Match #1
NM State (0-0) vs. Arizona State (1-0)
Sunday, February 7, 1 p.m.
Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Ariz.
Live Stream
Live Stats

LAS CRUCES, N.M. - The NM State soccer squad will begin its long-awaited regular season on Sunday against the Arizona State Sun Devils at 1 p.m. at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz. The game will be streamed live on the Pac 12 Network live stream.

Last Time Out
The Aggies are coming off an impressive 3-1 win in their exhibition match against UTEP on Jan. 29. The Aggies were led by sophomore Hannah Leitner who scored a goal and had two assists. Head coach Rob Baarts received production from both young and experienced Aggies. They opened the game up with a goal from senior leader Shea O'Connor who was on the receiving end of a beautiful pass from Leitner. Freshman Megan Ormson would get her name in the scorebook with an assist on Leitner's goal just four minutes later. Freshman Loma McNeese put her stamp on the match with a goal in the 46th minute on an assist from Leitner to seemingly put the Miners away. UTEP would get on the scoreboard in the 62nd minute, but it was too late, as they Aggies stifling defense would not budge.

Scouting the Sun Devils
Arizona State comes into Sunday's match 1-0 after a 3-1 victory against UTEP on Thursday. The Sun Devils are coached by Graham Winkworth who is in his fourth season with the Sun Devils. Nicole Douglas will lead the way for the Sun Devils, as she led the team in goals in 2019 with 11 and got off to a quick start against UTEP by adding two goals to put her ninth on the school's all-time career goals list. Junior Olivia Nguyen also added a goal for the Sun Devils. The defense was key in their win against UTEP, as they held the Miners to just three total shots on the night. 

What to Watch For
Both teams have plenty of experience returning from the 2019 season. The Aggies returned nine of their 11 starters from 2019. The Aggies return their leader in goals (junior Corey Kizer), their leader in assists (sophomore Hannah Leitner) and their leader in saves (Dmitri Fong). The scenario is very similar with the Sun Devils as Douglas returns as their leader in goals, points and shot on goals. Junior Eva van Deursen returns as their leader in assists.

The Series
Sunday's matchup will be just the second meeting between the two teams. The last time these two teams met was Sept. 27, 2014, where the Sun Devils dominated the Aggies in a 5-0 win. 

Be sure to follow @NMStateWSOC on Twitter for live updates throughout the game.

++NM State++