(Tempe, AZ) Arizona State lacrosse (3-0) punctuated their three-game season-opening homestand with an 18-11 victory over Pittsburgh (1-1) on Thursday night at Sun Devil Soccer/Lacrosse Stadium. The Sun Devils have won the first three games of the season for the first time in their seven-year history. The 3-0 start for ASU has the devils out in front after last year’s team did not see their third win until April 2, 2023.
Head Coach Taryn VanThof praised her team, “It’s a great start [to the season]. We’ve got to keep it moving and we’ve got to keep playing as confident as we have in these last three games.”
On offense, junior attacker Anna Thornton and graduate attacker Shannon Urey scored a team-high four goals. Senior attacker Mina Scott both found the back of the net three times and three more Sun Devils finished with a pair of goals.
Defensively, junior goalkeeper Katie Vahle made six saves.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Sun Devils led 6-3 after the first quarter by scoring four goals in the final two-and-a half minutes.
Thornton tallied the first score from the eight-meter zone 90 seconds into the game. Trailing Pittsburgh 2-1, Scott found the equalizer from the left side of the goalkeeper seven minutes into the game. Urey capitalized on a free shot at 2:39 to put ASU ahead 3-2, and the Sun Devils never looked back. Less than a minute later, graduate midfielder Katie Haleyrifled a shot into the back of the net to extend the lead. Thornton scored her second goal of the game to give ASU a 5-2 lead with 1:56 left. Sophomore attacker Teagan Ng buried her shot to push the lead to four goals with 46.6 seconds left.
In the second quarter, ASU scored five goals through the opening 10 minutes, while only conceding one against. Urey scored her second goal of the game 36 seconds into the period, and Junior midfielder Berit Brookfield found the back of the net less than a minute later to make it 8-3. Sophomore attacker Lydia Oldknow scored at 10:13 to make it 9-3. Thornton scored her third goal of the game to complete the hat trick and extend ASU’s lead to seven goals. Urey netted her third goal of the game on a free shot from the center point to make it 11-3 with 5:31 left.
After the Panthers scored two quick goals to open the second half, Ng put one past the Pittsburgh goalkeeper for the second time of the night to give ASU a 12-6 lead. 50 seconds later, Brookfield tallied her second score of the game to build the Sun Devils’ lead back to seven.
In the first 30 seconds of the fourth quarter, Scott registered her second goal to put ASU ahead 14-8. Less than six minutes later, Haley netted her second score of the night to make it 15-9. Thornton scored her fourth goal of the evening at 5:59. Scott joined the hat trick club after scoring her third of the night with under two minutes remaining. Urey tallied her fourth goal with 48 seconds left to make it 18-11.
NOTABLES
- The Sun Devils are 3-0 to start the season for the first time in program history.
- In the first half, the Sun Devils have outscored their opponents 38-12 through the first three games.
- With her four scores against Pittsburgh, Shannon Urey leads ASU with 12 goals on the season.
- The three home wins for the Sun Devils this season have matched the 2023 home total.
UP NEXT
ASU will travel to New York for their first road game of the year against Stony Brook on Friday, February 23 at 9 a.m. MST at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium.
Press Release courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics – Chase Clemens
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