The Arizona soccer team’s season can be summarized in a few numbers.

Thirteen losses, one win, eight goals scored — 35 goals scored by the opposition.

Opponents: 275 shots on goal; Arizona: 157.

The Wildcats still have three games to go — all at home — but for all intents and purposes, the season is over for the Wildcats.

When you take a gander at the stat sheet for the season, a quick glance says the obvious: The team does not score. That’s been a recurring problem all season.

Despite the team’s record and poor performances, senior goalkeeper Ashley Jett has been nothing short of spectacular for the Wildcats. There were quite a few games that would have been a lot more lopsided than they were if not for Jett’s acrobatics in the net — see the USC and Colorado games. Even when the defense broke down, there was always confidence that Jett would be there to clean it up.

Following the team’s lone victory against Oregon on Oct. 7, head coach Lisa Oyen had this to say about Jett:

“She’s big time. She’s always a great leader for us back there. I’m incredibly proud of her. I’m really happy about her performance and how that was a direct result in our game tonight.”

Unfortunately for Jett, wins, losses and ties in the sport of soccer are credited to the goalkeeper on the stat sheet. So, like Arizona as a team, Jett’s record reads 1-13-2 on the season.

That’s completely unfair and bordering on blasphemy.

It’s safe to say that nobody on the team blames Jett for the struggles.

Most players will never admit that they have given up or that they no longer have motivation. But one could understand a lack of confidence in a team that enters its final stretch with a 1-13-2 record. On the surface, the Wildcats have nothing left to play for, at least this year.

But Jett is the only senior on the team. And considering all the trials and tribulations she has experienced as the goalkeeper of this Arizona squad the last few years, the rest of the Wildcats should play their hearts out to honor their senior leader.

“We want there last three games to be a good ending experience for her,” junior Alex Smith said. “That’s definitely motivation for us.”
In what may go down as the most disappointing season team in all of Arizona athletics this year, Ashley Jett just might be the saving grace.

— Zack Rosenblatt is a junior studying journalism and Italian. He can be reached at sports@wildcat.arizona.edu.