Having qualified for the NCAA tournament in three of the past four years, head coach Graham Winkworth's squad is poised to make another run toward the postseason, this time from the Big 12, which they formally joined Aug. 2023.
The Sun Devils have opened up the fall with an aggressive mindset — and it has paid dividends so far. Six games into the season, ASU sits at 4-0-2, good for second in the Big 12. Part of the strong start has been a roster reinforced by a well-built incoming class, as well as quality transfers.
Freshman forward Kierra Blundell currently leads the team in goals, scoring five this season and shooting percentage, including a hat trick during a 3-0 victory over the University of Pennsylvania, just the 14th in program history.
Cameron Valladares, a junior forward transferring from the University of Arizona, is an offensive threat as she was tied for second in scoring during her sophomore campaign. Junior defender, Grace Gillard, has helped alleviate the departure of graduate defender Lieske Carleer after coming over from Syracuse.
The addition of these players has also increased depth, allowing the coaching staff to be smart with combinations and keep the players' health in mind.
"I think we used three, maybe four subs total for a total of 15 to 20 minutes each against UTEP in the football stadium during COVID," Winkworth said. "Now, you'll see me during these non-conference games rotate 10 players at once, and it's just keeping people healthy."
Blundell's emergence has taken some pressure off of junior midfielder Enasia Colon's shoulders. Last year, Colon was the only Sun Devil that scored more than three goals. But the newcomers have brought an attacking approach to the game that has taken defensive attention off of Colon and opened things up for her.
"I love the help, I love the attention they are getting because I would love to have that if I was a freshman," Colon said. "I feel like our team chemistry since the preseason has been very good … we are always on the same page."
The newcomers haven't just changed the quality of play; they've also lifted the spirit of competition on the field. Gillard complimented the energy of the team and also noted how they are not only great on the field, but off the field as well.
Tactically, the Sun Devils have focused immensely on the defensive side of the ball. With 2023 All-Pac-12 Second-Team member Pauline Nelles in the net, ASU has the luxury of being aggressive defensively to spur counterattacks.
The Sun Devils have the ability to press or play back depending on their opponent and this audacious defensive tactic could be one of their defining characteristics this season.
"I would say that some of our players that were less inclined to press are doing a better job in that area. We've got more buy-in with regards to that and I think part of that is the increased level of competition in places," Winkworth said. "I would say that the fact that freshmen have come in and made immediate impacts has given us confidence to play with the ball as well."
Although Nelles ranks third in the Big 12 allowing only three goals through six games and fourth in the conference with a save percentage of nearly 88%, the Sun Devils still want to make life easier for her, namely by preventing opponents from getting opportunities through the air.
"We definitely wanted to get the ball on the ground and keep it (there)," Gillard said. "(Nelles is) a keeper who loves to play both feet, so that's a great asset for us to have. Just being more aggressive, being nasty, we're going to face a lot more bigger girls, so we just have to be more ruthless."
ASU currently ranks 7 out of 16 in the Big 12 on defensive corner kicks and most of the goals they have conceded this year have been off of set plays, Winkworth said, leaving the coaching staff with the task of figuring out how to improve the defensive communication and execution.
Winkworth also noted the fluctuations in the girls' play within games, citing focus as a key to the season, a lesson that the coaching staff is trying to ingrain practice after practice.
"We could finish anywhere from first to 16th, and it's going to be their decision," Winkworth said. "Today was a good practice … and if practice is like that on an everyday basis, then we can win the league. If practice is not at that standard, then anybody in our league can beat us. It's really on them if they want to win the league or not, and they have to have that sort of mentality every single day."
Perhaps the Sun Devils have some room for error, but with the lofty goal they have set of finishing within the top three in the Big 12, habits have to be built early on in the season.
Edited by Henry Smardo, Abigail Beck and Madeline Schmitke.
Reach the reporter at pvallur2@asu.edu
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Pratham is a sophomore studying sports journalism with a minor in business. This is his second semester with The State Press.
