By: Jack McArthur
Oregon’s 2023-24 journey has been a rocky one so far. Oregon are still seeking their first win. This Friday, October 13, Oregon will play against the Arizona State Sun Devils at home at Papé field.
The Ducks remain winless this season with a record of 0-11-2. Oregon haven’t been unable to find consistent offensive production. Goals have been scarce for Oregon, with just six netted so far for the Ducks in 13 games played. The Ducks have five straight losses. They’re 0-5 in the last five, while ASU are 3-1-1 in their last five games.
The Sun Devils are coming off of a 5-1 win against the Washington State Cougars last Sunday, October 8. Five is the most goals ASU have scored in a single game this season. The Ducks on the other side of things are looking to bounce back from a 0-4 loss against #5 UCLA last Sunday. Arizona State have a record of 8-2-4, with just two losses this season. The Sun Devils are currently the fourth best team in the Pac-12, just behind USC, UCLA and Stanford. The Ducks on the flip side are at the bottom of the table of the Pac-12. Oregon are 0-5 at home, and 0-6-2 on the road. The Ducks have additionally fared poorly in league play, with an in-conference record of 0-5. Arizona State have an undefeated home record of 5-0-3. They are also 2-1-1 on the road and 1-1 at neutral sites in their 2023-24 campaign thus far. ASU are additionally 3-1-1 in league play.
ASU’s head coach is Graham Winkworth, who is in his seventh season in charge. Winkworth notably has a head coaching record of 49-49-14 at Arizona State. Oregon’s head coach is Graeme Abel, who is in his fourth season as head coach of Oregon. Abel has an all-time record of 19-28-20 at Oregon. The Sun Devils have seven players who have two or more goals this season. They also have seven players who have two or more assists this year. Oregon on the other side have six players who have all notched one goal each.
Oregon have scored six goals and conceded 31 this season. ASU on the other side have tallied 26 goals and only given up eight. On average, The Sun Devils score more than three times as many goals per game than the Ducks. The Sun Devils average 1.86 goals per game, compared to Oregon’s .46 goals per game. The Sun Devils take 11.6 shots per game on average compared to Oregon’s eight. Despite Oregon remaining winless on the season, Goldberg has provided a spark for the Ducks. Goldberg has 60 saves on the season, including some brilliant saves that have inspired her team.
Elisia Colon is surely ASU’s most talented player. Colon has impressively netted eight goals this season in addition to having dished out four assists for the Sun Devils. Savannah Maley is another one of ASU’s best players. Maley has two goals and four assists this season. The Sun Devils are a deep and extremely talented squad. Suzuka Yosue is another player you’ll want to look out for on Friday. Yosue has two goals and six assists this year. Yosue leads ASU in assists, in addition to having started eight of the 13 games she’s played this season. Keri Matthews is another impact player on ASU’s roster. Matthews has scored three goals and accounted for three assists, in 14 games played and 14 games started for the Sun Devils.
Oregon have a handful of impactful players who have made some huge plays, including Kaitlyn Paculba, Maddy Goldberg, Leah Parsons, Lauryn Kenny and Grace Mensah. Lauryn Kenny and Kaitlyn Paculba both scored extravagant goals in Oregon’s 2-4 loss to Utah on October 1, 2023. These goals have given Oregon a much needed spark, despite the fact that they haven’t been victorious yet. Although Oregon have had a disappointing season, they’ve had some bright spots and some inspiring moments.
Oregon have multiple keepers they can rely on, including 5’ 8” sophomore Maddy Goldberg and 5' 8” freshman Leah Parsons. Goldberg has played 11 games for the Ducks, while Parsons has played three. Goldberg has a seasonal goals allowed average of 2.10 and a save rate of 73.2%. Comparatively, Parsons has a 3.60 goals allowed average in three games played in an Oregon uniform. Goldberg has conceded 22 goals in 11 games, while Parsons has allowed nine goals in three games played.
Arizona State’s starting keeper is Pauline Nelles, who has had an outstanding year in goal for the Sun Devils. This season, Nelles astonishingly has a goals allowed average of .57, and has only allowed eight goals in 13 appearances. ASU’s Pauline Nelles has an absurd save rate of 86.9% this season. When Nelles is starting, the Sun Devils usually succeed. Nelles has recorded a shootout in half of the games she has played this season. She has seven shutouts in 14 appearances.
I predict that Arizona State will win this game by two, with a final score of 3-1. Arizona State’s offense is too powerful. The Sun Devils also have a stout defense with exceptional goalkeeping. The Sun Devils have been extremely consistent this season unlike Oregon, who have continued to be inconsistent. The Ducks have hit a cold streak and haven’t found their recipe for success yet. Tomorrow’s game will kick off at 7:00 PM PST at Papé field, in Eugene Oregon.