Season ends on dark note

By Kristen Davis
Arizona Daily Wildcat
November 6, 1996

Gregory Harris
Arizona Daily Wildcat

Freshman midfielder Sara Field (left) protects herself from a ball kicked by an Arizona State defender in the Wildcats' 2-1 overtime loss yesterday in Tempe. It was the last game of the season for Arizona and the team's second loss to the Sun Devils this year.

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TEMPE - The moon and nearby football practice field lights provided just enough illumination the gloomy end to the soccer team's rather dim season.

Arizona State and Arizona kicked off at 3:30 p.m. at Sun Devil Soccer Field yesterday, a field that does not yet have lights. The game went into a standard two 15-minute overtime periods with the score tied at one goal apiece. The teams were forced to battle it out in the final overtime period in near darkness, with the Sun Devils prevailing, 2-1.

The Wildcats, who finished the season 5-13-1 overall and 0-7 in the Pacific 10 Conference, were not able to capitalize on any of their scoring opportunities in the first half.

"The first half of the game was quiet," senior defender Jennifer Rickard said. "It wasn't as intense on both parts as what it should have been."

UA head coach Lisa Fraser told the team the defense needed to put pressure on Arizona State quicker and it needed to communicate more on the field.

However, it took the Sun Devils (4-11-1), in their first season as a Division I program, just one minute to take their first shot in the second half.

"I felt the defense could have been a little more organized," Rickard said. "There were times when we had too many people up and left the back with two people to mark four players."

Arizona State regained possession but did not set up many attacks until it had a corner kick by freshman defender Marianne Simmons with just under 30 minutes remaining in the game. Senior goalkeeper Jen Weibel blocked ASU's shot and launched the ball down the field, setting up Arizona's first and only goal.

Freshman goalkeeper Kari Laughlin came out of the box and sophomore forward Nikki Jones took advantage of Simmons' position and slipped a shot to the right side of the net to give Arizona its only lead.

The Sun Devils tied the score three minutes before the second half ended when Simmons scored, forcing overtime.

Freshman midfielder Jill Rivard won the game for ASU when she rocketed the ball to the center of the net with eight minutes remaining in the first overtime period. Arizona was not able to even the score by the end of the second overtime period and the Sun Devils captured their second win over the Wildcats this season.

"I thought we played well today," Fraser said. "They capitalized on their opportunities and we didn't, but we definitely had some good chances."


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