Sun Devil Soccer’s 2022 campaign comes to an end in NCAA opener at Portland

PORTLAND, Ore. – The Sun Devil soccer team’s 2022 season – one that included the program’s second NCAA appearance in three seasons – came to an end on Saturday night in a 3-0 loss at No. 8 seed Portland in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
 
For the Sun Devils (9-6-3), the ending was a disappointing one for a team – which included a quartet of fifth-year seniors that helped them start with an unbeaten record after eight games (6-0-2) for the second time in three seasons – that came into the NCAA Tournament ranked 22nd nationally in goals per game (2.24). With a fifth-place finish in a league always in the conversation about the best women’s soccer conferences in the country and a final RPI of 32, the Sun Devils figured to have a body of work that would be good enough to land them a first round home game in the NCAA Tournament.

“Ultimately, we are very disappointed,” ASU head coach Graham Winkworth said. “It’s sad that we didn’t have our best performance for the National Tournament, so I’m really devastated for that. I would have loved to have played this team at home. I felt we had a right for that, but unfortunately the committee didn’t… I want to thank our fans for the incredible support. I’m sorry we didn’t have one more game there, but I want to thank our fans for the incredible support they had given us all season, and those that supported us here in the stands tonight.

 

“We came here, we gave our best, but unfortunately it wasn’t good enough today. We didn’t play to our capabilities. Firstly, congratulations to Portland. They did a great job coaching and did a great job playing tonight, so well done to them, and I wish them all the best in Alabama.” 

 

Playing in temps in the 40s, the Sun Devils found it difficult to sustain a consistent attack. Despite a minus-6 deficit in shots (7-1) in the first half, ASU was able to keep the Pilots (12-4-4) off the board and both teams went to the locker room locked in a 0-0 tie at the half. Jazmine Wilkinson took ASU’s only shot of the half and that was saved by Portland goalkeeper Bre Norris. ASU goalkeeper Pauline Nelles, who earlier this week earned Pac-12 All-Freshman and third-team All-Pac-12 honors, made three saves in the first half to keep Portland from scoring. 

 

The game remained a stalemate until the 57^th minute when the Pilots broke the tie with the game’s first goal. 

 

Lucy Johnson, who scored the…