Sun Devil Soccer returns home to host California and Stanford

THE GAME: Sun Devil Soccer (5-0-2, 1-0 Pac-12) vs. California (5-2-3, 0-1 Pac-12)
WHEN: Thursday at 7 p.m. MST
WHERE: Sun Devil Soccer Stadium • Tempe, Ariz.
WATCH: ASU Live Stream
LIVE STATS: Click here
PURCHASE TICKETS: Click here

UP NEXT

Coming off a down-to-the-wire 3-2 win in last Friday’s Pac-12 opener at Colorado, the Sun Devil soccer team (5-0-2, 1-0 Pac-12) returns home to take on Bay Area foes California (Thursday at 7 p.m. MST) and Stanford (Sunday at 1 p.m.). The Bears (5-2-3, 0-1) and the Cardinal (7-2-1, 0-1) both came up short in their respective conference openers in Los Angeles: Cal lost at top-ranked UCLA 4-2 and Stanford at current No. 20 USC, 2-1.

 

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

• ASU comes into Thursday’s game second in the nation in assists per game (3.57), is fourth in points per game (10.14), sixth in scoring offense (3.29 goals per game) and 10th in shots on goal per game (9.57).

• ASU has been led by returning All-American Nicole Douglas. Now the program’s all-time career leader in goals (55), points (129) and game-winning goals (17), Douglas enters Thursday’s game second nation in goals per game (1.29), third in points per game (2,86) and SOG per game (3.17), is sixth in total goals (9), eighth in total points (20) and 11th in game-winning goals (3).  

• After not finding the back of the net in ASU’s season opener vs. South Dakota State (Aug. 18), Douglas has since scored all nine of her goals in ASU’s last six games. In ASU’s 5-0 win over Toledo (Sept. 14), Douglas, who was named the Pac-12’s offensive player of the week on Sept. 19, tied the school’s single-game school record for goals (3) for the fourth time in her career. She has now scored multiple goals in a game 12 times and has accounted for 28 goals in ASU’s last 26 games.

• ASU has scored 19 goals in its last four games (six vs. UAB, five vs. Grambling State and Toledo three at Colorado). It has accumulated more than three times as many shots (103-27), SOG (53-16) and corner kicks (28-9) in that span. What’s more, nine different Sun Devils have scored in that stretch with three players accounting for multiple goals Douglas (6), Eva van Deursen (4) and Alexia Delgado (3). In last week’s win at Colorado, it was ASU’s dynamic duo in the midfield comprised of super seniors van Deursen (two goals including the game-winner with three seconds remaining in) and Alexia Delgado (one goal), who were responsible for all three goals. 

• Through seven games,…