rclarke6@asu.edu or follow @RClarkeASU on Twitter.
Like State Press Sports on Facebook and follow @statepresssport on Twitter.
