ASU, GCU, UA open with soccer victories – azcentral.com
Arizona State’s Cali Farquharson started her senior season with a goal in the sixth minute Friday night and the Sun Devils limited Portland State to two shots in a 3-0 win.
Farquharson scored her 35th career goal from 20 yards out and is now two goals behind Patrice Feulner for second in school history. She also is tied with Elizabeth Bogus for third in school career points with 80.
“Last year I focused on going into every game playing the best I could and not really focusing on scoring goals,” Farquharson said. “I went in with that same mentality for this game and I got a goal early.” She said she is trying not to think about career scoring “because it kind of stresses me out a little bit, the fact it’s my last year and I need to keep it up.”
Stacey Tullock is ASU’s career goals/points leader with 50/125.
Junior Larisa Staub scored ASU’s second goal, the first of her career, off a drive and dish from midfielder Tommi Goodman in the 17th minute. Staub now is playing forward after previously being at outside back.
“Her finish was great and it was something we had just worked on last week,” ASU coach Kevin Boyd said of Staub. “Not only is she coming along, but what I like about her is she’s so coachable. She listens to what we say and tries to put it in play.”
Boyd, in his ninth season at ASU and 19th overall, picked up his 200th career victory over a Portland State team coached by Laura Schott, who scored 56 goals while playing for Boyd at California from 1999-2002. “She had a significant part of the first 100 (wins),” Boyd said. “She was pretty special.”
ASU outshot the Vikings 12-0 in the first half and 22-2 overall. The only goal of the second half, in the 51st minute, was by forward Aly Moon off a cutback and cross by defender Madison Stark. Moon had 10 goals/26 points as a freshman — second in both categories to Farquharson (14/32) — but is coming back from surgery that prevented her from playing in spring games.
ASU will host Beijing Normal in an international exhibition at 11 a.m. Sunday at Sun Devil Soccer Stadium, a match that will be televised on the Pac-12 Network. “We want to look good so recruits that see us go wow they play great soccer,” Boyd said. “On the other hand, we’re on TV and opponents that see us are going to be watching and seeing things over again. I don’t really want to give anything away this early.”
Also Friday, Grand Canyon’s women beat Northern Arizona for the first time, 3-2 in overtime before a crowd of 2,565 at GCU soccer field. Kelsie Roberts scored the game-winning goal on a header in the 95th minute off a cross by Kathryn Yancone,
“What a fantastic atmosphere and what a fantastic game,” Antelopes coach Stevie Gill said. “I have been here since 1996 and that crowd was the best crowd I have seen since the men’s national championship game. We created a lot of chances throughout the game and the girls continued to battle and in the end Kelsie Roberts was able to bring home the win.”
Arizona also won its soccer opener, 4-0 over Abilene Christian in Tucson.
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