Freshman forward Alexandra Doller gets nervous about being interviewed by reporters. That’s the first thing she’ll say when approached by members of the media, bracing herself for the interview to come.
However, on the soccer field, her play indicates she is anything but a nervous freshman.
In her first game as a Sun Devil, Doller entered as a reserve. In the second half of play, Doller let the home crowd know that she would be one of ASU’s best players this season.
In an 11-minute window of time in the second half, Doller scored her first two goals of the season.
Doller was uncertain that her successes in high school would carry over into the collegiate level.
“I didn’t think it would happen this quickly,” Doller said. “I thought it would take a while to break in.”
Doller missed the team’s second game due to a death in the family, but in the next game against No. 4 Virginia, she had ASU’s best scoring opportunity of the night.
“It happened so fast,” Doller said, recalling the breakaway play. “Sarah (Van Horn) played me in. The goalie was so big, I tried to shoot it around her, but she blocked it and then it (the ball) came back. I tried to shoot it again, but the player (defender) was already there.”
Doller scored ASU’s only goal during the team’s two games on the weekend trip to Virginia, but the play cost the team one of its starting forwards.
Sophomore forward Devin Marshall delivered a shot on target, but on the play, Marshall collided with Old Dominion’s keeper. Doller followed up with the play, and positioned herself for an easy goal.
It’s unknown how long the injury will keep Marshall off the soccer field. In her absence Doller will need to step up even more than she already has for ASU.
“She hurt her ankle after the goal I scored on,” Doller said. “It’s going to be rough for the team. We really need her, everyone’s going to have to step up and contribute.”
Doller is also trying to help Sun Devil soccer fans forget about the loss of graduated players Karin Volpe and Alexandra Elston. The two star players for ASU had 46 career goals combined, ranking fifth and ninth respectively on ASU’s all-time scoring list.
Doller said the key to her successes, like many soccer forwards, is to, “get as many scoring opportunities as possible and just trying to get them on frame.”
Doller has had an abundance of scoring chances in the early part of the season. She already leads the Pac-12 conference in shots per game with six. Her 18 shots of the season are one-third of the team’s total, despite missing one game and not starting in another. 11 of her 18 shots have been on goal.
Head coach Kevin Boyd said the team was banking on a strong start from Doller right from the beginning.
“We expected it,” Boyd said. “I was hoping she’d score more. I know she has three (goals), but I’d like it if she had three more.”
Still, 16.7 percent of her shots have gone in the net, which is a little bit better than the norm for soccer.
The future is bright for the young soccer phenomenon, and she is ready to lead the youthful Sun Devils to victory on the field.
Reach the reporter at Justin.Janssen@asu.edu
Click here to subscribe to the daily State Press newsletter.
