ASU soccer is looking to carry the momentum of Sunday's 1-1 draw against UCLA as they head to Seattle to take on Washington Thursday night.
After a rough season, the Sun Devils (4-7-1) are seeking their first win since Sept. 11.
Here are five things to watch for in the game:
It's a must-win game.
The Sun Devils are the only win-less team in their conference. They are 14 points behind Stanford, which is at the top of the Pac-12, and 11 behind USC and Washington State.
Any hope of ASU making the NCAA tournament rests in winning out the rest of their schedule. A win against a ranked opponent in Washington would help significantly boost their resume.
Cali Farquharson is back
One reason the Sun Devils have to be optimistic is the return of star forward Farquharson. She's been back with the team for over a full week and has already played in two games.
When she returned to the field in last Friday's game against USC, the team became instantly more dangerous. In her first game back after missing the previous four, Farquharson fired three shots, two of which were on goal. The Sun Devils lost the game, but their star senior only played 66 minutes.
In the 84 minutes she played against UCLA on Sunday, Farquharson was able to help snap their losing streak against one of the top teams in the Pac-12, notching three shots on goal. She also assisted on Jessica Raybe's goal.
There's still a record waiting to be broken
Redshirt senior Chandler Morris is still tied for first in school history with 23 shut-outs. She tied the record in the 5-0 win against Pepperdine on Sept. 11.
ASU started off the season without allowing a goal in its first four matches. Over the eight games since, they've allowed 14 and Morris is still on the outside looking in at the record.
Just because the Sun Devils have allowed all these goals doesn't mean Morris has struggled. Morris had six saves against UCLA and three against USC. ASU has only allowed three goals once all season.
Morris has shown the ability to make great reads on shots but the biggest reason she started off the season with four straight shut-outs is due to her back line.
Looking for Madison Stark on defense
Sophomore defender Stark missed last Sunday's game against UCLA after she was injured in the 33rd minute in the game against USC. Stark had started her first 33 games with the Sun Devils before Sunday.
Stark was replaced in the starting lineup by freshman Melinda Gutierrez from Gilbert. Gutierrez only played 38 minutes while sophomore Taylor Coon played 73.
Whether Stark starts remains to be seen. The team has not listed what the injury is and how long she'll be out. If Stark is out, then it will be interesting to see whether Coach Kevin Boyd chooses Gutierrez to get the start or another another fresh face.
Struggles against Washington
ASU hasn't won a game against Washington since the 2011-12 season. The Sun Devils are 0-2-1 against the Huskies since, and have been outscored by Washington 4-1 in those three games.
The only player who's been around to see a victory against Washington is redshirt senior Chandler Morris. That win came in her freshman season, and she didn't even play.
The game will be televised on the Pac-12 Networks and kicks off in Seattle at Husky Soccer Stadium on Thursday at 7 p.m.
Related Links:
ASU soccer snaps seven game skid in draw with UCLA
ASU soccer drops seventh straight to USC
Reach the reporter at Lucas.Taglienti@asu.edu or follow @ltaglientivevo on Twitter
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