Arizona soccer comes up short to ASU

Wildcats lose final game of the season 2-1

By IMAN HAMDAN Published November 4, 2012 at 10:53pm Updated November 4, 2012 at 10:53pm

Arizona women’s soccer team ended its season on Friday with a loss in Tempe, Ariz., to ASU 2-1.

“We fought all the way through the game,” junior goalkeeper Gabby Kaufman said. “We competed hard, but we wish we would have come up with a win.”

ASU outshot the Wildcats 5-7 in a scoreless first half, and went on to outshoot them 23-11 for the match. Within the first six minutes of the second half, ASU’s Courtney Tinnin put the Sun Devils on the scoreboard off a pass from Alyssa Freeman.

“They just got behind our defense,” Kaufman said.

Finally, the Wildcats made an offensive break in the 66th minute when senior midfielder Jessica Culver headed the ball into the back of the net, just out of the Sun Devil’s goalkeeper Chandler Morris’ reach tying the game at 1-1. Culver ended the season with three goals. With 16 minutes to go in the game, senior midfielder Susana Melendez nearly gave Arizona the lead, but her header went wide.

It appeared as though it would be another overtime match for the Wildcats, but in the final two minutes ASU’s Cali Farquharson snuck behind Arizona’s defensive line to score the game-winning goal, her ninth goal for the season, off a pass from Devin Marshall. Even though two balls made it past Kaufman’s reach, she recorded eight saves for the game. Kaufman ended the season leading the Pac-12 with 108 saves.

“It goes to show that I am doing my job for my team,” Kaufman said.

Arizona ended the 2012 season with a record of 6-11-3, which is the team’s best record since the 2008 season. The Wildcats only won two out of the 11 conference games, putting them in last place for the Pac-12.

Even though Arizona is losing six of its starters, seniors Alex Smith, Kristin Strother, Ariel Boulicault, Kirstyn Magyar, Culver and Melendez, the team is still positive about the 2012 season.

“We proved that we can compete,” Kaufman said. “Those ties and one-point losses will turn around in our favor next season.”