ASU soccer gets 2 shots at NCAA bids
Graham Winkworth is working on parallel tracks to make the most of Arizona State soccer’s spring (2020 postponed) and fall seasons.
The combined goal this year is for the Sun Devils to get back into the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014. Whether that’s possible this semester, when the NCAA field is reduced to 48 teams due to COVID-19, is unclear even to Winkworth because of roster uncertainty for reasons beyond the pandemic.
But the NCAA field will be back to 64 teams in the fall and with perhaps all of the spring players returning, joined by an expected half dozen or more additions, the Sun Devils are positioned to quickly turn around a 6-11-3 2019 record.
“We’re working two jobs,” Winkworth said. “Our primary focus is on right now, providing a safe environment for the girls to flourish and making sure they are mentally OK because it’s been a lot of stress over the last year. And hopefully giving them the reward of playing some soccer games again soon and win
ning some of those.
“Then job No. 2 is adding seven or eight new faces for fall 2021. We’re going to be very large and deep and talented going into the fall semester. On top of that, I feel like in 2022 we can be even better. Each role is very different.”
Defender Jayda Hylton-Pelaia, a grad transfer from East Carolina, is the first fall addition. She is from Canada and plays on Jamaica’s national team.
The immediate issue is working through COVID protocol including quarantine, injuries and national team absences to have as many of his 26 players as possible available by next month. Currently only about a dozen are training, leaving Winkworth with big questions about not only his early season lineup but what system he will utilize.
Sun Devils up to 11 internationals
The good news is that 10 of ASU’s 11 international players are on campus and the exception, midfielder Lara Barbieri of Brazil, soon will be. But midfielder Alexia Delgado and defender Nicole Soto will be away with the Mexican national team at a camp under new coach Monica Vergara that could keep them out of the season opener.
Something Winkworth feels confident saying is that freshmen Lucy Johnson of England and Tahlia Herman-Watt of New Zealand are contenders to be defensive starters from day 1, probably on the right and left sides although Herman-Watt also could play center back.
“Tahlia is topping the charts right now with regards to fitness level,” Winkworth said. “Johno has similarities to our former left back (Jemma Purfield, also from England). She’s very good defensively, and she has a wicked left foot like Jemma.”
Lieske Carleer was a defensive starter as a freshman and likely will hold onto that job, perhaps as center back.
At goalie, sophomore Giulia Cascapera is the returning starter. She’ll be pushed by sophomore Amanada Green and freshman Pia Bozic of Slovenia.
ASU’s midfield will have a familiar look with Delgado and Eva van Deursen returning. They’ll be joined by Canadian freshman Jazmine Wilkinson.
“She’s been phenomenal,” Winkworth said of Wilkinson. “She came in for the first couple of weeks in August then went home because of COVID, but she’s back now. She’s sped up a couple of yards on her times on her fitness so she’s been working away from here. She’s going to be fun to watch to play anywhere. I’d like to have more than one of her. She’s also got the aerial ability that we’ve been missing since Angie Boyle graduated.”
Junior Nicole Douglas led ASU in 2019 with eight goals and 20 points. She’ll be joined on the front line by senior Olive Jones, sophomore Dai Williams and junior Vildan Kardesler, a transfer from Pitt.
Callie Darst and Isabel Dehakiz are others with starting experience and the versatility that will be required to navigate COVID.
“Tahlia, Callie and Jaz are players we could put pretty much anywhere on the pitch and they’d do a solid job for us,” Winksworth said. “I told Callie about how she could be our James Milner,” who plays multiple positions for Premier League Liverpool.
ASU is set to play 16 matches, including two against Grand Canyon (Feb. 11/14) and a pair vs. Arizona (March 19 non-conference). Forward Marlene Schimmer, formerly at ASU (scoring 17 points in 2019), is at GCU.
“Our primary focus is on right now, providing a safe environment for the girls to flourish and making sure they are mentally OK because it’s been a lot of stress over the last year.” Graham Winkworth
ASU soccer coach
ASU soccer schedule
Feb. 4: UTEP, 7 p.m.
Feb. 7: New Mexico State, 1 p.m. Feb. 11: at Grand Canyon, 7 p.m. Feb. 14: Grand Canyon, 7 p.m. Feb. 26: USC, 7 p.m.
March 5: Washington State, TBD March 7: Washington, 1 p.m. March 12: at Oregon, 8 p.m. March 14: at Oregon State, noon March 19: at Arizona, 6 p.m. March 26: at UCLA, 7 p.m.
April 2: California, 7 p.m.
April 4: Stanford, 1 p.m.
April 9: at Utah, 6 p.m.
April 11: at Colorado, noon
April 16: Arizona, 7 p.m.