Written By:  Andrew Mosier | WPSL Correspondent

Photo By: Vibe Creative Soccer Studio

 

Two weeks into 2023 Desert Conference play, SC del Sol remains the only unbeaten team in the conference, recording a 3-2 win at Royals AZ to open the season, followed by a 6-0 win versus El Paso Surf. The Phoenix-based del Sol sit two points clear of both FC Tucson Women and Royals AZ atop the conference standings.
 

SC del Sol’s Sophia Fisher and FC Tucson’s Meredith Scott lead the conference in scoring, with three goals apiece, followed by Kate Fasse and Tatum Thomason of SC del Sol, and Ellie Johannes of Royals AZ with two goals on the season so far.

 

SC del Sol (2-0-0, six points)

Royals AZ 2-3 SC del Sol

Last season’s Desert Conference winners opened the season with a hard-fought win on the road at Royals AZ. Sophia Fisher opened scoring in the fourth minute off a throw in on the left flank. Fisher (University of Notre Dame) beat a defender off the dribble to set up her right foot from the top of the penalty area, beating the goalkeeper to the near post.
 

Katie Faasse (University of North Carolina) made it 2-0 for del Sol in the 12^th minute by running onto a through ball into the penalty area and slotting the ball to the far post past from twelve yards out.
 

The Royals three minutes into the start of the second half had leveled the score at two in the 52^nd.
 

Fisher scored the game-winner on a near-post run in the 77^th minute, slotting the driven cross just inside the near post to seal the win.
 

SC del Sol 6-0 El Paso Surf

Lauren Kirberg (Arizona State University) opened scoring in del Sol’s home opener at Reach 11 Sports Complex in the eighth minute, nodding home a corner kick from the left side. Del Sol youth product, Londyn Lovell, made it 2-0 in the 23^rd minute, followed by Tatum Thomason (University of Washington) three minutes before the halftime whistle. Kate Faasse netted her second goal on the season to open scoring in the second half, followed by Sophia Fisher. Thomason rounded out the scoring with her second goal on the night with 13 minutes to play.
 

SC del Sol next travel to FC Tucson Friday, June 16.
 

FC Tucson Women (1-0-1, four points)

FC Tucson Women 7-1 El Paso Surf

After a disappointing third-place Desert Conference finish in 2022, FC Tucson Women kicked off its seventh WPSL campaign by smashing the El Paso Surf 7-1.
 

Naija Bruckner (Rice University) opened scoring in the 38^th minute of the game, followed by Meredith Scott’s first of three goals on the night.
 

An FC Tuscon Women own goal made it 2-1 at halftime before the floodgates opened in the second half. Scott (New Mexico State University) banged in two in a row for her hat trick, followed by Sydney Lenhart (Brandeis University) and Shawana Williams (University of New Mexico).
 

Scott is tied with SC del Sol’s Sophia Fisher for most goals in the Desert Conference with three.
 

Royals AZ 1-1 FC Tucson Women

With a 1-1 draw at league debutants Royals AZ, FC Tucson moved into second place in the Desert Conference table.
 

Shannon Simon rescued a point on the road in the 80^th minute after chasing an equalizer for the majority of the match.
 

FC Tucson Women enter a two-game homestand versus Arizona Arsenal SC Wednesday, June 14, and then league-leading SC del Sol Friday, June 16. Both games are at Kino North Stadium.
 

Royals AZ (1-1-1, four points)

Royals AZ 2-3 SC del Sol

The Royals AZ opened its inaugural WPSL season at home. After conceding two early goals, the Royals clawed their way back into the game off second-half goals by Ellie Johannes and Rajanah Reed.
 

Johannes (Indiana University) scored the Royals’ first WPSL goal three minutes into the start of the second half, beating her defender off the dribble inside the penalty box to set up a perfectly placed right-footed shot into the far upper corner.
 

Reed (Washington State University) followed in the 52^nd minute off a quick counter, Reed cut the ball back on the defender to set up a left-footed shot to the far post, leveling the score.
 

The Royals’ incredible comeback fell short when de Sol’s Sophia Fisher notched the game winner in the 77^th minute.
 

Royals AZ 4-0 Arizona Arsenal SC

The Royals notched its first WPSL and home win over Arizona Arsenal 4-0 on June 3.
 

Ellie Johannes opened scoring in the 32^nd minute, running onto a through ball on the right side, bulldozing through the Arsenal defense for her second WPSL goal this season.
 

Aliyah Anderson (Abilene Christian University) doubled Royals’ lead in the 39^th minute, finishing a driven fall across the face of the goal, followed by Mollie Baker (Louisiana State University) from the penalty spot three minutes into the second half.
 

Brianna Nunley (Arizona State University) made it 4-0 in the 86^th minute, finishing from inside the penalty area to the far post.
 

Royals AZ 1-1 FC Tucson Women

With a 1-1 draw at home to FC Tucson Women, the Royals fell to third in the Desert Conference standings.
 

After several early chances, Courtney Fernau (University of New Mexico) scored an early first-half goal for the Royals.
 

A midfield battle ensued as the visitors pushed for an equalizer. Tucson’s Shannon Simon scored with 10 minutes to play in the match.
 

The Royals next travel to El Paso to face the Surf on Satruday, June 17.
 

Arizona Arsenal SC (1-1-0, three points)

Royals AZ 4-0 Arizona Arsenal SC

Arizona Arsenal SC opened its second WPSL season on the road, falling to Royals AZ 4-0.
 

Arizona Arsenal SC 3-0 El Paso Surf

In its home opener a week later, Arizona Arsenal topped El Paso Surf 3-0.
 

Anahi Cardinal (Grand Canyon University), Tatum Hofstetter, and Rees Mendenhall (Grand Canyon University) all scored at Legacy Park in the win.
 

Arizona Arsenal SC next travel to FC Tucson, Wednesday June 14, and then are at El Paso Surf Friday, June 16.
 

El Paso Surf (0-3-0, zero points)

FC Tucson 7-1 El Paso Surf

After three difficult road losses, the El Paso Surf host four straight at JM Hanks Stadium in search of the club’s first points in 2023.

El Paso opened the season with a tough 7-1 loss at FC Tucson Women.

The Surf entered halftime down 2-1 after a Tucson own goal.
 

Arizona Arsenal SC 3-0 El Paso Surf

A week later, the Surf showed considerable progress, falling to the Arizona Arsenal 3-0 in Mesa, Ariz.
 

SC del Sol 6-0 El Paso Surf

The following day, the Surf traveled to SC del Sol. The league-leaders proved to be too much for the young Surf side, rolling to a 6-0.
 

The Surf open its home schedule Friday, June 16 versus Arizona Arsenal SC, followed by Royals AZ Saturday, June 17. Both games are at JM Hanks Stadium.