ASU soccer (5-7-1) is coming off its first win since Sept. 11 after upsetting No. 18 Washington on the road last Thursday 2-1. The Sun Devils are looking to continue their winning ways against Oregon State and Oregon this weekend.
Here are five things to watch for over the weekend.
Back at home
ASU will return home for the first time since Oct. 4. ASU is 3-3 at home this season and they have lost their last three games in Tempe, all of which they have played without Cali Farquharson. With Farquharson in the lineup at home, the Sun Devils have outscored opponents 11-0.
Being at home gives ASU a large advantage. Oregon hasn't had a win in six games on the road, and the Ducks were outscored 9-2 in those matches. The Beavers haven't played much better away from home either.
ASU is no longer last in the Pac-12
The Sun Devils are no longer the conference cellar-dwellers. They jumped one spot in the standings and are now sandwiched between Colorado and last place Oregon.
ASU's game against the the Ducks gives them an excellent opportunity to continue to climb the polls with an easy win. Oregon State is another team near the bottom of the conference that ASU can beat and, hopefully, begin the long upward climb.
Farquharson is due
Farquharson hasn't scored a goal in 38 days. Look for that to change this weekend.
In their 2-1 overtime win against Washington, ASU won just their second game all season without a goal from forward Farquharson. The Sun Devils are 1-1-1 since her return and she has yet to score a goal.
Before the hamstring injury which caused her to miss four games, Farquharson had scored a goal in each of ASU's first five games. She has scored at least 10 goals in her first three seasons with the Sun Devils and at this point, her streak could be in jeopardy.
Forward Jessica Raybe is on fire
The sophomore forward scored the opening goal of ASU's win against Washington and netted the game-tying goal against UCLA the game before.
Raybe drew the foul inside the box that set up the eventual game-winning goal in Seattle to top the Huskies in overtime. The goal was her third of the season, after scoring just one her freshman year.
She's made the most of her opportunities in just 519 minutes this season. For comparison, star forward Aly Moon has just one more goal than Raybe, but she has played nearly twice as many minutes.
Raybe's issue? Finding quality shots. She has taken 13 shots this year but only four have been on goal.
The season is winding down
After this weekend, the Sun Devils will only have two more weeks of play during the regular season.
Each remaining game has NCAA tournament implications, and ASU will have little margin for error from here on out if it hopes to qualify.
ASU will take on Oregon State on Friday at 7 p.m. and will then face Oregon Sunday at 11 a.m. Both games will be at home in Tempe.
Related Links:
Whitney Kanavel's golden goal lifts ASU soccer over No. 18 Washington
What to watch for in ASU soccer's road showdown with No. 18 Washington
Reach the reporter at Lucas.Taglienti@asu.edu or follow @ltaglientivevo on Twitter
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