2018 NCAA Tournament Preview

It’s time for the big one – the NCAA Tournament – and two teams featuring Aussies are among the favourites as Stanford and UCLA look to make return trips to the College Cup.

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The 2018 NCAA Tournament sees six teams featuring seven Aussies in the mix for a national title, as at-large teams Texas Tech and UCLA joined conference champions Stanford, LSU, Hofstra, and Albany in the big dance. The chips have fallen the right way for a potential rematch between Beattie Goad’s Stanford outfit and Teagan Micah’s UCLA side in the championship game after 2017’s barnburner that resulted in a 3-2 Stanford victory, with the teams again on opposite sides of the draw. Both sides will be fully expecting to at least reach the College Cup again, whilst for LSU and Texas Tech a Sweet 16 berth is certainly a realistic goal, and from there anything is possible. Hofstra and Albany face the toughest draws, but neither are without their chance to upset the applecart against some bigger teams. 

Albany (Claire Urquhart)

First Round: @ South Florida – 11am, Sunday November 11 

Live on South Florida YouTube

Claire Urquhart and Albany certainly have the toughest test of any of the six teams featuring Aussies, travelling to Tampa to face a South Florida side hellbent on making amends for a 3-0 defeat to Memphis in their conference championship game. Albany reached the NCAA Tournament courtesy of a 5-1 win in their own conference championship game, albeit in a much smaller league, but nonetheless come in on far more of a high than their opponents. South Florida will come in as heavy favourites, but there are always a few upsets in the NCAA Tournament in any sport, so don’t write the Great Danes off just yet.

Albany Team South Florida
14-6-2 Record (W-L-D) 13-3-0
96 RPI Rank 16
2.18 Goals Per Game 2.31
1.23 Goals Conceded Per Game 0.88

Hofstra (Monique Iannella, Grace Watson-Carr) 

First Round: @ Boston College – 11am, Saturday November 10

Live on ACC Network Extra (US Only)

The only other team here to play on the road first up, Hofstra certainly have a shorter trip than Albany as they travel from Long Island to Chestnut Hill to take on Boston College. The Eagles upset the odds to finish fourth in the ACC after being tabbed to finish tenth in the league in the preseason poll, a remarkable feat considering the level of play in that conference. However, Hofstra have plenty of tournament experience, both in terms of conference and national tournament games, and can hopefully use that to their advantage to come up with the upset. If Hofstra can manage to dictate the pace of the game, expect to see plenty of Monique Iannella getting up and down the flank from her fullback position, whilst her delivery from set-pieces could be another ace up Hofstra’s sleeve.

Hofstra Team Boston College
15-5-1 Record (W-L-D) 14-4-1
63 RPI Rank 25
1.67 Goals Per Game 2.26
0.95 Goals Conceded Per Game 0.63

 

LSU (Caitlin Cantrill) 

First Round: v Boston University – 6am, Monday November 12 

Live on SEC Network+ (US Only)

LSU were teetering on the bubble with four weeks left in the season, but a remarkable run to the end of the season made talk of an at-large bid moot as the Tigers rolled through the SEC Tournament to secure the conference championship on penalties against Arkansas. LSU are a team nobody will want to face in this sort of form, and more than a few title contenders will be hoping that Boston University can pull off the upset and get the Tigers out of the bracket early. It doesn’t look likely though, as although Boston University are certainly a decent team, LSU should have enough in their locker to secure a comfortable victory as they look to turn what was a decent season a month ago into one for the ages.

LSU Team Boston University
13-6-3 Record (W-L-D) 11-7-3
27 RPI Rank 90
1.50 Goals Per Game 1.24
1.05 Goals Conceded Per Game 0.90

Stanford (Beattie Goad) 

First Round: v Seattle – 2pm, Sunday November 11

Live on Stanford Live Stream

As defending champions and riding a 41-match unbeaten streak, facing Seattle in the first round should pose no significant problems for a Stanford side that has been dominant for the past two seasons. The Cardinal won their first-round match in 2017 against Utah Valley 9-1, and whilst a similar result is not exactly expected here against Seattle, a wide margin of victory would not be in the least bit surprising as they look to continue their march to back-to-back championships. Beattie Goad has been in and out of the starting lineup as an occasional member of the matchday eleven, but even off the bench has been providing outstanding play for the entirety of the season, with the junior set to see far more playing time than in the Cardinal’s run to the 2017 title.

Stanford Team Seattle
17-0-2 Record (W-L-D) 10-7-3
1 RPI Rank 152
2.68 Goals Per Game 1.75
0.47 Goals Conceded Per Game 1.15

Texas Tech (Demi Koulizakis)

First Round: v Princeton – 11am, Saturday November 10

Live on TexasTech.com

Probably the tightest match on paper of the six involving Australians, Texas Tech host Princeton in a matchup of two teams separated by just ten positions in the RPI rankings, which in a nation of 335 teams is incredibly close. This game is almost a coinflip, with Princeton finishing second in the smaller Ivy League but doing enough throughout the season to earn an at-large bid, and Texas Tech reaching the Big 12 semi-finals to round out a solid season in the high-major Big 12. Both of these teams are the kind of team that could have proven to be banana skins for bigger teams in the opening weekend, particularly Princeton, who knocked off #2 North Carolina in the Sweet 16 last year and will be hungry to make another deep run. Demi Koulizakis has been coming off the bench to provide some spark to the Texas Tech offence on occasion, and it may just come to pass that the junior provides what the Red Raiders need to get over the line in this one.

Texas Tech Team Princeton
13-5-2 Record (W-L-D) 11-3-2
34 RPI Rank 24
1.50 Goals Per Game 1.50
0.60 Goals Conceded Per Game 0.56

UCLA (Teagan Micah)

First Round: v San Jose State – 1pm, Saturday November 10 

Live on UCLA Live Stream

Like Stanford, UCLA are one of the favourites to progress deep into the tournament and as such, will be expected to dominate their game against San Jose State. San Jose State came in as Mountain West Conference champions, having won the tournament despite finishing fourth in the league, so their body of work throughout the season is perhaps not as glittering as most other teams in the tournament. UCLA, on the other hand, finished second in the Pac-12, arguably the toughest league in the country, and did so despite missing Hailie Mace and Jessie Fleming to national team duty for several matches. Teagan Micah is back to her best after a concussion scare earlier in the season, and the Bruins should be primed to make another run towards the College Cup and will be hoping to go one step better than last season’s championship game defeat to Stanford.

UCLA Team San Jose State
14-3-1 Record (W-L-D) 9-6-6
8 RPI Rank 128
2.44 Goals Per Game 0.76
0.83 Goals Conceded Per Game 0.67

2018 Week 12 Wrap

A whirlwind weekend to end the regular season has left us with four teams and five Australians securing conference championships, with a raft of other teams having either locked up an at-large bid or still very much in the mix. However, the performance of the week came in a game that saw one Aussie help another to a title as Teagan Micah’s performance in goal helped UCLA to a win over USC that delivered Beattie Goad and Stanford an outright Pac-12 championship with a game to spare.

(Featured Image Credit: Michael Rincon)

The week kicked off with a belter of a goal from Sandra Hill that provided one of the highlights of the week even if Grand Canyon couldn’t secure a victory. The Lopes conceded two early goals to Utah Valley in their WAC quarter-final, but when the ball fell to Hill just outside the area following a corner late in the first half, the sophomore had only one thing in mind and rocketed it into the top corner to halve Utah Valley’s lead. Unfortunately, that was the last goal of the game, with Grand Canyon managing just one shot in the second half as their season came to an end with a 2-1 loss.

Stanford needed a win in either of their two games this week to secure a share of the Pac-12 Championship, and as expected clinched one at the first opportunity with a 2-0 victory over arch-rivals Cal on the road at Berkeley. Beattie Goad started once again and played the full 90 minutes, tallying two shots with one on target and one cannoning back off the post as Stanford secured the win courtesy of a pair of Jordan DiBiasi goals, leaving the Cardinal to await the result of the game between USC and UCLA, with any dropped points from USC resulting in Stanford clinching the championship outright even before they played Arizona State. Stanford would go on to beat the Sun Devils regardless, with Goad coming off the bench to play 53 minutes as the Cardinal completed an undefeated regular season with a dominant 4-1 victory.

Teagan Micah remains perfect in her three games against local rivals USC after a thrilling 3-2 overtime victory for UCLA this week, and the Bruins certainly have their goalkeeper to thank for that. Micah came up with eight saves, including three highlight reel efforts, one of which came with just two seconds to play with the game tied at 2-2. In a game that saw the teams trade goals within six seconds of each other as Hailie Mace’s screamer cancelled out USC’s second goal, it was UCLA who secured the victory as Olivia Athens narrowly beat an onrushing goalkeeper to head home into an open net and extend the Bruins’ winning streak over their arch-rivals to three games, as well as see UCLA jump the Trojans to finish in second spot in the Pac-12 behind Stanford.

Monique Iannella has been ever-present in the Hofstra back four this season, and the Pride’s defensive line came up in a massive way as the Pride secured the CAA title and an NCAA Tournament berth with a 2-0 win over James Madison. Hofstra conceded just two shots on target all game, with Iannella coming up with a goal-saving block from close range in a contest that saw the Pride take an early lead through Lucy Porter before doubling the margin in the 57th minute courtesy of Sabrina Bryan.

Caitlin Cantrill and LSU faced South Carolina in the SEC semi-finals, having already won their way through from the first round last weekend. The Tigers had already upset the Gamecocks once this season in a 2-1 win at home, but South Carolina on paper stil looked to be the favourites. However, LSU would secure the 1-0 victory courtesy of a 66th minute South Carolina own goal that sent the Tigers through to the championship game against Arkansas. LSU went down 1-0 just 13 minutes in, but Shannon Cooke’s long-range screamer in the 72nd minute tied the game at 1-1. Overtime couldn’t split the teams, but cooler heads prevailed in the shootout as a far more confident LSU team converted all four of their penalties for a 4-1 shootout victory that secured the team’s first conference championship. Unfortunately, Cantrill did not feature for the Tigers in either game.

Claire Urquhart and Albany had just one game to get through this week, but it was a big one – the America East Championship against UMass-Lowell. It was hardly a contest befitting a championship game, but Albany won’t mind as they dominated for the entire 90 minutes to roll to a 5-1 victory and book their spot in the NCAA Tournament, with Urquhart featuring in garbage time in the final couple of minutes.

A Texas Tech side featuring Demi Koulizakis couldn’t quite grab the upset win over Baylor in the Big 12 semi-finals, but their season looks set to continue into the NCAA Tournament with an at-large bid. The Red Raiders gave up an equaliser just before halftime, but responded with an equaliser ten minutes after the break. An even game that saw each team finish with 18 shots rightly went to overtime, but Baylor found the golden goal in just the third extra minute. Demi Koulizakis played just two minutes in the loss, but the junior will likely have at least one more chance this season as Texas Tech will certainly hear their name called as an NCAA Tournament team on Selection Monday.

Illinois aren’t quite as comfortable as Texas Tech, but some big early season results against Duke and Oklahoma State may have padded the Illini’s resume just enough to see them sneak into the NCAA Tournament. A Big Ten semi-final loss to Penn State on the back of a 67th minute own goal ended the team’s charge for a conference championship as Ashleigh Lefevre played just a minute off the bench, and whilst they can’t get too comfortable yet, those in the know are predicting that Illinois will find their name in the NCAA Tournament bracket come Monday afternoon.

Colorado have been flying for most of the season, but after a tough back end to the season that saw the Buffaloes face Stanford, UCLA, and USC before this week’s game against Utah, the team from Boulder have slipped onto the bubble and they’ll have a sleepless Sunday night before the selection show on Monday afternoon US time. A win against Utah might have been enough to make them safe, but the Buffaloes fell to a 1-0 loss in a game in which Isobel Dalton did not feature. Now, with a solid 13-4-3 record offset by a less-than-stellar strength of schedule and just one RPI Top 50 win, Colorado will be keeping their fingers crossed and collecting every four-leaf clover and rabbit’s foot they can find in the hope that the selection committee looks favourably upon them.

The dream All-Aussie championship game in the Northeast Conference unfortunately did not come to pass this week, with All-Conference selection Sam Roff playing the full 90 minutes but Fairleigh Dickinson falling to a 2-1 defeat in their semi-final against a Central Connecticut State side that has dominated for the majority of the conference season. However, Shelby Milton and Saint Francis did make it through to the final, with the junior playing 27 minutes in the Red Flash’s 4-0 demolition of Mount St. Mary’s in the other semi-final. Unfortunately, though, Central Connecticut State could not be stopped in the championship game. Saint Francis equalised in the 78th minute having given up the opener 11 minutes earlier, but an 89th minute winner was enough to see Central Connecticut State secure the conference title and an NCAA Tournament berth in a game in which Shelby Milton unfortunately did not feature.

Wyoming came into their Mountain West Conference semi-final evenly matched with New Mexico after the pair finished as two of the league’s three co-champions. As it turned out, the match ended up going to overtime as the Cowgirls secured a 78th minute equaliser to cancel out New Mexico’s 33rd minute opener. Unfortunately, it would be New Mexico who grabbed the golden goal winner in the 102nd minute, bringing Wyoming’s season to an end, and with it, the conclusion of Jessie Gentle and Annika Clayton’s brilliant college careers. All four Aussies started for the Cowgirls, with Indianna Asimus managing two shots on target but not finding the back of the net, whilst Clayton and Gentle were solid in their final collegiate appearances and Caitlin Pickett saw 42 minutes of action as a starter. However, it wasn’t all bad news as Clayton rounded out her career with an All-Mountain West Conference second team selection.

We also bade Isabel Hodgson farewell after four outstanding years as East Tennessee State fell to a heavy 5-1 defeat to UNC Greensboro in the Southern Conference semi-finals. Although East Tennessee State had defeated their opponents in the regular season, UNC Greensboro were certainly the favourites to win this, and they came out strongly to grab a goal inside the first 20 minutes on their way to a 2-0 halftime lead. That lead would be doubled in the second half before East Tennessee State picked up a consolation in the 67th minute, before UNCG added one more from the spot with 12 minutes to play. Hodgson played 78 minutes in her final collegiate appearance, tallying one shot that was on target in rounding out a career that sees the South Australian finish as the team’s career appearances record holder and one of just two ETSU players to collect multiple All-Southern Conference Tournament selections after adding to her 2016 nod with another for her performances this year.

Two more players saw their seasons come to an end this week without having much impact on their team’s fortunes, but both will be back for another crack next season. Neither Gaby Bentley and Lauren Featherstone were called upon as their Old Dominion and North Dakota State sides unfortunately fell in conference tournaments, putting an end to their campaigns with both out of the running for an NCAA Tournament at-large bid.

Full Schedule:

Albany (Claire Urquhart)

This week: defeated Massachusetts-Lowell 5-1

Claire Urquhart came off the bench to play the final minute in Albany’s America East Championship game victory over Massachusetts-Lowell. 

Colorado (Isobel Dalton) 

This week: lost 1-0 to Utah

Isobel Dalton did not feature in Colorado’s loss to Utah.

East Tennessee State (Isabel Hodgson) 

This week: lost 5-1 to UNC Greensboro

Isabel Hodgson played 79 minutes and tallied a shot on target in her final college match as East Tennessee State fell 5-1 to UNC Greensboro in the Southern Conference semi-finals. 

Fairleigh Dickinson (Sam Roff) 

This week: lost 2-1 to Central Connecticut State

Sam Roff played the full 90 minutes in Fairleigh Dickinson’s Northeast Conference semi-final loss to Central Connecticut State.

Grand Canyon (Sandra Hill)

This week: lost 2-1 to Utah Valley

Sandra Hill scored Grand Canyon’s only goal in the loss to Utah Valley in the WAC tournament quarter-finals. 

Hofstra (Monique Iannella, Grace Watson-Carr)

This week: defeated James Madison 2-0

Monique Iannella played the full 90 minutes in Hofstra’s CAA Championship win over James Madison, whilst reserve goalkeeper Grace Watson-Carr did not feature.

Illinois (Ashleigh Lefevre)

This week: lost 1-0 to Penn State

Ashleigh Lefevre came off the bench to play a single minute in Illinois’ Big Ten semi-final loss to Penn State.

LSU (Caitlin Cantrill) 

This week: defeated South Carolina 1-0; defeated Arkansas 4-1 on penalties (1-1 after extra time)

Caitlin Cantrill did not feature for LSU in either game this week as the Tigers secured the SEC Championship.

North Dakota State (Lauren Featherstone) 

This week: lost 3-0 to Denver

Lauren Featherstone did not feature in North Dakota State’s Summit League quarter-final loss to Denver.

Old Dominion (Gaby Bentley)

This week: lost 3-2 to Louisiana Tech (OT)

Gaby Bentley did not feature for Old Dominion in their overtime loss to Louisiana Tech in the Conference USA quarter-finals. 

St. Francis University (Shelby Milton) 

This week: defeated Mount St. Mary’s 4-0; lost 2-1 to Central Connecticut State

Shelby Milton came off the bench to play 27 minutes in St. Francis’ Northeast Conference semi-final win over Mount St. Mary’s, but did not feature in the championship game against Central Connecticut State. 

Stanford (Beattie Goad) 

This week: defeated California 2-0; defeated Arizona State 4-1

Beattie Goad played the full 90 minutes in Stanford’s win over California, tallying two shots with one on target before playing 53 minutes off the bench against Arizona State.

Texas Tech (Demi Koulizakis)

This week: lost 2-1 to Baylor (OT)

Demi Koulizakis came off the bench for Texas Tech in their Big 12 semi-final loss to Baylor, playing just two minutes. 

UCLA (Teagan Micah)

This week: defeated USC 3-2 (OT)

Teagan Micah played all 105 minutes of UCLA’s overtime victory over USC, making 8 saves.

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

This week: lost 2-1 to New Mexico (OT)

All four Australians started in Wyoming’s loss to New Mexico in the Mountain West Conference semi-finals. Annika Clayton was a star in midfield, playing 86 minutes and registering a single shot in the process. Jessie Gentle was ever-present at fullback, whilst Caitlin Pickett played 42 minutes. Indianna Asimus had her chances, finishing with four shots including two on target in a 78-minute performance.

Player of the Year Points:

3: Teagan Micah (UCLA)
2: Sandra Hill (Grand Canyon)
1: Isabel Hodgson (East Tennessee State)

2018 Week 12 Preview

15 teams featuring Australians remain standing heading into the final week of the regular season, and all have a shot of reaching the NCAA Tournament. How close each team is varies wildly, but nonetheless it looks set to be a thriller of a week.

(Featured Image Credit: University of Wyoming Media Relations)

It may be conference tournament season, but ironically enough the team with the best shot at a title won’t actually be playing in a tournament at all. That team is Beattie Goad’s Stanford outfit, whose Pac-12 conference champion is decided on league results. Coming into the final week, Stanford are tied atop the standings with USC, but have a rescheduled game against Arizona State in their pocket and as such are the only team to play two games this weekend. First up, the Cardinal take on local rivals California on the road at Berkeley, and with the Golden Bears sitting in 11th spot in the 12-team league, a win to clinch no less than a share of the title looks especially likely for a Stanford team that continues to roll on during an undefeated streak that now stretches the best part of two seasons. Stanford can then secure the title for themselves against Arizona State, where any points would be enough to make the result of USC’s game against third-placed UCLA game moot in terms of Stanford’s position.

Speaking of UCLA, Teagan Micah’s Bruins will play that game against local rivals USC at the StubHub Centre, home of the LA Galaxy, in a game that drew a crowd in excess of 10,000 last season when played on campus at UCLA. A win is the only way that UCLA can mount an unlikely challenge for the Pac-12 title, but even if Stanford’s results don’t go their way, a win against another top team will do wonders for their seeding in the NCAA Tournament.

Rounding out the Pac-12 is Isobel Dalton and Colorado, who need to get a result against Utah in their final match of the regular season to secure their own NCAA Tournament spot. As it stands, the Buffaloes are just about in, but dropping points to a Utah side that sits well below them in the RPI rankings would just about destroy any chance of Colorado holding onto that tournament spot. After a 16-game unbeaten run to start the season, making the tournament is essentially non-negotiable for the Buffaloes at this stage, but they’ll have to put in the work to get there, particularly after Utah were able to snatch a draw against USC last week.

Moving onto conference tournaments, two teams have already secured their spots in championship games in tournaments that started last weekend. Monique Iannella and Grace Watson-Carr’s Hofstra put together a pair of 1-0 wins against Delaware and Northeastern to secure their passage through to the CAA Championship game against James Madison, whilst an Albany side featuring Claire Urquhart has only Massachusetts-Lowell standing between them and a return trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Meanwhile, four other teams have made their way through to conference tournament semi-finals and find themselves two games away from capturing a conference championship and an NCAA Tournament berth. Caitlin Cantrill’s LSU side have probably done enough to secure an at-large bid regardless, but will still want to capture the SEC crown. They’ll face national title contender South Carolina, whilst in the Big 12, Demi Koulizakis and Texas Tech are in the same boat with a solid record to this point and a game against potential national #1 seed Baylor in the semi-finals not threatening to do any damage to their CV even if they were to suffer a loss.

Ashleigh Lefevre and Illinois sit right on the bubble, and facing Penn State in the Big Ten semi-finals not only gives the Illini a chance to reach the conference championship, but also really bolster their CV against a team that sits in the top 25 of the RPI rankings. Like LSU and Texas Tech, they may not need a conference title in order to reach the NCAA Tournament, but they  Isabel Hodgson and East Tennessee State, on the other hand, are in a completely different situation. Completely out of the race for an at-large bid, winning the Southern Conference championship is the only way the Buccaneers are going to earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament. They’ll face #2 seed UNC Greensboro in the semi-finals, and whilst the yearly body of work suggests that ETSU come in as underdogs, they do have a win against UNC Greensboro this season under their belts.

Five more teams start their own conference tournaments this week, but we can only see a maximum of four champions from this set as Sam Roff’s Fairleigh Dickinson side and Shelby Milton’s St. Francis outfit both reached the Northeast Conference tournament. The two sides faced off in last year’s championship game, with St. Francis emerging victorious on penalties, and with one team in each of the semi-finals in 2018, there is no reason the same matchup can’t occur again in this year’s tournament.

Lauren Featherstone and North Dakota State will also start in the semi-final round in the Summit League’s four-team tournament, facing Denver in the 2 v 3 matchup. All the numbers point towards a Denver victory in this one, but North Dakota State ran the Pioneers close in their regular season contest, falling 3-2 in a barnburner of a contest.

The Australian quartet at Wyoming earned their way to the semi-finals of the Mountain West Conference tournament through their regular season performance, securing a bye as the 2nd seed in the six-team tournament. The Cowgirls will take on fellow co-champions New Mexico, who defeated Colorado College in the 3 v 6 matchup earlier in the week. With the teams tied atop the table in the regular season, this looks certain to be a tight one, but Wyoming did defeat New Mexico 3-2 in the regular season.

Sandra Hill’s Grand Canyon and Gaby Bentley’s Old Dominion have also reached the WAC and Conference USA tournaments respectively, but if they’re going to secure an unlikely conference title, it’s going to happen the hard way as both will start in the quarter-finals. Grand Canyon will face Utah Valley in their first game of the WAC Tournament, and will start as slight favourites despite playing out a 0-0 draw with the Wolverines just 10 days ago. Meanwhile, Old Dominion will face Louisiana Tech in the 4 v 5 matchup in Conference USA. This is a game in which Old Dominion will start as slight favourites, but Louisiana Tech will be confident after winning their regular season matchup 3-2 in late September.

Full Schedule:

Albany (Claire Urquhart) 

This week: v Massachusetts-Lowell – 5am, Monday November 5 (America East Conference Championship Game) 

Colorado (Isobel Dalton)

This week: v Utah – 8am, Saturday November 3 

East Tennessee State (Isabel Hodgson)

This week: v UNC Greensboro – 9:30am, Saturday November 3 (Southern Conference Tournament Semi-Final)

Fairleigh Dickinson (Sam Roff)

This week: @ Central Connecticut State – 4am, Saturday November 3 (Northeast Conference Tournament Semi-Final)

Grand Canyon (Sandra Hill)

This week: @ Utah Valley – 8am, Thursday November 1 (WAC Tournament Quarter-Final) 

Hofstra (Monique Iannella, Grace Watson-Carr) 

This week: @ James Madison – 4am, Sunday November 4 (Colonial Athletic Association Championship Game) 

Illinois (Ashleigh Lefevre) 

This week: v Penn State – 2am, Saturday November 3 (Big Ten Conference Tournament Semi-Final) 

LSU (Caitlin Cantrill) 

This week: v South Carolina – 10am, Friday November 2 (SEC Tournament Semi-Final) 

North Dakota State (Lauren Featherstone)

This week: v Denver – 10am, Friday November 2 (Summit League Tournament Semi-Final) 

Old Dominion (Gaby Bentley) 

This week: v Louisiana Tech – 10am, Thursday November 1 (C-USA Tournament Quarter-Final) 

St. Francis University (Shelby Milton) 

This week: v Mount St. Mary’s – 7am, Saturday November 3 (Northeast Conference Tournament Semi-Final) 

Stanford (Beattie Goad) 

This week: @ California – 9am, Saturday November 3

Texas Tech (Demi Koulizakis)

This week: v Baylor – 8am, Sunday November 4 (Big 12 Conference Tournament Semi-Final) 

UCLA (Teagan Micah)

This week: v USC – 1pm, Saturday November 3 

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

This week: v New Mexico – 10am, Friday November 2 (Mountain West Conference Tournament Semi-Final)

2018 Week 11 Wrap

The number of Aussies left standing can only go down from here, but it was a fairly solid week of conference tournament play with a number of teams seeing their way through to next week. However, the news of the weekend was Wyoming clinching a share of the Mountain West Conference regular season title with a final day win over Colorado State.

Conference tournaments kicked off this week, with mixed fortunes for teams featuring Australians. Hofstra have perhaps been the most impressive to this point, with Monique Iannella a mainstay in the lineup for a Pride team that will play in the CAA championship game next weekend. Hofstra dominated Delaware in the quarterfinals, holding their opponents to just six shots for the entire game, all of which came in the first half. However, despite having the run of play for the whole evening, Hofstra could only tally a single 33rd minute goal, but secured a 1-0 victory to face perennial contenders Northeastern in the semi-finals. This time, it was Hofstra who found themselves under the pump throughout, but a ninth-minute goal from Lucy Porter on one of just two shots on target for the Pride proved enough as Northeastern were unable to convert any one of their twenty shots into a goal. Iannella played every minute of the two games, and Hofstra will now face James Madison in the conference title game. The Dukes have a link to Australia of their own – first-year head coach Josh Walters was an assistant at UCLA prior to moving to James Madison, and in fact helped to recruit Teagan Micah to the Bruins.

Unfortunately, Emma Heckenberg and Drexel were unable to join Hofstra in the semi-finals after falling 3-2 to Charleston in an overtime thriller. Heckenberg rattled off two shots, with one on target, in a game that saw Drexel rally from two goals down with an 87th minute equaliser before eventually giving up the golden goal winner with just five minutes remaining in extra time. The loss also spells the conclusion of an outstanding career for Heckenberg, who took a while to find her spot in the Drexel lineup, but eventually carved out her spot as an integral member of the Dragons’ team.

Isabel Hodgson also played the full 90 minutes in a defensive struggle against Mercer as East Tennessee State won their quarterfinal contest in the Southern Conference tournament. In a game that saw each team manage just six shots apiece, and it took East Tennessee State until the 80th minute to break the deadlock through Sarah Connolly. The Buccaneers will now face UNC Greensboro in the semi-finals, a team they beat 2-1 on their home patch in the regular season.

Demi Koulizakis and Texas Tech secured a win over Texas on the final day of the regular season to set up a Big 12 tournament quarterfinal against TCU. In a pulsating fixture that somehow failed to yield a goal, Koulizakis saw 14 minutes on the pitch before Texas Tech advanced after a 5-3 win on penalties.

Unfortunately, the remaining six Australians failed to see the pitch in their teams’ conference tournament matches. Ashleigh Lefevre’s Illinois, Claire Urquhart’s Albany and Caitlin Cantrill’s LSU sides remain in contention for conference titles next weekend, but for Freyja Murray’s Akron, Siena Senatore’s Southeast Missouri State and Kate Swartwout’s Western Carolina outfits, their next games will come in 2019 after falling in their own conference tournament games.

Back in league action, Wyoming came into their game against arch-rivals Colorado State knowing that a win would not only give them the 2nd seed in the Mountain West conference tournament, but also give them a chance of securing a share of the regular season title if Boise State were to lose later in the afternoon. On a windy day in Laramie, the Cowgirls had the edge in the first half despite running into the gale, and once the teams switched sides for the second half, Wyoming dominated. However, it took until the 76th minute for a ball pinging around in the box to finally be slotted home by Adalyn Vergara for the 1-0 victory. Whilst the Australian quartet weren’t involved in the goal, they were highly impressive. Indianna Asimus found herself in good positions on multiple occasions and should possibly have done better with her three shots, all of which went narrowly over the bar, whilst seniors Annika Clayton and Jessie Gentle saw out their careers at Laramie in style with solid performances. Caitlin Pickett also started, but came out of the game after 33 minutes. As it turns out, Boise State did fall in their final game of the season against Utah State, handing Wyoming and New Mexico a three-way split of the league title ahead of next week’s conference tournament.

Beattie Goad has been given a slightly increased role in the Stanford lineup of late, and the junior continued to be a threat for the nation’s top team as the Cardinal continued to extend their unbeaten streak. Earning the start in Stanford’s 2-0 win over Washington, Goad was solid in midfield and managed to tally a single shot before showing more promise against Washington State. The junior tallied another two shots, forcing a point-blank save from Cougars’ goalkeeper Rachel Thompson in a game that looked certain to end in a Stanford win. However, a calamitous misplay at the back from Stanford allowed Washington State to tally an open-goal equaliser late on, and with neither team able to break the deadlock in extra time, the spoils were shared in a 1-1 draw.

Full Schedule: 

Akron (Freyja Murray)

This week: defeated Buffalo 3-2; lost 1-0 to Western Michigan

Freyja Murray did not feature for Akron in either game this week as the Zips’ season ended with a first-round conference tournament loss to Western Michigan.

Albany (Claire Urquhart)

This week: defeated New Hampshire 1-0; defeated Hartford 1-0

Claire Urquhart did not feature for Albany in either game this week as Albany advanced to the America East conference championship game.

Chicago State (Sarah Clark) 

This week: lost 8-0 to UMKC

Sarah Clark did not feature for Chicago State in their loss to UMKC.

Colorado (Isobel Dalton)

This week: lost 1-0 to USC; lost 2-1 to UCLA

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

Drexel (Emma Heckenberg)

This week: lost 3-2 to Charleston (OT)

Emma Heckenberg played all 104 minutes in her final game of college soccer, registering two shots with one on target in Drexel’s season-ending loss to Charleston.

East Tennessee State (Isabel Hodgson) 

This week: defeated Mercer 1-0

Isabel Hodgson played the full 90 minutes as East Tennessee State advanced to the Southern Conference tournament semi-finals with a 1-0 win over Mercer.

Fairleigh Dickinson (Sam Roff)

This week: lost 1-0 to Sacred Heart

Sam Roff played the full 90 minutes for Fairleigh Dickinson in their loss to Sacred Heart.

Grand Canyon (Sandra Hill)

This week: drew 3-3 with Cal State Bakersfield

Sandra Hill started and played all 110 minutes for Grand Canyon in their thrilling draw with Cal State Bakersfield.

Hawaii (Kiri Dale)

This week: defeated UC Riverside 2-0; lost 2-1 to Cal State Fullerton

Kiri Dale started both games this week, registering a shot in 68 minutes against UC Riveride before tallying another in the dying seconds of Hawaii’s season-ending loss to Cal State Fullerton as part of a 35-minute performance. 

Hofstra (Monique Iannella, Grace Watson-Carr)

This week: defeated Delaware 1-0; defeated Northeastern 1-0

Monique Iannella played the full 90 minutes on both occasions this week as Hofstra advanced to the CAA championship game with a pair of 1-0 wins. Reserve goalkeeper Grace Watson-Carr did not feature in either game. 

Illinois (Ashleigh Lefevre)

This week: defeated Wisconsin 3-0 on penalties (0-0 after extra time)

Ashleigh Lefevre did not feature as Illinois defeated Wisconsin on penalties to advance to the Big Ten tournament semi-finals.

LSU (Caitlin Cantrill) 

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

Caitlin Cantrill did not feature for LSU in either game this week as the Tigers advanced to the SEC tournament semi-finals with an overtime win over Missouri.

Marshall (Laura Farrelly) 

This week: lost 2-0 to Western Kentucky

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

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

This week: lost 4-0 to Southeastern Louisiana

Kristy Helmers came off the bench for Nicholls State in their loss to Southeastern Louisiana to play 42 minutes, whilst Tenille Harberger and Tessa Calabria did not feature. 

North Dakota State (Lauren Featherstone) 

This week: defeated South Dakota 1-0

Lauren Featherstone did not feature for North Dakota State in their win over South Dakota. 

Old Dominion (Gaby Bentley) 

This week: defeated North Texas 4-0

Gaby Bentley came off the bench for Old Dominion in their win over North Texas, playing 23 minutes and registering a single shot on target.

Southeast Missouri State (Siena Senatore)

This week: defeated Belmont 4-3 on penalties (0-0 after extra time); lost 3-2 on penalties to Eastern Illinois (1-1 after extra time)

Siena Senatore did not feature for Southeast Missouri State in either game this week as the Redhawks’ season ended in a shootout loss to Eastern Illinois.

St. Francis University (Shelby Milton) 

This week: lost 1-0 to Central Connecticut State; defeated Wagner 5-0

Shelby Milton did not feature for St. Francis in their loss to Central Connecticut State, but came off the bench play 27 minutes in the win over Wagner.

Stanford (Beattie Goad)

This week: defeated Washington 2-0; drew 1-1 with Washington State

Beattie Goad started and tallied a shot in 49 minutes in the win over Washington before coming off the bench to register two shots in 52 minutes against Washington State, with one on target. 

Texas Tech (Demi Koulizakis) 

This week: defeated Texas 1-0; defeated TCU 5-3 on penalties (0-0 after extra time)

Demi Koulizakis came off the bench in both games this week, playing 24 minutes in the win over Texas and 14 minutes in the shootout victory over TCU that handed Texas Tech a Big 12 tournament semi-final berth. 

UCLA (Teagan Micah) 

This week: defeated Utah 5-1; defeated Colorado 2-1

Teagan Micah played the full 90 minutes against Utah but did not make a save before playing the second half against Colorado, making one save and giving up the one goal that UCLA conceded. 

Western Carolina (Kate Swartwout) 

This week: lost 1-0 to Furman

Kate Swartwout did not feature for Western Carolina in their season-ending Southern Conference tournament loss to Furman. 

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

This week: defeated Colorado State 1-0

All four Aussies started for Wyoming in their win over Colorado State. Annika Clayton played 82 minutes, whilst Jessie Gentle was a menace out wide for her 86 minutes. Indianna Asimus registered three shots, all of which went narrowly over the bar, in her 62 minutes on the pitch, whilst Caitlin Pickett played 33 minutes.

Player of the Year Points:

3: Indianna Asimus (Wyoming)
2: Beattie Goad (Stanford)
1: Emma Heckenberg (Drexel)

2018 Week 11 Preview

21 teams featuring Aussies remain in the mix for the NCAA Tournament, and with six of those teams kicking off conference tournaments this week, it’s certainly crunch time for a number of players. Meanwhile, the thrilling fight for conference tournament spots in the Northeast Conference continues with Fairleigh Dickinson and Saint Francis right in the mix coming into the final matchday.

(Featured Image Credit: Jonathan Heisler, Hofstra University)

Six conference tournaments featuring Aussies kick off this weekend, with those players set to have varying degrees of impact on their teams’ fortunes. Undoubtedly, the two tournaments to watch this week are the Southern Conference and Colonial Athletic Association tournaments, both of which feature multiple teams for whom Aussies have played integral roles in getting them this far.

In the Southern Conference, both Isabel Hodgson’s East Tennessee State side and Kate Swartwout’s Western Carolina outfit have both earned spots in the tournament, with both teams earning byes to the quarter-finals as the 3rd and 4th seeds. Hodgson and the Buccaneers will face 6th seeded Mercer in their first game, whilst Swartwout’s Catamounts side face a Furman side that is usually among the contenders but has slipped to 5th this season. Although both sides come in as the higher seeds, neither of these games will be easy and coming in to the game in top form is an absolute must if both Hodgson and Swartwout are to advance.

Meanwhile, in the Colonial, a Hofstra team featuring Monique Iannella and Grace Watson-Carr will be hoping to go back-to-back, whilst Emma Heckenberg and Drexel are looking to go a couple of steps further than last year’s semi-final defeat to Northeastern. Both Iannella and Heckenberg have played vital roles to this point, and with Hofstra and Drexel on opposite sides of the draw, don’t bet against an Aussie v Aussie final in what has been a tight conference all season.

Ashleigh Lefevre is one more player we may see a bit of this week as Illinois head into the Big Ten tournament, where they will face Wisconsin on the road in the first round. Used occasionally off the bench, how much time Lefevre sees in these crunch games remains to be seen but the freshman certainly has done a job when called upon in past games. Siena Senatore, Claire Urquhart, and Caitlin Cantrill have also reached their respective conference tournaments with Southeast Missouri State, Albany, and LSU, but given the events of the season to this point, unfortunately it is unlikely that the trio will see any playing time this week.

Shelby Milton and Saint Francis may have knocked off Sam Roff and Fairleigh Dickinson last week, but both teams remain right in the mix for spots in next week’s Northeast Conference tournament. In a league with a four-team tournament, the teams form part of a three-way tie for second place on 13 points, with fifth-placed Mount St. Mary’s two points back. Both teams have a real chance to pick up a win in this last week of league play to cement their spots in the tournament, with Fairleigh Dickinson taking on Sacred Heart and Saint Francis facing Wagner. Saint Francis are also the only team in the league to play two games this week, but that additional game comes against league leaders Central Connecticut State, who have been all but untouchable in conference play to this point.

Amazingly, the Mountain West Conference league title could be shared between four teams this season, and Aussie-laden Wyoming are one of those teams. One of three teams sitting three points behind league leaders Boise State, a win against arch-rivals Colorado State on their home patch combined with other results could see the Cowgirls snag an unexpected share of the regular season title.

Whilst the Pac-12 does not feature a conference tournament, that doesn’t mean the premier conference in the nation isn’t building to a thrilling conclusion. Isobel Dalton and Colorado may have had their slender hopes of a conference title crushed by Beattie Goad’s Stanford side with a 7-0 loss last week, but the Buffaloes remain a decent chance of picking up an NCAA Tournament berth, but they’ll have to navigate a tough path to do so. Dalton’s side face national heavyweights UCLA and USC this week, and will almost certainly have to pick up at least one result to retain their at-large hopes before facing Utah in their final game of the regular season next weekend. Meanwhile, Beattie Goad and Stanford are sitting pretty tied atop the standings with USC with a game in hand and a favourable run home. The Cardinal travel north this week to face mid-table Washington as well as Washington State, who have lost five games on the trot to all but destroy any hopes the Cougars had of reaching the NCAA Tournament after winning their first ten games. Finally, Teagan Micah and UCLA may be out of league title contention, but can still nab a national seed for the NCAA Tournament with a good finish to the season. Their game against aforementioned Colorado will be a chance to put another decent win on the board, and with Micah back to her best after her recent concussion scare and Hailie Mace and Jessie Fleming back from US and Canadian national team duties respectively, the Bruins will be heavily favoured, although Dalton and Colorado will be desperate to bounce back from last week’s loss to Stanford in what will be a crucial game for both sides for different reasons.

Full Schedule: 

Akron (Freyja Murray)

This week: @ Buffalo – 6am, Friday October 26 

Albany (Claire Urquhart) 

This week: v New Hampshire – 10am, Friday October 26 (America East Tournament 1st Round)

Chicago State (Sarah Clark)

This week: @ UMKC – 5am, Sunday October 28 

Colorado (Isobel Dalton) 

This week: v USC – 8am, Friday October 26; v UCLA – 7am, Monday October 29

Drexel (Emma Heckenberg)

This week: v Charleston – 4am, Saturday October 27 (CAA Tournament First Round)

East Tennessee State (Isabel Hodgson) 

This week: v Mercer – 4am, Monday October 29 (Southern Conference Tournament First Round) 

Fairleigh Dickinson (Sam Roff)

This week: v Sacred Heart – 4am, Monday October 29

Grand Canyon (Sandra Hill)

This week: @ Cal State Bakersfield – 11am, Saturday October 27

Hawaii (Kiri Dale)

This week: v UC Riverside – 4pm, Friday October 26; v Cal State Fullerton – 11am, Monday October 29 

Hofstra (Monique Iannella, Grace Watson-Carr)

This week: v Delaware – 4am, Saturday October 27 (CAA Tournament First Round)

Illinois (Ashleigh Lefevre) 

This week: @ Wisconsin – 4am, Monday October 29 (Big Ten Tournament First Round)

LSU (Caitlin Cantrill)

This week: @ Mississippi State – 11am, Friday October 26; TBD (SEC Tournament) 

Marshall (Laura Farrelly)

This week: @ Western Kentucky – 11am, Saturday October 27

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

This week: @ Southeastern Louisiana – 11am, Saturday October 27 

North Dakota State (Lauren Featherstone)

This week: @ South Dakota – 7am, Saturday October 27

Old Dominion (Gaby Bentley) 

This week: v Charlotte – 10am, Saturday October 27

Southeast Missouri State (Siena Senatore) 

This week: v Belmont – 4am, Saturday October 27 (Ohio Valley Conference Tournament First Round) 

St. Francis University (Shelby Milton)

This week: v Central Connecticut State – 6am, Saturday October 27; v Wagner – 3am, Monday October 29 

Stanford (Beattie Goad)

This week: @ Washington – 11am, Friday October 26; @ Washington State – 7am, Monday October 29

Texas Tech (Demi Koulizakis)

This week: v Texas – 11:15am, Friday October 26

UCLA (Teagan Micah) 

This week: v Colorado – 7am, Monday October 29

Western Carolina (Kate Swartwout)

This week: v Furman – 10am, Sunday October 28 (Southern Conference Tournament First Round)

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

This week: v Colorado State – 8am, Saturday October 27

2018 Week 10 Wrap

Extended time on the pitch has not been forthcoming for Beattie Goad recently, but the Stanford junior took full advantage of her chance to star for the Cardinal as the nation’s top team continued their march towards back-to-back titles. Elsewhere, Emma Heckenberg continued to exhibit her talent at dead ball situations to help Drexel grab a vital win.

(Featured Image Credit: Stanford Athletics)

Given her chance after an injury to teammate Sophia Smith early in the second first half of Stanford’s game against Utah, Beattie Goad took full advantage in her unexpected extended stint on the field. After a short stint on the field late in the first half, Goad was called upon just after halftime after Smith went down following a crunching tackle, and set about asserting herself. In 44 minutes on the pitch, Goad tallied three shots, positioning herself well throughout the second half both deep in midfield and higher up the pitch. But the moment of the match for the junior was surely her second goal of the season. Making a perfect run in behind, Goad picked up Jordan DiBiasi’s delightful through ball and finished across the goalkeeper to double Stanford’s lead to 2-0 and ensure that the Cardinal’s unbeaten streak would be extended. Goad rounded out her weekend with an assist in Stanford’s 7-0 rout of Isobel Dalton’s Colorado side as the Cardinal left no doubt as to the top team in the Pac-12, extinguishing the Buffaloes’ conference title charge with the dominant win. The Victorian, along with teammate Kiki Pickett, combined to tee superstar Catarina Macario for Stanford’s third goal inside the first half-hour, a sign of things to come throughout the rest of the afternoon.

Emma Heckenberg also chipped in an assist on a weekend that saw Drexel pick up a pair of wins to secure their spot in the Colonial Athletic Association conference tournament. After a solid 90-minute performance in the Dragons’ 1-0 upset win over Northeastern that earned the team a bonus three points of sorts, Drexel came into their game against Elon on a high. That confidence turned to goals, with Heckenberg heavily involved in the attack. Aside from tallying two shots with one on target, the senior once again demonstrated her prowess at set pieces, whipping in a free kick from deep that found teammate Lauren Currey for the Dragons’ second goal ten minutes from time to seal the 2-0 win and a spot in the conference tournament.

Wyoming have become the masters of overtime this season, and this week picked up their fourth win in the extra minutes this season to continue their march towards a high seed in the Mountain West tournament. After demolishing Nevada 4-0 earlier in the week, Wyoming looked set to defeat UNLV as they took a 1-0 lead into the final five minutes. However, a contentious penalty call handed UNLV their chance which was duly taken. However, Wyoming rebounded in the 9th minute of the first overtime period to see Madison Barrick score the golden goal for the 2-1 victory. Whilst the Australian quartet did not manage any of the goals, they did combine for five of the Cowgirls’ 16 shots. Indianna Asimus and Caitlin Pickett tallied one apiece, whilst Annika Clayton dominated the midfield as per usual whilst also managing to get forward and have three attempts on goal, of which one was on target.

Full Schedule:

Akron (Freyja Murray)

This week: defeated Bowling Green 1-0; defeated Toledo 1-0

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

Albany (Claire Urquhart)

This week: defeated UMBC 4-0; defeated Binghamton 1-0

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

Chicago State (Sarah Clark) 

This week: lost 2-0 to UTRGV

Sarah Clark did not feature for Chicago State in their loss to UTRGV. 

Colorado (Isobel Dalton)

This week: defeated California 3-0; lost 7-0 to Stanford

Isobel Dalton came off the bench in both games this week, playing 5 minutes against California and 8 minutes in the loss to Stanford. 

Drexel (Emma Heckenberg) 

This week: defeated Northeastern 1-0; defeated Elon 2-0

Emma Heckenberg played the full 90 minutes in both games this week, tallying an assist and two shots in the win over Elon, of which one was on target.

East Tennessee State (Isabel Hodgson) 

This week: lost 2-1 to Mercer (OT); lost 2-1 to The Citadel (OT)

Isabel Hodgson played all 102 minutes in the loss to Mercer, before following up with another complete game performance as East Tennessee State conceded a 105th minute winner to The Citadel, a game in which Hodgson finished with two shots. 

Fairleigh Dickinson (Sam Roff)

This week: lost 2-1 to St. Francis (OT)

Sam Roff started and played all 95 minutes for Fairleigh Dickinson in their loss to St. Francis.

Georgia Southern (Hannah Allen)

This week: lost 3-1 to Arkansas State; lost 1-0 to Arkansas-Little Rock

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

Grand Canyon (Sandra Hill)

This week: defeated New Mexico State 1-0; drew 0-0 with Utah Valley

Sandra Hill started both games for Grand Canyon this week, playing 68 minutes in the win over New Mexico State and 40 minutes against Utah Valley.

Hawaii (Kiri Dale) 

This week: defeated Cal Poly 4-0; lost 1-0 to UC Santa Barbara

Kiri Dale came off the bench for Hawaii in both games this week, tallying a single shot in 52 minutes against Cal Poly and playing 28 minutes in the loss to UC Santa Barbara.

Hofstra (Monique Iannella, Grace Watson-Carr)

This week: defeated Charleston 1-0

Monique Iannella played all 90 minutes for Hofstra in their win over Charleston, whilst reserve goalkeeper Grace Watson-Carr did not feature for the Pride. 

Illinois (Ashleigh Lefevre)

This week: lost 2-1 to Northwestern; defeated Nebraska 2-1

Ashleigh Lefevre came off the bench in both games this week, playing 9 minutes against Northwestern and 13 minutes in the win over Nebraska.

La Salle (Claudia Jenkins, Alyssa Van Heurck)

This week: lost 1-0 to George Mason; lost 4-2 to VCU

Claudia Jenkins played the full 90 minutes in both games this week, making four saves on each occasion. Alyssa Van Heurck also started both games, playing 40 minutes against George Mason and 42 minutes in the loss to VCU. 

LSU (Caitlin Cantrill) 

This week: lost 2-1 to Tennessee (OT); defeated South Carolina 2-1 (OT)

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

Marshall (Laura Farrelly)

This week: drew 2-2 with Louisiana Tech

Laura Farrelly did not feature for Marshall in their draw with Louisiana Tech. 

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

This week: lost 4-0 to Central Arkansas; lost 3-2 to Northwestern State (OT)

Kristy Helmers came off the bench in both games this week, playing 32 minutes against Central Arkansas and registering one shot in 52 minutes against Northwestern State. Neither Tessa Calabria nor Tenille Harberger featured in either game this week. 

North Dakota State (Lauren Featherstone) 

This week: defeated Oral Roberts 1-0 (OT); lost 1-0 to Nebraska-Omaha

Lauren Featherstone came off the bench in both games this week, playing 4 minutes against Oral Roberts and tallying a shot in 13 minutes against Nebraska-Omaha.

Old Dominion (Gaby Bentley)

This week: defeated UTSA 2-0; drew 2-2 with UTEP

Gaby Bentley came off the bench in both games this week, playing 4 minutes against UTSA and 9 minutes against UTEP. 

Southeast Missouri State (Siena Senatore) 

This week: lost 2-1 to Belmont; defeated Austin Peay 2-1

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

St. Francis University (Shelby Milton) 

This week: defeated Fairleigh Dickinson 2-1 (OT)

Shelby Milton did not feature for St. Francis in their win over Fairleigh Dickinson. 

Stanford (Beattie Goad)

This week: defeated Utah 2-0; defeated Colorado 7-0

Beattie Goad starred off the bench for Stanford, tallying the Cardinal’s second goal with one of her three shots in 44 minutes against Utah before adding an assist and another shot in 58 minutes in the 7-0 drubbing of Colorado.

Texas Tech (Demi Koulizakis) 

This week: lost 2-0 to TCU

Demi Koulizakis came off the bench for Texas Tech in their loss to TCU, playing 22 minutes and tallying a single shot.

Towson (Jodie Burchell) 

This week: lost 4-3 to UNC Wilmington (OT)

Jodie Burchell started for Towson in their overtime loss to UNC Wilmington, playing 37 minutes.

UCLA (Teagan Micah) 

This week: defeated Oregon 2-1; defeated Oregon State 6-0

Teagan Micah played the full 90 minutes against Oregon and made one save, but did not feature against Oregon State – a game in which the UCLA defence gave up a total of zero shots on target in any case. 

Western Carolina (Kate Swartwout)

This week: defeated The Citadel 3-0; defeated Mercer 1-0 (OT)

Kate Swartwout came off the bench to play 21 minutes against The Citadel, but did not feature in the win over Mercer.

William & Mary (Lorena Bugden)

This week: lost 2-0 to Delaware; lost 1-0 to Northeastern

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

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

This week: defeated Nevada 4-0; defeated UNLV 2-1 (OT)

Annika Clayton started both games this week, playing 55 minutes against Nevada and finishing with 3 shots in 84 minutes against UNLV. Jessie Gentle saw 54 minutes of action against Nevada and played the full 99 minutes in the win over UNLV. Caitlin Pickett also played 54 minutes against Nevada, before tallying a single shot in 53 minutes against UNLV. Indianna Asimus played 65 minutes in the win over Nevada and registered a shot in 66 minutes against UNLV.

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.

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