Sun Devils score three times in nine minutes to upset Washington State

By Scott Mammoser

TEMPE, Ariz. - The Arizona State women’s soccer team scored three goals between the 72^nd and 81^st minutes to come back and defeat No. 12 Washington State, 3-1, at home on Friday.

ASU Women's Soccer Upsets #12 Cougars 3-1

It was the first win for the Sun Devils since Sept. 22 at California, as they improved to 7-5-1 and 2-3-1 in the Pac-12 Conference. The Cougars, who won the season’s first 10 games- including one at UCLA, have now lost four consecutively and are 10-4 (3-4 in the conference).

“We needed to get something away from this weekend for sure,” ASU coach Graham Winkworth said. “I thought we defended, particularly in our second half, we were excellent. You can see our strikers chasing the ball down, and you can see the organization from our back line in a different formation. We brought a different physicality to the game.”

WSU’s Molly Myers sent her third goal of the season past Sun Devil goalkeeper Nikki Panas with 14 seconds until halftime. Then, freshman Marleen Schimmer equalized on a free kick to begin the scoring flurry in the 72^nd minute.

Jemma Purfield found Dutch midfielder Eva Van Deursen less than five minutes later for the go-ahead goal, her second of the season.

“We had great camaraderie, front to back,” Purfield said. “Everyone is helping us to get these results to beat these ranked teams. Everything clicked better today.”

Natalie Stephens, the senior from Anthem Boulder Creek High School, capitalized on a deflection past Emma Dahline for her first goal of the season, in the 81^st minute.

“Over the last four years,” Stephens said, “I think my defensive game has strengthened, most of all, this season, having these freshmen come in who are very technical, I think my technical game has increased, as well, and my finishing, as well, so being out there, I didn’t have a ton of minutes, but being out there and making something of that time has definitely improved.”

The Sun Devils will host Washington at 1 p.m. on Sunday, while the Cougars will be at the Arizona Wildcats one hour prior to that.