ASU soccer split the two games played this past weekend against Utah and Colorado and now find themselves in a position where a tournament berth is very unlikely. The Sun Devils (8-8-1) will finish off the regular season against in-state rival Arizona next Friday in Tucson.
Here are five things to watch for:
ASU's ability to rebound
The Sun Devils were able to overcome a heartbreaking overtime loss on Friday night in Utah and score within the first 10 minutes of their game against Colorado on Sunday. ASU has shown the ability to overcome adversity and be competitive in most of its games this season.
The Sun Devils started fast against Colorado, due in part to coach Kevin Boyd's knack for keeping his players focused and motivated.
A final farewell
It is very likely that ASU's season ends this Friday. That means the careers of key players will end in Tucson as well. ASU will lose forward Cali Farquharson, defender McKenzie Berryhill, midfielder Tommi Goodman, midfielder Lucy Lara, midfielder Whitney Kanavel, defender Sara Tosti and goalie Chandler Morris.
Farquharson's legacy will stick for quite some time. She ranks third in school history in career goals with 41. She scored 10 goals or more during her first three years with ASU and despite missing four games with an injury, still leads the team in goals this year with seven.
When Farquharson was injured earlier in the season, the Sun Devils lost all four games without their star forward. She's the type of player that defenses focus their entire game plan on in order to stop. She will go down as one of the best players in school history and it's going to be tough to see her go.
Get to know the stars of the future
With Farquharson leaving, sophomores Aly Moon and Jessica Raybe will be asked to step up in 2016 and become starting forwards for the next two years. It's time to get used to watching them playing together.
Moon hasn't been able to put up the same spectacular numbers she had in her freshman year when she scored 10 goals and dished out six assists. She's managed to be productive, however, with four goals, good for third-best on the team.
Raybe has emerged as one of ASU's biggest scoring threats. After only scoring one goal in her freshman season, Raybe has tallied five this season. She's been one of the hottest players in the country, scoring four goals in the last five games and leading ASU on a 4-1 run over a five-game stretch.
Expect them to continue to build chemistry as the season winds down.
Berryhill on the attack
Defender Mackenzie Berryhill is at her best while playing in the middle and upper thirds of the field, and her hustle has paid off on the stat sheet: She's tallied two goals and three assists on the year, including the game-winning goal on a header on a lob from Farquharson at Colorado after grabbing a rebound in the box.
Territorial Cup: fútbol edition
A victory against Arizona would look very good on ASU's resume , even without the emotional significance of the matchup. The No. 21 Wildcats (12-4-2) are coming off of a victory against Utah, the team ASU lost to this past Friday. A win against a ranked team may possibly give the Sun Devils a chance to receive a bid to the NCAA tournament and with a Territorial Cup point at stake, there will be plenty to play for other than pride.
The game will take place this Friday in Tucson at 6 p.m.
Related Links:
ASU soccer falls 2-1 to Utah in overtime
Reach the reporter at Lucas.Taglienti@asu.edu or follow @ltaglientivevo on Twitter
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