QUICK KICKS...
• Last weekend the Sun Devils wrapped up their final home weekend of the 2017 season with a pair of games against Washington State and Washington. After falling to the Cougars, 1-0, in their first match of the weekend, the Sun Devils bounced back to pick up a 1-0 Senior Day victory over the Cougars on Sunday.
• The Sun Devils look to end the season on a two game win-streak, and improve to 9-2-1 all-time against the Wildcats in Tucson.
• In order to be the best, you have got to play the best, and ASU has certainly played the some of the best teams in the nation during the 2017 season. Entering the final week of the regular season, ASU has played the 12th- hardest schedule in the country in terms of opponents win percentage (.611)
• Academic success has become a staple in the Sun Devil soccer culture. Since 2007 the Sun Devil soccer program leads the conference in the number of first-team awards (26) and the number of first- and second-team awards (42).
• Arizona State has proven this season they are willing to go the extra mile. So far ASU has played in six overtime matches this season, including three games going a full 110 minutes. In total, the Sun Devils have played 82-minuets of overtime soccer in 2017, almost a full extra game, in overtime on the year already.
• With her 11 saves last Thursday against Washington State, Freshman keeper Nikki Panas has now amassed 76 saves on the season, a mark that ranks seventh in ASU history for a single season. Her 11 saves in the match is just four saves off of the ASU single-game record for saves set by Erin Reinke in 1999. This season, Panas has averaged 5.43 saves per game, a mark that ranks 48th in the nation, and second in the Pac-12.
WHO'S THE NEW GIRL...
Through 13 games of the 2017 season 23 different players have logged minutes for the Sun Devils. Of those 23 players, 10 are new to the roster in 2017, including Angela Boyle, Nikki Panas, Jemma Purfield and Olive Jones who are among the team leaders in minutes played this season. Of the 18 goals scored this season, 10 have come from players who are new to the ASU roster in 2017.
PURFIELD TABBED TO MAC HERMANN WATCH LIST...
Junior Jemma Purfield has been tabbed as one of 30 NCAA Division I players named to the 2017 MAC Hermann Trophy Watch Lists, announced by the United Soccer Coaches (formerly the NSCAA) and the Missouri Athletic Club during the preseason. The MAC Hermann Trophy is the most prestigious individual award in college soccer and is presented annually to the most outstanding male and female players of the year. This year's winners will be announced Friday, Jan. 5, 2018 at the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis. Purfield, a Beverly, England, native, played the last two seasons under head coach Graham Winkworth at South Alabama where she led the Jaguars in goals (11) during the 2016 season en route to being named the Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year, as well as overall Player of the Year honors.
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE A WAY OF LIFE FOR SUN DEVIL SOCCER...
Thirteen Arizona State University women's soccer student-athletes were recognized by the Pac-12 for their work in the classroom as the conference announced its annual All-Academic teams following the 2016 season. Headlining ASU's 13 honorees was senior defender Madison Stark (4.00 GPA – Journalism and Mass Communication), who earned first-team recognition for the second consecutive season. Junior forward Jessica Raybe (3.86 – Exercise and Wellness) and sophomore forward Natalie Stephens (3.89 GPA – Supply Chain Management) earned second-team recognition. It was the second straight season that Raybe has earned second-team honors. Since 2007 the Sun Devil soccer program leads the conference in the number of first-team awards (26) and the number of first- and second-team awards (42).
MADER EYING CAREER GOALS RECORD...
Senior Jazmarie Mader is quickly closing in on Sun Devil soccer history, knocking on the door of joining the top-10 all-time goal scorers in ASU program history. Mader currently sits just eight goals away from tying Karine Inoue (1997-00) for tenth all-time with 20 goals. ASU legend, Stacey Tullock (1998-01), leads all goal scorers with 50. Cali Farquharson (2012-15) was the latest Sun Devil to join the top-10 after closing out her playing career with 44 goals scored.
NIK-KEY ON DEFENSE...
With her 11 saves last Thursday against Washington State, Freshman keeper Nikki Panas has now amassed 76 saves on the season, a mark that ranks seventh in ASU history for a single season. Her 11 saves in the match is just four saves off of the ASU single-game record for saves set by Erin Reinke in 1999. This season, Panas has averaged 5.43 saves per game, a mark that ranks 48th in the nation, and second in the Pac-12.