Keri Matthews posted a career-high two assists while Nelles made five saves to help ASU run its winning streak to three. In addition to setting up Colon’s third game-winning goal of the season, Matthews also provided the helper for Hannah Lapeire‘s first career goal in the 85th minute that sealed the win.
With the win, the Sun Devils (9-2-4, 4-1-1 Pac-12) maintain their fourth-place standing in the Pac-12, just past the midpoint of the conference season. The top three teams in the league – No. 5 UCLA (6-0), No. 2 Stanford (5-0), No. 13 USC (5-0) – are all unbeaten in league play. Friday’s game was the first of four road games ASU will play over the final six games of the regular season.
The Ducks (0-12-2, 0-6) did not resemble a team that has yet to record a win this season. Coming into the contest averaging 8.0 shots per game, the Ducks accounted for nine in the first half alone.
It appeared early on the Sun Devils would pick up where they left off in their last game in which they scored four goals in the second half of their 5-1 win over Washington State.
In the third minute, Gabi Rennie nearly put a goal up but was denied by the crossbar. Rennie would get another opportunity in the eighth minute, but Oregon goalkeeper Leah Parsons made the save.
Rennie accounted for three of ASU’s seven shots and both of its shots on goal in the first half.
On the opposite end, Nelles collected four saves in the first half, including a pair of diving efforts in the 37th and 38th minutes, to keep the Ducks from scoring.
Although the Sun Devils dominated in both shots (10-3) and shots on goal (5-1) in the second half, the game remained a stalemate with just 10 minutes remaining.
Colon, who scored the go-ahead goal in the 85th minute of last week’s win over Washington, once again found the back of the net when it mattered most as she and Matthews teamed up on a give-and-go in the 82nd minute that resulted in Colon taking a shot from 15 yards that beat Parsons for the goal.
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In the 85th minute, the Sun Devils ended any hope the Ducks had of getting a result when Lapeire scored on a corner kick by Matthews.
The Sun Devils will play their final two home games of the regular season next week when they take on No. 13 USC (Thursday at 7 p.m.) and No. 5 UCLA (Sunday at 1 p.m.). Click here to purchase tickets for both games.
Press Release courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics – Steve Rodriguez
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