2018 Week 10 Preview

We’re getting right down to crunch time now, with plenty of Aussies either fighting to secure a conference tournament berth or simply work themselves back into the hunt. The biggest matchup of the week is in a league with no postseason tournament though as Colorado take on Stanford with both teams eyeing the league crown.

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Sam Roff’s Fairleigh Dickinson faced Shelby Milton’s Saint Francis side in last year’s Northeast Conference championship game, with Saint Francis emerging on penalties to take the title, and this week they meet for the first time since that thrilling match. This match sees the teams currently sitting in 2nd and 3rd behind high-flying Central Connecticut State, but with the conference tournament featuring just four teams, neither will want to drop points and potentially open themselves up to being caught by the chasing pack. Both teams are solid at the back, but Fairleigh Dickinson certainly have the edge up front, having scored 14 goals in conference play whereas Saint Francis have scored just six. Nevertheless, this should be a tight game that will do a lot to decide the makeup of the conference tournament.

Stanford v Colorado isn’t a matchup that springs to mind when talking about the Pac-12 conference title race, but Beattie Goad and Isobel Dalton face off this week with the winner moving into pole position alongside USC for the title in a league that features no postseason tournament. Colorado have racked up 17 goals in their six conference games to this point, but Stanford have conceded just two in their five wins in a perfect league slate to this point. Stanford would be favourites in this one at any venue, but on their home patch they are simply unbeatable over the last three seasons, and will no doubt come in with the utmost confidence. Don’t count Colorado out though – the Buffaloes are in this title race on merit and will certainly give things a fair shake.

Claudia Jenkins and Alyssa Van Heurck find themselves right in the mix for the final conference tournament spot in the Atlantic 10 as their La Salle side sit one point behind eighth-placed Dayton heading into the final two games of conference play. They’ll certainly have to be at their best this week though, as the Explorers face 2nd placed VCU and 4th placed George Mason in their final two league games, needing wins in both games and relying on Dayton to drop points at least once to secure that last postseason spot. Jenkins has had her hands full for much of the season, averaging almost five saves per game, and will surely face a lot of work this weekend against two of the better offences in the league. Whilst this isn’t the spot La Salle would have liked to be in at this stage, they do at least have the opportunity to sneak into the tournament, and from there, who knows what may eventuate?

Aussie-laden Hofstra may have already clinched their Colonial Athletic Association tournament berth, but for William & Mary, Drexel, and Towson, their seasons will hinge on this weekend’s results. Lorena Bugden’s William & Mary side are in the best position of the three, sitting in fifth and four points clear of elimination with just two games remaining. They will want to get things wrapped up in the first game of the weekend against seventh-placed Delaware though, as a loss there would leave Delaware within one point of them and also see the Tribe needing a result against second-placed Northeastern to secure their tournament berth. Emma Heckenberg’s Drexel outfit sit in the sixth and final tournament spot as things stand, but play Northeastern first up this weekend. Fortunately, they play bottom side Elon in their second game of the weekend, but three points may not be enough, so they will be hoping to at least sneak a draw against Northeastern. Then there’s Jodie Burchell and Towson, who need to beat UNC Wilmington and hope for a whole raft of results to go their way if they are to rise from their ninth spot in the standings.

Full Schedule:

Akron (Freyja Murray) 

This week: v Bowling Green – 10am, Friday October 19; v Toledo – 4am, Monday October 22 

Albany (Claire Urquhart)

This week: v UMBC – 10am, Friday October 19; @ Binghamton – 4am, Monday October 22 

Chicago State (Sarah Clark)

This week: v UTRGV – 5am, Saturday October 20

Colorado (Isobel Dalton)

This week: @ California – 6am, Friday October 19; @ Stanford – 6am, Monday October 22 

Drexel (Emma Heckenberg)

This week: @ Northeastern – 9am, Friday October 19; v Elon – 4am, Monday October 22 

East Tennessee State (Isabel Hodgson) 

This week: @ Mercer – 10am, Saturday October 20; @ The Citadel – 5am, Monday October 22 

Fairleigh Dickinson (Sam Roff) 

This week: v Saint Francis – 6am, Sunday October 21 

Georgia Southern (Hannah Allen) 

This week: @ Arkansas State – 10am, Saturday October 20; @ Arkansas-Little Rock – 4am, Monday October 22

Grand Canyon (Sandra Hill)

This week: v New Mexico State – 1pm, Saturday October 20; v Utah Valley – 7am, Monday October 22

Hawaii (Kiri Dale)

This week: @ Cal Poly – 1pm, Saturday October 20; @ UC Santa Barbara – 11am, Monday October 22 

Hofstra (Monique Iannella, Grace Watson-Carr)

This week: v Charleston – 4am, Monday October 22 

Illinois (Ashleigh Lefevre)

This week: @ Northwestern – 11am, Friday October 19; @ Nebraska – 5am, Monday October 22

La Salle (Claudia Jenkins, Alyssa Van Heurck) 

This week: v George Mason – 10am, Friday October 19; @ VCU – 4am, Monday October 22 

LSU (Caitlin Cantrill)

This week: @ Tennessee – 10am, Friday October 19; v South Carolina – 4am, Monday October 22

Marshall (Laura Farrelly)

This week: v Louisiana Tech – 4am, Monday October 22

Nicholls State (Tessa Calabria, Tenille Harberger, Kristy Helmers)

This week: @ Central Arkansas – 11am, Saturday October 20; @ Northwestern State – 5am, Monday October 22

North Dakota State (Lauren Featherstone) 

This week: v Oral Roberts – 11am, Saturday October 20; v Nebraska-Omaha – 5am, Monday October 22

Old Dominion (Gaby Bentley)

This week: @ UTSA – 10am, Friday October 19; @ UTEP – 9am, Monday October 22

Southeast Missouri State (Siena Senatore)

This week: @ Belmont – 10:30am, Friday October 29; v Austin Peay – 6am, Monday October 22

St. Francis University (Shelby Milton) 

This week: @ Fairleigh Dickinson – 6am, Sunday October 21

Stanford (Beattie Goad)

This week: v Utah – 11am, Friday October 19; v Colorado – 6am, Monday October 22 

Texas Tech (Demi Koulizakis)

This week: @ TCU – 11am, Saturday October 20 

Towson (Jodie Burchell)

This week: @ UNC Wilmington – 5am, Monday October 22

UCLA (Teagan Micah) 

This week: v Oregon – 12pm, Friday October 19; v Oregon State – 6am, Monday October 22 

Western Carolina (Kate Swartwout) 

This week: @ The Citadel – 4am, Saturday October 20; @ Mercer – 5am, Monday October 22

William & Mary (Lorena Bugden)

This week: @ Delaware – 4am, Friday October 19; v Northeastern – 4am, Monday October 22 

Wyoming (Indianna Asimus, Annika Clayton, Jessie Gentle, Caitlin Pickett)

This week: v Nevada – 8am, Saturday October 20; v UNLV – 6am, Monday October 22

2018 Week 9 Wrap

Seniors stepped up when it mattered most as Annika Clayton put Wyoming on her back and Isabel Hodgson scored on her own Senior Night. Claudia Jenkins and Teagan Micah continued their good form between the sticks, whilst Kristy Helmers tallied her second goal of the season.

Having drawn their opening game of the weekend against Fresno State, Wyoming desperately needed a win over high-flying San Jose State, and senior Annika Clayton stepped up for the Cowgirls when it mattered most. With the Cowgirls down 1-0 after conceding in the 19th minute, Clayton teed up Savannah Warner for the equaliser seven minutes later to level things at 1-1. The teams would trade goals in the second half, sending the game to overtime. In the third of the extra minutes, Clayton picked up the ball in an attacking position and made a marauding run into the box before being brought down for a stonewall penalty, which was duly given. It was Clayton herself stepping up to the spot, burying the penalty for the golden goal winner and her fourth goal of the season to round out a scintillating performance from the senior.

Isabel Hodgson also enjoyed a solid weekend for an East Tennessee State side also needing wins to maintain their position in the conference tournament spots. Facing VMI on her own Senior Night, Hodgson scored the Buccaneers’ second goal in the 68th minute as the team rolled to a vital 3-1 victory to keep themselves in the conference tournament race. East Tennessee State then went on to solidify their position with a 2-1 win over UNC Greensboro in their second game of the week to now sit third in the Southern Conference with just two games remaining against fifth-placed Mercer and ninth-placed The Citadel.

Kristy Helmers has seen her minutes reduced from last season, but popped up at the perfect time to seal the win for Nicholls State on Senior Day. Coming into the game without a win in conference play, the Colonels faced Stephen F. Austin in a battle of the bottom two teams in the Southland Conference. Despite being outshot 22-2, the Colonels won 2-0 after scoring on both of those shots, with Helmers knocking a chipped ball home for the second goal in the 84th minute after Nicholls State had earlier opened the scoring on the 70th minute mark. The win also gives the team a chance to lift themselves off the bottom of the table, now just three points back with three games to play.

Playing behind a solid UCLA defence doesn’t always leave Teagan Micah with a ton of work between the sticks, but as per usual, the junior came up huge when needed as the Bruins won their fourth consecutive game with a 2-0 win over Washington. Although UCLA took a 1-0 lead in the 27th minute, Micah was called upon on a number of occasions to maintain that lead with four saves and a clean sheet as Delanie Sheehan doubled the Bruins’ lead 7 minutes from time to maintain the team’s solid form despite the absence of Hailie Mace and Jessie Fleming, both of whom are away representing the US and Canada respectively at the CONCACAF Women’s Championship.

The other starting goalkeeper among Aussies, Claudia Jenkins had significantly more work to do than Micah this week, and although La Salle fell to a pair of losses, things could have been much worse if not for the South Australian’s efforts. Coming up against Dayton in their first game of the week, La Salle were outshot 18-8 by Dayton, with Jenkins making 8 saves. But two own goals, one of those in overtime, meant Jenkins’ efforts were in vain as Dayton took the 2-1 victory. Five more saves followed for Jenkins against Fordham later in the week, but in a defensive struggle, a 54th minute goal proved to be enough for Fordham to secure the 1-0 win and leave La Salle in a precarious position in the Atlantic 10 heading into the final few games.

Complete Results:

Akron (Freyja Murray)

This week: lost 1-0 to Ball State (OT); defeated Miami (Ohio) 2-1

Freyja Murray did not feature for Akron in either match this week. 

Albany (Claire Urquhart)

This week: lost 2-1 to Hartford; defeated New Hampshire 3-0

Claire Urquhart did not feature in Albany’s loss to Hartford, but came off the bench against New Hampshire to play 8 minutes, finishing with 2 shots including one on target. 

Chicago State (Sarah Clark)

This week: lost 3-0 to Grand Canyon; lost 2-1 to New Mexico State

Sarah Clark did not feature for Chicago State in either game this week. 

Colorado (Isobel Dalton) 

This week: defeated Oregon 4-1

Isobel Dalton came off the bench against Oregon to play 18 minutes, tallying a single shot. 

Drexel (Emma Heckenberg)

This week: lost 3-2 to Hofstra (OT); drew 0-0 with Towson

Emma Heckenberg played every minute of the weekend for Drexel, registering a single shot on target in the draw with Towson.

East Tennessee State (Isabel Hodgson) 

This week: defeated VMI 3-1; defeated UNC Greensboro 2-1

Isabel Hodgson started both games this week, finishing with a goal in 84 minutes against VMI and tallying a single shot in a complete game performance against UNC Greensboro.

Fairleigh Dickinson (Sam Roff)

This week: defeated LIU Brooklyn 2-0; defeated Wagner 6-2

Sam Roff played the full game on both occasions this week, tallying the first assist of her career on the final goal in the 6-2 demolition of Wagner. 

Georgia Southern (Hannah Allen) 

This week: lost 2-0 to Coastal Carolina; defeated Louisiana 2-0

Hannah Allen did not feature for Georgia Southern in either game this week. 

Grand Canyon (Sandra Hill)

This week: defeated Chicago State 3-0; lost 2-0 to UMKC

Sandra Hill came off the bench to play 67 minutes in Grand Canyon’s win over Chicago State before playing the full 90 minutes in the loss to UMKC.

Hofstra (Monique Iannella, Grace Watson-Carr)

This week: defeated Drexel 3-2 (OT); defeated Elon 4-1

Monique Iannella tallied a single shot in a complete game performance against Drexel before playing the full 90 minutes against Elon, tallying two shots of which one was on target. Reserve goalkeeper Grace Watson-Carr did not feature for Hofstra in either game this week.

Illinois (Ashleigh Lefevre) 

This week: defeated Purdue 3-1; defeated Indiana 1-0

Ashleigh Lefevre came off the bench to play 10 minutes in the win over Purdue, but did not feature against Indiana. 

La Salle (Claudia Jenkins, Alyssa Van Heurck) 

This week: lost 2-1 to Dayton (OT); lost 1-0 to Fordham

Claudia Jenkins played two complete games this week, making 8 saves in the loss to Dayton and five more against Fordham. Alyssa Van Heurck came off the bench to play 10 minutes against Dayton before starting and playing 24 minutes in the loss to Fordham. 

LSU (Caitlin Cantrill) 

This week: defeated Mississippi 3-1

Caitlin Cantrill did not feature for LSU in their win over Mississippi.

Marshall (Laura Farrelly)

This week: lost 2-1 to Rice; lost 3-0 to North Texas

Laura Farrelly did not feature for Marshall in either game this week. 

Nicholls State (Tessa Calabria, Tenille Harberger, Kristy Helmers)

This week: lost 2-1 to Sam Houston State; defeated Stephen F. Austin 2-0

Kristy Helmers came off the bench in both games this week, playing 23 minutes against Sam Houston State before tallying the match-sealing second goal in her 15 minutes on the pitch in the win over Stephen F. Austin. Tenille Harberger did not feature against Sam Houston State but came off the bench to play six minutes against Stephen F. Austin, whilst Tessa Calabria did not feature in either match this week. 

North Dakota State (Lauren Featherstone)

This week: defeated South Dakota State 1-0

Lauren Featherstone did not feature in North Dakota State’s win over South Dakota State.

Old Dominion (Gaby Bentley) 

This week: drew 0-0 with Florida Atlantic; defeated UAB 1-0

Gaby Bentley came off the bench for Old Dominion in both games this week, playing 4 minutes against Florida Atlantic and 9 minutes in the win over UAB. 

Southeast Missouri State (Siena Senatore)

This week: defeated Eastern Illinois 1-0; drew 1-1 with SIU Edwardsville

Siena Senatore did not feature for Southeast Missouri State in either game this week. 

St. Francis University (Shelby Milton)

This week: lost 2-0 to Robert Morris

Shelby Milton did not feature for St. Francis in their loss to Robert Morris. 

Texas Tech (Demi Koulizakis) 

This week: defeated Kansas State 2-0; defeated Kansas 2-1 (OT)

Demi Koulizakis came off the bench in both games this week, tallying 2 shots in 36 minutes against Kansas State and playing 12 minutes in the win over Kansas. 

Towson (Jodie Burchell)

This week: defeated Delaware 2-1 (OT); drew 0-0 with Drexel

Jodie Burchell started both games for Towson this week, finishing with a shot on target in 78 minutes against Delaware before playing 47 minutes in the draw with Drexel.

UCLA (Teagan Micah)

This week: defeated Washington 2-0

Teagan Micah played the full game in UCLA’s win over Washington, making four saves.

Western Carolina (Kate Swartwout) 

This week: lost 2-0 to UNC Greensboro; defeated VMI 1-0

Kate Swartwout came off the bench in both games this week, playing 15 minutes against UNC Greensboro and 11 minutes in the win over VMI. 

William & Mary (Lorena Bugden) 

This week: defeated Elon 2-1; v James Madison – 5am, Monday October 15

Lorena Bugden did not feature for William & Mary in either game this week.

Wyoming (Indianna Asimus, Annika Clayton, Jessie Gentle, Caitlin Pickett)

This week: drew 0-0 with Fresno State; defeated San Jose State 3-2 (OT)

Annika Clayton started both games this week for Wyoming, playing 103 minutes in the draw with Fresno State before tallying a goal and an assist in 74 minutes in the win over San Jose State. Jessie Gentle played all 110 minutes against Fresno State, and tallied a shot in 37 minutes in the win over San Jose State. Caitlin Pickett also started both games, playing 77 minutes in the draw with Fresno State and 59 minutes against San Jose State. Indianna Asimus played 73 minutes off the bench against Fresno State, but got the start against San Jose State, playing 50 minutes and registering a single shot.

Player of the Year Points 

3: Annika Clayton (Wyoming)
2: Isabel Hodgson (East Tennessee State)
1: Teagan Micah (UCLA)

2018 Week 9 Preview

Sandra Hill and Grand Canyon need wins to keep pace with the leaders in the WAC, but Sarah Clark and Chicago State stand in their way and will be hungry for a first win of 2018. Elsewhere, Sam Roff and Isabel Hodgson look to maintain positions among the top of their respective leagues, whilst Emma Heckenberg faces both Jodie Burchell and Monique Iannella in yet more CAA Aussie v Aussie affairs.

(Featured Image Credit: Michael Rincon)

Chicago State and Grand Canyon face off this week, and whilst it may not be the most high-profile game of the season, it does feature an Aussie on either side and could prove to be a vital game in Grand Canyon’s run towards a conference tournament spot. Sarah Clark has been an occasional feature in the Chicago State lineup, and with the Cougars once again struggling through the season, time is running out to pick up their first win. They’ll need goals if they are going to get a result, and now would be the perfect time for Clark to score her first in Division I. Sandra Hill will be part of the Grand Canyon back line that will be determined to prolong Chicago State’s winless streak, particularly as they need to pick up points regularly if they are to reach the conference tournament. The WAC Tournament features six teams, and the Antelopes currently sit tied for sixth with a single win after three games. They’ll likely need at least two more wins to secure a postseason berth, so letting their most winnable game of the season slip is simply out of the question.

Once again, the CAA dishes up some Aussie v Aussie affairs as Emma Heckenberg and Drexel face two teams featuring Aussies this weekend. First up, the Dragons face Monique Iannella and Hofstra, where a win would put them just a point behind the currently fourth-placed Pride side. Drexel then round out the weekend against bottom side Towson, for whom freshman Jodie Burchell scored her first career goal in a 3-3 draw with third-placed Charleston last week. That draw showed that whilst Towson may be bottom of the pile, they can certainly match it with the conference’s top teams, so Heckenberg and her team will have to ensure that they are in top form heading to this weekend.

Isabel Hodgson and East Tennessee State have won just four games this season, but three of those have come in conference play to leave the Buccaneers sitting in a solid fourth position in the Southern Conference. However, their opponents this week could hardly be more disparate as the weekend begins by taking on a 10-2-1 UNC Greensboro side that has won all five of its league fixtures before facing a VMI team that has lost all five conference games and shipped 16 goals in the process. A win against VMI is an absolute non-negotiable for Hodgson and the Buccaneers this week, whilst a win against UNC Greensboro would do plenty to solidify their position in the conference tournament spots heading into the final week of league play.

Fairleigh Dickinson have one of the better defensive records in the Northeast Conference so far this season, with Sam Roff and her fellow backline members helping the Knights to equal third midway through league play. Having already faced two of the other teams in the top four already, Roff and the Knights this week face the bottom two teams in the conference in Wagner and LIU Brooklyn. Wagner have had enough trouble scoring without facing a defence as stingy as Fairleigh Dickinson’s, tallying just three goals all season, so expect Roff to be in lockdown mode in this game. However, LIU Brooklyn have scored as many or more goals than all bar two teams in the conference this season. This is one game where Roff will be called on to be at her outstanding best, as the Blackbirds will be ready to pounce on any opportunity, although the Fairleigh Dickinson attack should get plenty of chances of their own. With Roff known for unleashing the occasional shot, perhaps a game against the league’s leakiest defence could be her best opportunity to tally a first collegiate goal.

Full Schedule: 

Akron (Freyja Murray) 

This week: @ Ball State – 7am, Saturday October 13; @ Miami (Ohio) – 4am, Monday October 15 

Albany (Claire Urquhart)

This week: @ Hartford – 10am, Friday October 12; v New Hampshire – 5am, Monday October 15 

Chicago State (Sarah Clark)

This week: v Grand Canyon – 5am, Saturday October 13; @ New Mexico State – 8am, Monday October 15 

Colorado (Isobel Dalton) 

This week: v Oregon – 6am, Sunday October 14 

Drexel (Emma Heckenberg)

This week: v Hofstra – 9am, Friday October 12; @ Towson – 4am, Monday October 15 

East Tennessee State (Isabel Hodgson) 

This week: v VMI – 10am, Saturday October 13; v UNC Greensboro – 5am, Monday October 15

Fairleigh Dickinson (Sam Roff) 

This week: v LIU Brooklyn – 7am, Saturday October 13; @ Wagner – 4am, Monday October 15

Georgia Southern (Hannah Allen) 

This week: v Coastal Carolina – 10am, Saturday October 13 

Grand Canyon (Sandra Hill)

This week: @ Chicago State – 5am, Saturday October 13; @ UMKC – 5am, Monday October 15

Hofstra (Monique Iannella, Grace Watson-Carr) 

This week: @ Drexel – 9am, Friday October 12; @ Elon – 3am, Monday October 15

Illinois (Ashleigh Lefevre)

This week: v Purdue – 11am, Friday October 12; v Indiana – 5am, Monday October 15

La Salle (Claudia Jenkins, Alyssa Van Heurck) 

This week: @ Dayton – 10am, Friday October 12; @ Fordham – 4am, Monday October 15

LSU (Caitlin Cantrill) 

This week: v Mississippi – 10am, Friday October 12 

Marshall (Laura Farrelly) 

This week: v Rice – 10am, Saturday October 13; v North Texas – 3am, Monday October 15 

Nicholls State (Tessa Calabria, Tenille Harberger, Kristy Helmers)

This week: v Sam Houston State – 8am, Saturday October 13; v Stephen F. Austin – 5am, Monday October 15

North Dakota State (Lauren Featherstone) 

This week: v South Dakota State – 5am, Monday October 15

Old Dominion (Gaby Bentley) 

This week: @ Florida Atlantic – 10am, Friday October 12; v UAB – 4am, Monday October 15

Southeast Missouri State (Siena Senatore) 

This week: @ Eastern Illinois – 6am, Friday October 12; @ SIU Edwardsville – 5am, Monday October 15

St. Francis University (Shelby Milton)

This week: @ Robert Morris – 4am, Sunday October 14

Stanford (Beattie Goad) 

This week: @ Arizona State – 1pm, Sunday October 14

Texas Tech (Demi Koulizakis) 

This week: @ Kansas State – 11am, Saturday October 13; @ Kansas – 5am, Monday October 15

Towson (Jodie Burchell)

This week: @ Delaware – 10am, Friday October 12; v Drexel – 4am, Monday October 15 

UCLA (Teagan Micah)

This week: @ Washington – 12pm, Saturday October 13 

Western Carolina (Kate Swartwout)

This week: v UNC Greensboro – 10am, Saturday October 13; v VMI – 4am, Monday October 15 

William & Mary (Lorena Bugden) 

This week: v Elon – 10am, Friday October 12; v James Madison – 5am, Monday October 15

Wyoming (Indianna Asimus, Annika Clayton, Jessie Gentle, Caitlin Pickett)

This week: @ Fresno State – 1pm, Saturday October 13; @ San Jose State – 6am, Monday October 15

2018 Week 8 Wrap

Jessie Gentle was anything but this week as she put the Wyoming side on her back to be involved in three of her team’s four goals this weekend to keep the Cowgirls in a solid position in the Mountain West Conference. Elsewhere, Claudia Jenkins and Alyssa Van Heurck helped La Salle to a pair of bounce-back wins, whilst Jodie Burchell and Kate Swartwout picked up their first collegiate goals.

(Featured Image Credit: University of Wyoming Media Relations)

Four Aussies may play for Wyoming, but Jessie Gentle was the star of the weekend not only among that quartet, but of all the Aussies in Division I. Tied at 1-1 against Colorado College nearing the hour mark, the senior from Woolgoolga buried one from the edge of the area to put the Cowgirls 2-1 up, before whipping in the corner that found Savannah Warner’s head for Wyoming’s third goal to secure the 3-1 win. Gentle would reprise her role as corner taker extraordinaire in the dying moments in the team’s second game of the week. Down 1-0 to Air Force after conceding an 86nd minute goal, Gentle whipped in a corner for the headed equaliser from Adalyn Vergara just 63 seconds later, with the game ending 1-1 after 20 minutes of overtime.

Western Carolina may have had a tough weekend, losing to Chattanooga and Samford to fall into a tie for sixth in the Southern Conference, but it wasn’t all bad news for Kate Swartwout, who came off the bench to spark the Western Carolina attack in the team’s first game of the week. Heading into the final ten minutes of the first half, the Gold Coast-born, North Carolina-raised senior buried a one-on-one chance to score her first collegeiate goal and put her team up 1-0. However, two goals from Chattanooga’s Chloe Arnold secured a comeback victory for the Mocs as the Catamounts were overrun in the second half.

Jodie Burchell has enjoyed a solid start to her college career, seeing a decent amount of playing time for Towson, and this week picked up her first college goal in a barnburner against Charleston. The freshman showed the importance of being in the right position and staying alert by burying the rebound on a teammate’s shot that was saved by Charleston’s goalkeeper, putting Towson up 1-0 inside 10 minutes. The Tigers would take a 2-0 lead into halftime, but three goals from Charleston saw Towson requiring an 84th minute equaliser to take the game into overtime, with neither team able to grab the golden goal winner as Towson secured their first point of the league season in the 3-3 draw.

Sitting in a precarious position in the Atlantic 10 standings going into this weekend, La Salle needed to take full advantage of a weekend that saw them take on two of the bottom-feeders in the league, and they did just that. Both Claudia Jenkins and Alyssa Van Heurck were heavily involved in the Explorers’ 3-0 win over St. Bonaventure, with Van Heurck making plenty out of her move into attack. Whilst Jenkins remained solid between the sticks to make four saves and keep a clean sheet, Van Heurck rattled off three shots, with one on target, in just 22 minutes as La Salle dominated on their way to a 3-0 win. Van Heurck then came off the bench to play 18 minutes in her team’s 4-1 win over Rhode Island, whilst Jenkins made another three saves to round out another solid weekend from the sophomore goalkeeper.

Finally, we saw the return of Teagan Micah to the UCLA starting lineup after a prolonged comeback from concussion. Having played only the second half in last week’s win over Cal, it looked slightly concerning when usual backup Lauren Brzykcy played the entire game in the Bruins’ win over Arizona State, but Micah returned for the game against Arizona. The junior played the full 90 minutes against the Wildcats, coming up with two saves and keeping a clean sheet in her team’s 2-0 win. 

Complete Results: 

Akron (Freyja Murray)

This week: drew 0-0 with Ohio; lost 1-0 to Kent State (OT)

Freyja Murray did not feature for Akron in either game this week.

Albany (Claire Urquhart)

This week: defeated Vermont 4-1; defeated Maine 4-0

Claire Urquhart did not feature against Vermont but came off the bench to play 5 minutes in the win over Maine.

Chicago State (Sarah Clark) 

This week: lost 6-0 to Utah Valley; lost 3-1 to Seattle

Sarah Clark came off the bench for Chicago State in both games this week, playing 22 minutes against Utah Valley and 48 minutes against Seattle. 

Colorado (Isobel Dalton) 

This week: defeated Washington State 3-1; defeated Washington 2-1 (OT)

Isobel Dalton did not feature for Colorado in the win over Washington State, but came off the bench to play three minutes against Washington.

Drexel (Emma Heckenberg) 

This week: lost 1-0 to UNC Wilmington; defeated Delaware 2-0

Emma Heckenberg started both games this week, playing the full 90 minutes against UNC Wilmington before tallying a shot in 45 minutes of action against Delaware. 

East Tennessee State (Isabel Hodgson) 

This week: lost 2-1 to Samford (OT); lost 1-0 to Chattanooga

Isabel Hodgson started both games for East Tennessee State this week, playing all 92 minutes against Samford and registering a shot on target in 76 minutes of action against Chattanooga.

Fairleigh Dickinson (Sam Roff)

This week: defeated Bryant 1-0

Sam Roff played the full 90 minutes in defence in Fairleigh Dickinson’s win over Bryant, finishing with a single shot on target. 

Georgia Southern (Hannah Allen)

This week: lost 2-1 to Troy; lost 3-0 to Texas State

Hannah Allen did not feature for Georgia Southern in either game this week.

Grand Canyon (Sandra Hill)

This week: lost 3-0 to UTRGV; lost 1-0 to Cal Baptist

Sandra Hill came off the bench in both games this week, playing 23 minutes against UTRGV and 45 minutes against Cal Baptist.

Hawaii (Kiri Dale)

This week: lost 3-2 to Long Beach State; defeated UC Davis 3-2

Kiri Dale started both games for Hawaii this week, playing 68 minutes and registering a shot against Long Beach State before playing 40 minutes in the win over UC Davis. 

Hofstra (Monique Iannella, Grace Watson-Carr)

This week: lost 1-0 to Northeastern; drew 1-1 with William & Mary

Monique Iannella played every minute of the weekend for Hofstra, whilst backup goalkeeper Grace Watson-Carr did not feature for the Pride in either game.

Illinois (Ashleigh Lefevre)

This week: defeated Maryland 1-0; lost 1-0 to Rutgers (OT)

Ashleigh Lefevre came off the bench for Illinois in both games this week, playing 38 minutes in the win over Maryland and 13 minutes against Rutgers. 

La Salle (Claudia Jenkins, Alyssa Van Heurck)

This week: defeated St. Bonaventure 3-0; defeated Rhode Island 4-1

Claudia Jenkins played the full game on both occasions this week, making four saves against St. Bonaventure and three more in the win over Rhode Island. Alyssa Van Heurck came off the bench in both games, tallying three shots with one on target in 22 minutes against St. Bonaventure before playing 18 minutes against Rhode Island.

LSU (Caitlin Cantrill) 

This week: lost 2-1 to Arkansas (OT); defeated Missouri 2-1

Caitlin Cantrill did not feature for LSU in either game this week.

Marshall (Laura Farrelly) 

This week: lost 2-0 to UTSA

Laura Farrelly did not feature for Marshall in their loss to UTSA.

Nicholls State (Tessa Calabria, Tenille Harberger, Kristy Helmers) 

This week: lost 1-0 to McNeese State; lost 2-0 to Lamar

Kristy Helmers came off the bench in both games this week to play 33 minutes against McNeese State and 12 minutes against Lamar. Tessa Calabria and Tenille Harberger did not feature for the Colonels in either game this week. 

North Dakota State (Lauren Featherstone)

This week: lost 3-2 to Denver (OT); defeated North Dakota 2-1

Lauren Featherstone did not feature for North Dakota State in either game this week.

Old Dominion (Gaby Bentley)

This week: defeated Middle Tennessee State 1-0 (OT)

Gaby Bentley did not feature for Old Dominion in their win over Middle Tennessee State. 

Southeast Missouri State (Siena Senatore)

This week: drew 0-0 with Tennessee Tech

Siena Senatore did not feature for Southeast Missouri State in their draw with Tennessee Tech.

St. Francis University (Shelby Milton) 

This week: defeated Mount St. Mary’s 1-0

Shelby Milton came off the bench to play 37 minutes in St. Francis’ win over Mount St. Mary’s. 

Stanford (Beattie Goad) 

This week: defeated Oregon 1-0 (OT); defeated Oregon State 3-0

Beattie Goad came off the bench in both games this week, registering a shot in her 20 minutes against Oregon before playing 32 minutes against Oregon State. 

Texas Tech (Demi Koulizakis)

This week: defeated Oklahoma State 1-0

Demi Koulizakis came off the bench to play 10 minutes in Texas Tech’s win over Oklahoma State, finishing with one shot that was blocked.

Towson (Jodie Burchell) 

This week: lost 2-0 to James Madison; drew 3-3 with Charleston

Jodie Burchell started both games for Towson this week, playing 42 minutes against James Madison before registering her first career goal in a 58-minute outing against Charleston. 

UCLA (Teagan Micah)

This week: defeated Arizona State 3-1; defeated Arizona 2-0

Teagan Micah did not feature for UCLA in their win over Arizona State, but made her return to the starting lineup to make two saves in a complete game performance in the win over Arizona. 

Western Carolina (Kate Swartwout)

This week: lost 2-1 to Chattanooga; lost 3-0 to Samford

Kate Swartwout came off the bench in both games this week, finishing with the Catamounts’ only goal in the loss to Chattanooga in 48 minutes on the pitch before playing 8 minutes against Samford.

William & Mary (Lorena Bugden) 

This week: drew 1-1 with Hofstra

Lorena Bugden did not feature for William & Mary in their draw with Hofstra.

Wyoming (Indianna Asimus, Annika Clayton, Jessie Gentle, Caitlin Pickett)

This week: defeated Colorado College 3-1; drew 1-1 with Air Force

Jessie Gentle was the star for Wyoming this week, finishing with a goal and an assist against Colorado College in 83 minutes on the pitch and an assist on the equaliser against Air Force in a 99-minute effort. Annika Clayton started both games, playing 70 minutes against Colorado College and 93 minutes against Air Force, whilst Caitlin Pickett also started both games, playing 52 minutes against Colorado College and tallying a single shot in 75 minutes against Air Force. Indianna Asimus came off the bench in both games, playing 23 minutes against Colorado College and 52 minutes against Air Force, registering a shot in each game.

Player of the Year Points:

3: Jessie Gentle (Wyoming)
2: Kate Swartwout (Western Carolina)
1: Jodie Burchell (Towson)

2018 Week 8 Preview

As conference play ramps up, a number of teams featuring Aussies find themselves in intriguing positions heading into crunch time. Meanwhile, Lorena Bugden and Monique Iannella face off in a game that could have serious implications in the Colonial Athletic Association.

(Featured Image Credit: The Southern Conference)

The Colonial Athletic Association delivers yet another Aussie v Aussie matchup as Monique Iannella and Hofstra face Lorena Bugden’s William & Mary side. Iannella has been one of the best performed Aussies this season, as well as a mainstay of a Hofstra side that has won three of its first four games to sit just three points out of top spot, whilst William & Mary sit right on the edge of the conference tournament spots, but also just three points behind Hofstra in second spot. However, Hofstra have a game against league leaders Northeastern prior to this game, whilst the game against Hofstra is William & Mary’s only contest of the week. With just two weeks of conference play following this game, getting the three points in this one will be imperative for both teams – for Hofstra, in a quest for the regular season title; for William & Mary, in their attempt to return to the six-team conference tournament after missing out in 2017.

La Salle were expected to be among the leaders in the Atlantic 10, but with only the outstanding performances of Claudia Jenkins keeping the Explorers from giving up buckets of goals in conference play to this point, the 2017 conference champions have a bit of work to do if they are to remain in the top eight and secure a conference tournament spot. Fortunately, after a run of tough games to start conference play, the Explorers this week play the bottom two teams in St. Bonaventure and Rhode Island. Whilst finishing at or near the top of the league this season may be out of the Explorers’ reach, a solid run home could still deliver a decent seeing for the conference tournament in their quest for a return trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Wyoming are looking to atone for last year’s fairly dismal end to the season, and will need to keep picking up points at regular intervals if they are to maintain their current spot in the conference tournament spots in the Mountain West. The Cowgirls kick off their week by hosting the second-placed Colorado College, where a win would draw them level with the Tigers. Wyoming will be fully expected to pick up a win against Air Force in their second game of the week, and if the Cowgirls can secure a minimum of four points from their two games, it would go a long way to securing a conference tournament berth. With Caitlin Pickett in solid form up front of late and her fellow Aussies providing excellent service from midfield, there is no reason why they can’t bounce back from last week’s loss to Boise State and return to the form that saw them win the previous two games.

Isabel Hodgson and East Tennessee State are flying in conference play after a dismal start to the season, sitting pretty in second spot at 3-0 after three conference games. However, this week’s two opponents will bring a far tougher challenge than the Buccaneers have faced to this point as they go on the road to face Samford and Chattanooga. Perennial league contenders Samford sit atop the league table with 10 points after 4 games, whilst Chattanooga sit just two points behind East Tennessee State with 7 points from 4 games. Whilst this weekend won’t define the conference regular season title race, it could very well go a long way to determining which teams reach the conference tournament. With the Buccaneers coming into the weekend in good form, these games certainly appear eminently winnable, something that wouldn’t have been said about a team that came into league play with a 1-7 non-conference record.

Full Schedule: 

Akron (Freyja Murray)

This week: @ Ohio – 6am, Friday October 5; v Kent State – 4am, Monday October 8 

Albany (Claire Urquhart)

This week: v Vermont – 9am, Friday October 5; @ Maine – 4am, Monday October 8 

Chicago State (Sarah Clark)

This week: @ Utah Valley – 3am, Saturday October 6; @ Seattle – 7am, Monday October 8

Colorado (Isobel Dalton) 

This week: v Washington State – 7:30am, Friday October 5; v Washington – 7am, Monday October 8

Drexel (Emma Heckenberg)

This week: v UNC Wilmington – 8am, Friday October 5; v Delaware – 5am, Monday October 8 

East Tennessee State (Isabel Hodgson)

This week: @ Samford – 9am, Saturday October 6; @ Chattanooga – 5am, Monday October 8

Fairleigh Dickinson (Sam Roff)

This week: @ Bryant – 4am, Monday October 8 

Georgia Southern (Hannah Allen) 

This week: v Troy – 9am, Saturday October 6; @ Texas State – 4am, Monday October 8 

Grand Canyon (Sandra Hill)

This week: v UTRGV – 12pm, Saturday October 6; v Cal Baptist – 7am, Monday October 8

Hawaii (Kiri Dale)

This week: v Long Beach State – 3pm, Friday October 5; v UC Davis – 2pm, Monday October 8

Hofstra (Monique Iannella, Grace Watson-Carr) 

This week: v Northeastern – 9am, Friday October 5; v William & Mary – 4am, Monday October 8

Illinois (Ashleigh Lefevre)

This week: @ Maryland – 9am, Friday October 5; @ Rutgers – 4am, Monday October 8

La Salle (Claudia Jenkins, Alyssa Van Heurck)

This week: v St. Bonaventure – 9am, Friday October 5; v Rhode Island – 4am, Monday October 8

LSU (Caitlin Cantrill)

This week: @ Arkansas – 9:30am, Friday October 5; v. Missouri – 5am, Monday October 8

Marshall (Laura Farrelly)

This week: @ UTSA – 5am, Monday October 8

Nicholls State (Tessa Calabria, Tenille Harberger, Kristy Helmers)

This week: @ McNeese State – 10am, Saturday October 6

North Dakota State (Lauren Featherstone)

This week: v Denver – 10am, Friday October 5; @ North Dakota – 5am, Monday October 8

Old Dominion (Gaby Bentley) 

This week: @ Middle Tennessee State – 9am, Saturday October 6

Southeast Missouri State (Siena Senatore)

This week: @ Tennessee Tech – 10am, Saturday October 6

St. Francis University (Shelby Milton) 

This week: v Mount St. Mary’s – 3am, Monday October 8

Stanford (Beattie Goad) 

This week: @ Oregon – 10am, Friday October 5; @ Oregon State – 9am, Monday October 8

Texas Tech (Demi Koulizakis)

This week: @ Oklahoma State – 10am, Saturday October 6 

Towson (Jodie Burchell)

This week: v James Madison – 6am, Friday October 5; @ Charleston – 4am, Monday October 8

UCLA (Teagan Micah)

This week: v Arizona State – 10am, Friday October 5; v Arizona – 9am, Monday October 8

Western Carolina (Kate Swartwout) 

This week: @ Chattanooga – 9am, Saturday October 6; @ Samford – 10am, Monday October 8 

William & Mary (Lorena Bugden)

This week: @ Hofstra – 4am, Monday October 8

Wyoming (Indianna Asimus, Annika Clayton, Jessie Gentle, Caitlin Pickett)

This week: v Colorado College – 7am, Saturday October 6; v Air Force – 5:30am, Monday October 8

2018 Week 7 Wrap

It might be time to start calling Caitlin Pickett ‘Cardiac Caitlin’ as the Wyoming freshman came up with the second overtime winner of her first season of college soccer, whilst the return of Teagan Micah to the UCLA lineup following a stint on the sidelines with concussion was a welcome sight for Bruins and Aussie fans alike.

Caitlin Pickett was the undoubted hero for Wyoming in their win over Utah State, with her game-winning goal just reward for a scintillating performance that saw her lead the team with four shots. With just 30 seconds left in overtime, Wyoming launched an attack with a through ball. Morgan McDougal slid in to beat the onrushing goalkeeper, with the ball falling to Pickett on the edge of the area. With the goalkeeper stranded and just a defender backpedalling towards the line to contend with, Pickett lifted the ball over the Utah State player and into the back of the net for a golden goal just 16 seconds from the end of overtime for a 1-0 victory. Unfortunately, the Cowgirls couldn’t make it two from two for the weekend as they fell to league leaders Boise State in their second game of the week, but remain decently positioned at 2-2 through four games.

Claudia Jenkins continued to face barrages of shots but did everything in her power to keep La Salle in each game as the Explorers fell to a pair of losses. An impressive nine saves proved not to be enough against Duquesne as La Salle fell to a 3-2 defeat after being outshot 21-5 despite leading 2-0 at the hour mark. A similar pattern emerged against Massachusetts, with another seven saves from Jenkins not enough to stop the Minutewomen from banging home 3 goals as they outshot La Salle 15-8, with the Explorers managing only three shots on target in a 3-1 defeat.

Kiri Dale played a major role in Hawaii’s 2-1 bounce-back win over Cal State Northridge after dropping the weekend’s opener to UC Irvine, tallying the assist on the Wahine’s opening goal. The Mullumbimby product smartly laid the ball off for teammate Raisa Strom-Okimoto from a short corner in just the fourth minute of play, with Strom-Okimoto burying the shot from the edge of the area. Hawaii would give up an equaliser with just two seconds remaining in the match, but found the winner in the final minute of the opening period of overtime to split their games this weekend.

As a defender, Sam Roff occasionally flies under the radar, but there was no escaping the dominance of the junior or the Fairleigh Dickinson defence against Robert Morris. Although they conceded a single goal in the 3-1 win, Roff and the FDU backline gave up just four shots all game, with only two on target in a solid return to form after conceding 11 shots on target in a 2-1 loss to Central Connecticut State earlier in the week.

Finally, although it may not have been the most spectacular performance of the week, Teagan Micah’s return from concussion for UCLA was certainly the most welcome news of the last few days. Having missed the last two games after taking a knock to the head in the warm-up prior to UCLA’s loss to Washington State, including a 3-2 loss to Beattie Goad and Stanford earlier in the week, Micah returned for the second half of the Bruins’ dominant 4-0 win over California. The junior made three saves to round out the clean sheet, and with another week under her belt before playing again, it shouldn’t be long until Micah is back in full flight.

Complete Results:

Akron (Freyja Murray)

This week: lost 1-0 to Eastern Michigan (OT); lost 1-0 to Central Michigan

Freyja Murray did not feature for Akron in either game this week.

Albany (Claire Urquhart) 

This week: drew 3-3 with Stony Brook; lost 2-1 to UMass Lowell

Claire Urquhart did not feature for Albany in either game this week.

Chicago State (Sarah Clark)

This week: lost 5-2 to Cal State Bakersfield; lost 6-0 to Cal Baptist

Sarah Clark came off the bench to play 26 minutes against Cal State Bakersfield, before starting and playing 31 minutes against Cal Baptist, registering a single shot on target. 

Colorado (Isobel Dalton)

This week: drew 1-1 with Arizona State; drew 1-1 with Arizona

Isobel Dalton did not feature for Colorado in either game this week.

Drexel (Emma Heckenberg) 

This week: lost 2-0 to William & Mary

Emma Heckenberg started and played 74 minutes for Drexel in the loss to William & Mary.

East Tennessee State (Isabel Hodgson)

This week: defeated Western Carolina 1-0

Isabel Hodgson started for East Tennessee State in their win over Western Carolina, playing 74 minutes. 

Fairleigh Dickinson (Sam Roff) 

This week: lost 2-1 to Central Connecticut State; defeated Robert Morris 3-1

Sam Roff started both games for Fairleigh Dickinson, playing her usual 90 minutes in defence in both games. 

Georgia Southern (Hannah Allen)

This week: defeated Louisiana-Monroe 7-2; lost 2-0 to South Alabama

Hannah Allen did not feature for Georgia Southern in either game this week.

Grand Canyon (Sandra Hill)

This week: defeated Seattle 1-0

Sandra Hill came off the bench in Grand Canyon’s win over Seattle, playing 13 minutes.

Hawaii (Kiri Dale)

This week: lost 1-0 to UC Irvine (OT); defeated Cal State Northridge 2-1 (OT)

Kiri Dale started both games this week, playing 83 minutes in the win over UC Irvine and coming up with the assist on Hawaii’s opener in the overtime win against Cal State Northridge. 

Hofstra (Monique Iannella, Grace Watson-Carr)

This week: defeated Delaware 1-0; defeated UNC Wilmington 2-1

Monique Iannella played every minute of the weekend for Hofstra in their two victories, but Grace Watson-Carr did not feature in either game this week. 

Illinois (Ashleigh Lefevre) 

This week: defeated Michigan State 1-0

Ashleigh Lefevre came off the bench for Illinois in their win over Michigan State, playing 30 minutes. 

La Salle (Claudia Jenkins, Alyssa Van Heurck) 

This week: @ Duquesne – 9am, Friday September 28; v Massachusetts – 3am, Monday October 1

LSU (Caitlin Cantrill)

This week: defeated Alabama 2-0

Caitlin Cantrill did not feature for LSU in their win over Alabama.

Marshall (Laura Farrelly) 

This week: defeated Old Dominion 1-0; lost 3-2 to Charlotte

Laura Farrelly did not feature for Marshall in either game this week.

Nicholls State (Tessa Calabria, Tenille Harberger, Kristy Helmers)

This week: lost 2-1 to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi; lost 4-0 to Houston Baptist.

Kristy Helmers came off the bench to play 61 minutes against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, registering a shot on target before starting and playing 46 minutes in the loss to Houston Baptist. Tenille Harberger did not feature against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi but played five minutes off the bench against Houston Baptist, whilst Tessa Calabria did not feature in either game this week.

North Dakota State (Lauren Featherstone)

This week: defeated Western Illinois 1-0 (OT); defeated Fort Wayne 5-1

Lauren Featherstone came off the bench in both games this week, registering a shot in her 19 minutes against Western Illinois and playing 8 minutes in the win over Fort Wayne.

Old Dominion (Gaby Bentley) 

This week: lost 1-0 to Marshall; defeated Western Kentucky 4-0

Gaby Bentley did not feature in the win over Marshall, but came off the bench to tally a shot in 9 minutes of action against Western Kentucky. 

Southeast Missouri State (Siena Senatore)

This week: drew 1-1 with Eastern Kentucky; defeated Morehead State 2-0

Siena Senatore did not feature for Southeast Missouri State in either game this week. 

St. Francis University (Shelby Milton)

This week: defeated Sacred Heart 3-2; drew 1-1 with Bryant

Shelby Milton did not feature for St. Francis in either game this week.

Stanford (Beattie Goad) 

This week: defeated UCLA 3-2; defeated USC 1-0 (OT)

Beattie Goad came off the bench in both games this week, playing 13 minutes against UCLA and registering a shot in her 9 minutes against USC.

Texas Tech (Demi Koulizakis) 

This week: drew 0-0 with Oklahoma; lost 2-0 to Baylor

Demi Koulizakis did not feature in the game against Oklahoma, but played 22 minutes off the bench in the loss to Baylor.

Towson (Jodie Burchell) 

This week: lost 3-0 to Northeastern; lost 2-0 to Elon

Jodie Burchell came off the bench to register two shots in 41 minutes against Northeastern, before starting and doing the same in 53 minutes in the loss to Elon.

UCLA (Teagan Micah)

This week: lost 3-2 to Stanford; defeated California 4-0

Teagan Micah did not feature against Stanford, but made her return from concussion in the second half against California, making three saves in the Bruins’ dominant victory. 

Western Carolina (Kate Swartwout) 

This week: lost 1-0 to East Tennessee State

Kate Swartwout came off the bench for Western Carolina in their loss to East Tennessee State, finishing with one shot on target in her 36 minutes on the pitch. 

William & Mary (Lorena Bugden)

This week: lost 3-1 to UNC Wilmington; defeated Drexel 2-0

Lorena Bugden did not feature for William & Mary in either game this week.

Wyoming (Indianna Asimus, Annika Clayton, Jessie Gentle, Caitlin Pickett)

This week: defeated Utah State 1-0 (OT); lost 2-1 to Boise State

Caitlin Pickett was the hero for Wyoming against Utah State, scoring the game winner with her fourth shot of the game just 16 seconds from time in a 73-minute performance. Pickett also started against Boise State, playing 76 minutes. Jessie Gentle started both games, playing 96 minutes against Utah State and the full 90 minutes against Boise State. Annika Clayton tallied 2 shots in a 100-minute performance against Utah State before following up with another 3 in 84 minutes against Boise State, whilst Indianna Asimus came off the bench to play 44 minutes against Utah State and 14 minutes against Boise State.

Player of the Year Points:

3: Caitlin Pickett (Wyoming)
2: Sam Roff (Fairleigh Dickinson)
1: Kiri Dale (Hawaii)

2018 Week 7 Preview

Beattie Goad. Teagan Micah. Stanford. UCLA. Last time this matchup occurred, it was in Orlando and culminated in one of the greatest College Cup games in history, with Goad and Stanford taking final honours in a 3-2 victory. This time, the Cardinal defend their home patch, with Micah and UCLA out for redemption. Back on the east coast, a plethora of Aussie v Aussie matchups are set to shake up conference title races even at this early stage.

Games don’t get much bigger than a rematch of the previous year’s College Cup championship, and that’s exactly what we have this week as Beattie Goad and Stanford face Teagan Micah’s UCLA side on Friday afternoon Sydney time. Stanford are currently on a 31-match unbeaten streak dating back to early last season, but for UCLA, they will be looking to bounce back after falling 1-0 to Washington State in their only game last week. Teagan Micah missed that game after suffering a knock during the warm-ups, and will be hoping to return to the side for one of the most highly anticipated games of the season. On the other hand, Beattie Goad continues to make the most of her extended time on the pitch in a Stanford side that has suffered a few injuries of its own recently, continuing to be one of the best-performed players for the Cardinal in recent weeks.

Staying in the Pac-12, Isobel Dalton and Colorado travel south to Arizona to take on Arizona State before facing Arizona to round out the week. The Buffaloes have put together an outstanding 9-0-1 record to this point, but the two Arizona schools represent an entirely different proposition to what they have faced in non-conference play and in the 6-0 win in last week’s conference opener against Oregon State. Now sitting at #18 in the rankings, Colorado will be out to show that they deserve that ranking against a pair of solid opponents, and Isobel Dalton will hopefully be able to secure some more playing time after an impressive outing off the bench against Oregon State. Of particular note was the delightful pass that set up the team’s final goal, a ball that reminded everyone of the senior’s class in midfield.

Heading east, we find another highly-anticipated game in the form of the local derby between Kate Swartwout’s Western Carolina and Isabel Hodgson’s East Tennessee State outfit. Swartwout and the Catamounts certainly have the bragging rights at the moment, having won in both 2016 and 2017, and with a 5-3-2 record to this point in comparison to ETSU’s 3-7, will be favourites for this one. However, the Buccaneers’ offence appears to be humming again with everyone back after defeating Wofford 7-1 last week as both of these teams beat the same two opponents last week to sit tied atop the Southern Conference standings after one week of play. Isabel Hodgson picked up a goal and an assist in the space of a minute in that win over Wofford, whilst Kate Swartwout has been an integral part of the Western Carolina side for much of the year, so expect both Aussies to be heavily involved in what should be an entertaining game.

Emma Heckenberg’s Drexel side and Lorena Bugden’s William & Mary outfit each split their opening Colonial Athletic Association league games this week, meaning that a win in this Aussie v Aussie matchup could go a long way to keeping whichever team gets the three points in contention for top spot in a league season consisting of just nine games. Both teams played College of Charleston last week, with William & Mary falling 2-1, but Drexel winning by the same scoreline in overtime as Heckenberg delivered an assist on the equaliser before the Dragons completed the comeback in the extra minutes. Drexel are certainly the team expected to do better in conference play this season, but William & Mary always pose a threat and will certainly not roll over easily.

Laura Farrelly and Marshall got away to a flyer in Conference USA last week with wins over UTEP and Florida International, and this week will see the Thundering Herd attempt to keep the good times rolling against Gaby Bentley and Old Dominion. The Monarchs had a far less successful opening to league play, falling to Louisiana Tech and Charlotte, and need to pick up some points fairly quickly if they want to make their way into a conference tournament that selects only the top 8 in the 14-team league. Whilst this game does have the potential to be an Aussie v Aussie matchup, it will take some selection changes from coaches for it to happen, as Farrelly is yet to make her debut and Bentley has seen only limited minutes in recent weeks. However, to paraphrase Murray Walker, anything happens in college women’s soccer, and it usually does.

Full Schedule: 

Akron (Freyja Murray)

This week: v Eastern Michigan – 9am, Saturday September 29; v Central Michigan – 3am, Monday October 1

Albany (Claire Urquhart)

This week: v Stony Brook – 9am, Friday September 28; @ UMass Lowell – 7am, Monday October 1 

Chicago State (Sarah Clark)

This week: v Cal State Bakersfield – 4am, Saturday September 29; v Cal Baptist – 4am, Monday October 1 

Colorado (Isobel Dalton)

This week: @ Arizona State – 7am, Friday September 28; @ Arizona – 5am, Monday September 1

Drexel (Emma Heckenberg) 

This week: @ William & Mary – 4am, Monday October 1

East Tennessee State (Isabel Hodgson) 

This week: @ Western Carolina – 9am, Saturday September 29; v King – 9am, Tuesday October 2

Fairleigh Dickinson (Sam Roff)

This week: @ Central Connecticut State – 8am, Saturday September 29; v Robert Morris – 6am, Monday October 1 

Georgia Southern (Hannah Allen)

This week: @ Louisiana-Monroe – 9am, Saturday September 29; @ South Alabama – 3am, Monday October 1 

Grand Canyon (Sandra Hill)

This week: @ Seattle – 6am, Monday October 1

Hawaii (Kiri Dale)

This week: @ UC Irvine – 12pm, Saturday September 29; @ Cal State Northridge – 10am, Monday October 1

Hofstra (Monique Iannella, Grace Watson-Carr) 

This week: v Delaware – 9am, Friday September 28; @ UNC Wilmington – 2am, Monday October 1

Illinois (Ashleigh Lefevre) 

This week: v Michigan State – 9am, Sunday September 30 

La Salle (Claudia Jenkins, Alyssa Van Heurck) 

This week: @ Duquesne – 9am, Friday September 28; v Massachusetts – 3am, Monday October 1 

LSU (Caitlin Cantrill) 

This week: v Alabama – 10am, Friday September 28

Marshall (Laura Farrelly)

This week: @ Old Dominion – 9am, Saturday September 29; @ Charlotte – 3am, Monday October 1 

Nicholls State (Tessa Calabria, Tenille Harberger, Kristy Helmers)

This week: v Houston Baptist – 7am, Saturday September 29; v Texas A&M-Corpus Christi – 4am, Monday October 1 

North Dakota State (Lauren Featherstone)

This week: @ Western Illinois – 7am, Saturday September 29; @ Fort Wayne – 1:30am, Monday October 1 

Old Dominion (Gaby Bentley)

This week: v Marshall – 9am, Saturday September 29; v Western Kentucky – 3am, Monday October 1 

Southeast Missouri State (Siena Senatore) 

This week: v Eastern Kentucky – 9:30am, Friday September 28; v Morehead State – 5am, Monday October 1 

St. Francis University (Shelby Milton)

This week: @ Sacred Heart – 2am, Saturday September 29; @ Bryant – 5am, Monday October 1 

Stanford (Beattie Goad) 

This week: v UCLA – 1pm, Friday September 28; v USC – 6am, Monday October 1 

Texas Tech (Demi Koulizakis) 

This week: v Oklahoma – 10am, Saturday September 29; v Baylor – 4am, Monday October 1

Towson (Jodie Burchell) 

This week: v Northeastern – 5am, Friday September 28; @ Elon – 3am, Monday October 1

UCLA (Teagan Micah)

This week: @ Stanford – 1pm, Friday September 28; @ California – 8am, Monday October 1

Western Carolina (Kate Swartwout)

This week: v East Tennessee State – 9am, Saturday September 29 

William & Mary (Lorena Bugden)

This week: v UNC Wilmington – 9am, Friday September 28; v Drexel – 4am, Monday October 1 

Wyoming (Indianna Asimus, Annika Clayton, Jessie Gentle, Caitlin Pickett)

This week: @ Utah State – 8am, Saturday September 29; @ Boise State – 5am, Monday October 1