2018 Week 6 Preview

Aussies face each other on both sides of the country this week as Kiri Dale takes on Sandra Hill and Lauren Featherstone in a tournament in Honolulu, whilst Jodie Burchell faces Monique Iannella and Lorena Bugden in Towson’s first two conference games. Elsewhere, Sam Roff and the Fairleigh Dickinson defence look to keep things tight at the back against a Mount St. Mary’s team that has had enough troubles scoring goals as it is.

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(Featured Image Credit: Michael Rincon)

Kiri Dale and Hawaii play host to a pair of other teams featuring Australians this week as Sandra Hill’s Grand Canyon outfit and a North Dakota State team featuring Lauren Featherstone head to Manoa for a small tournament prior to conference play kicking off next week. Both Hawaii and North Dakota State have put together decent records approaching the .500 mark to this point, but for Grand Canyon this week provides a chance to continue rebuilding their season as a pair of wins last week lifted the Antelopes from 1-7 to 3-7. With all three Aussies seeing playing time of late and the teams fairly evenly matched, this is certainly a set of games worth watching.

The Colonial Athletic Association is stacked with Aussies, and it shows this week as Jodie Burchell and Towson kick off conference play against another pair of teams featuring Australians. The Tigers face perennial contenders Hofstra in their first game of the week, where they will face a Pride defence featuring Monique Iannella that finds itself in good form of late after keeping two clean sheets last week. Towson then face a William & Mary side featuring Lorena Bugden in their second game of the week, and although this game appears to be the Tigers’ best chance of victory this week, they will still come in as slight underdogs in this one. Home advantage may give Burchell and the Tigers the leg-up they need though as they look to get off to a good start in league play.

Claudia Jenkins has stepped into the void left by La Salle legend Larisa Zambelli superbly, and the Explorers would love for the South Australian goalkeeper to continue that outstanding form as they look to make a return trip to the NCAA Tournament. Starting their Atlantic 10 campaign with a local derby against St. Joseph’s, this game shapes to be a battle between two of the league’s true contenders, particularly given the fact both teams have shown outstanding form in the non-conference season. However, St. Joseph’s don’t have the most potent offence in the country, and with Jenkins giving up just five goals in seven games, La Salle’s defence – which also features fellow Australian Alyssa Van Heurck at times – could prove to be the difference as the Explorers look to hit the ground running in conference action.

Sam Roff and Fairleigh Dickinson fell on penalties in the Northeast Conference championship game last season, and in a conference where only Central Connecticut State have shown any really strong non-conference form, the league is wide open for any team that can get off to a good start. Although the Knights have won just two of their ten games to this point, they start league play against a Mount St. Mary’s outfit with just one win in seven games and only four goals so far this season, of which two came in their sole win of the campaign against Howard. As was the case in 2017, the Fairleigh Dickinson defence hasn’t been at its absolute best in non-conference play, but if they can reprise their conference form of last season, scoring goals will be tough not only for a team like Mount St. Mary’s, but for every team in the NEC.

Wyoming limped home last season to miss the Mountain West conference tournament after losing five of their last six games of the 2017 campaign, but come into this year’s league slate as one of the form teams in the conference after compiling a 5-1-2 record to this point. All four Australians – Caitlin Pickett, Indianna Asimus, Jessie Gentle, and Annika Clayton – have played vital roles for the Cowgirls to this point, and they will look to continue their good form having been given a favourable draw to open the conference slate. San Diego State usually prove to be one of the league contenders, but after winning just two of their eight non-conference games, catching the Aztecs at the start of league play may allow Wyoming to snare a result before San Diego State have the chance to regain winning form. Their second opponent of the week, New Mexico, are faring better at 4-3-0, which also appears to a fair reflection on the team’s quality. Despite being on the road, Wyoming will see themselves as favourites in this one and will have eyes firmly fixed on picking up six points from the first weekend of conference play.

Full Schedule:

Akron (Freyja Murray)

This week: @ Western Michigan – 6am, Saturday September 22; @ Northern Illinois – 4am, Monday September 24 

Chicago State (Sarah Clark)

This week: @ Fort Wayne – 5am, Sunday September 23 

Colorado (Isobel Dalton)

This week: @ Oregon State – 9am, Saturday September 22

Drexel (Emma Heckenberg) 

This week: v James Madison – 9am, Friday September 21; @ Charleston – 2am, Monday September 24

East Tennessee State (Isabel Hodgson)

This week: v Furman – 9am, Saturday September 22; v Wofford – 4am, Monday September 24

Fairleigh Dickinson (Sam Roff)

This week: @ Mount St. Mary’s – 3am, Monday September 24 

Georgia Southern (Hannah Allen)

This week: v Appalachian State – 9am, Monday September 24

Grand Canyon (Sandra Hill)

This week: @ Hawaii – 1pm, Monday September 24

Hawaii (Kiri Dale) 

This week: v North Dakota State – 10am, Sunday September 23; v Grand Canyon – 1pm, Monday September 24 

Hofstra (Monique Iannella, Grace Watson-Carr) 

This week: v Towson – 9am, Friday September 21; @ James Madison – 3am, Monday September 24

Illinois (Ashleigh Lefevre) 

This week: v Ohio State – 10am, Friday September 21; v Penn State – 10am, Sunday September 23 

La Salle (Claudia Jenkins, Alyssa Van Heurck)

This week: @ Davidson – 9am, Friday September 21; v Saint Joseph’s – 3am, Monday September 24 

LSU (Caitlin Cantrill)

This week: v Auburn – 10am, Friday September 21; @ Florida – 3am, Monday September 24

Marshall (Laura Farrelly)

This week: @ UTEP – 11am, Friday September 21; v Florida International – 3am, Monday September 24

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

This week: @ Incarnate Word – 8am, Saturday September 22; @ Abilene Christian – 4am, Monday September 24 

North Dakota State (Lauren Featherstone)

This week: @ Hawaii – 10am, Sunday September 23

Old Dominion (Gaby Bentley)

This week: @ Louisiana Tech – 9am, Saturday September 22

Southeast Missouri State (Siena Senatore)

This week: @ Jacksonville State – 4am, Monday September 24 

St. Francis University (Shelby Milton) 

This week: @ Long Island-Brooklyn – 3am, Sunday September 23

Stanford (Beattie Goad)

This week: v Arizona – 1pm, Saturday September 22 

Texas Tech (Demi Koulizakis)

This week: v West Virginia – 10:15am, Saturday September 22; v Iowa State – 3am, Monday September 24 

Towson (Jodie Burchell) 

This week: @ Hofstra – 9am, Friday September 21; v William & Mary – 3am, Monday September 24

UCLA (Teagan Micah)

This week: v Washington State – 1pm, Saturday September 22 

Western Carolina (Kate Swartwout)

This week: v Wofford – 9am, Saturday September 22; v Furman – 6am, Monday September 24

William & Mary (Lorena Bugden)

This week: @ Charleston – 9am, Friday September 21; @ Towson – 4am, Monday September 24

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

This week: @ San Diego State – 12pm, Saturday September 22; @ New Mexico – 4:30am, Monday September 24

2018 Week 5 Wrap

Postponements and cancellations may have thrown a spanner in the works slightly as Hurricane Florence wreaked havoc on the US Southeast, but in other parts of the country, a few Aussies popped up with solid performances to drive their teams to victory, including Monique Iannella and Annika Clayton.

(Featured Image Credit: Hofstra Athletic Communications)

The 18-yard area isn’t usually Monique Iannella’s turf in attack, but the senior fullback found herself in exactly that position in scoring Hofstra’s opener in their win over Columbia. Iannella banged home an 11th minute penalty for her first career goal to send Hofstra on their way, rolling to a 2-0 win over their fellow New Yorkers. Back on home turf against local rivals Stony Brook, Iannella and the Hofstra defence kept their opponents to just six shots for the game as the Pride secured a 1-0 win courtesy of a 71st minute goal.

Wyoming may only have played one game this week, but that was more than enough time for the Aussie Cowgirls to yet again make an impact as the team from Laramie picked up a 2-1 win over Southern Utah. Wyoming fell behind in the first half to a goal just shy of the half-hour mark, but Annika Clayton teed up Sekoya Romero for the 68th minute equaliser. The Cowgirls then picked up the winner in the 84th minute, with the goal initially awarded to Aussie freshman Caitlin Pickett but then changed to a Southern Utah own goal after the ball ricocheted off a Thunderbirds defender following a post-free kick scramble in the box.

Claudia Jenkins again came up trumps for La Salle as the Explorers moved to 5-1-1 heading into conference play with a 2-1 win over Sam Roff and Fairleigh Dickinson. La Salle gave up 11 shots in the win, with Jenkins coming up with saves on three of the four that were on target, which proved to be enough as it took a 75th minute penalty for the Knights to get the ball past the South Australian. But the Explorers would prevail, with two early goals enough to keep their opponents at bay and extend their unbeaten streak to three games. 

Full Schedule:

Akron (Freyja Murray) 

This week: defeated Robert Morris 3-1

Freyja Murray did not feature for Akron in their win over Robert Morris. 

Albany (Claire Urquhart) 

This week: defeated Northeastern 3-1; lost 3-2 to Dartmouth

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

Chicago State (Sarah Clark) 

This week: lost 5-3 to Western Illinois; lost 8-0 to Indiana State

Sarah Clark started both games for Chicago State this week, playing 53 minutes and registering a shot against Western Illinois, before playing 28 minutes against Indiana State.

Colorado (Isobel Dalton)

This week: defeated Utah Valley 3-0; defeated Denver 2-1

Isobel Dalton came off the bench in both games for Colorado this week, playing 12 minutes against Utah Valley and 5 minutes in the win over Denver. 

Drexel (Emma Heckenberg)

This week: lost 2-1 to Providence (OT); drew 0-0 with Princeton

Emma Heckenberg started both games for Drexel this week, playing 84 minutes against Providence and 104 minutes against Princeton.

Fairleigh Dickinson (Sam Roff) 

This week: lost 2-1 to La Salle; drew 1-1 with Hartford

Sam Roff played every minute of the weekend for Fairleigh Dickinson, registering a shot on target in the draw with Hartford.

Georgia Southern (Hannah Allen)

This week: defeated Georgia State 2-0; match v Louisiana cancelled due to Hurricane Florence

Hannah Allen did not feature for Georgia Southern in their win over Georgia State. 

Grand Canyon (Sandra Hill)

This week: defeated Portland State 4-1; defeated Cal State Fullerton 2-1

Sandra Hill started both games this week, playing 56 minutes against Portland State before registering a single shot in a complete game performance against Cal State Fullerton.

Hawaii (Kiri Dale)

This week: drew 1-1 with Nevada; lost 2-0 to San Francisco

Kiri Dale played every minute of Hawaii’s two games this weekend, registering two shots with one on target in the draw with Nevada.

Hofstra (Monique Iannella, Grace Watson-Carr) 

This week: defeated Columbia 2-0; defeated Stony Brook 1-0

Monique Iannella played the full 90 minutes against Columbia and slotted a penalty, before playing 82 minutes in the win over Stony Brook. Grace Watson-Carr did not feature for Hofstra in either game this week.

Illinois (Ashleigh Lefevre) 

This week: defeated Minnesota 2-0; lost 1-0 to Wisconsin (OT)

Ashleigh Lefevre came off the bench to play 10 minutes against Minnesota, but did not feature in the overtime loss to Wisconsin.

La Salle (Claudia Jenkins, Alyssa Van Heurck)

This week: defeated Fairleigh Dickinson 2-1

Claudia Jenkins played all 90 minutes for La Salle in their win over Fairleigh Dickinson, making 3 saves, whilst Alyssa Van Heurck came off the bench to play just mere seconds at the end of the first half.

LSU (Caitlin Cantrill)

This week: lost 3-0 to Texas A&M; lost 2-1 to Cincinnati

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

Marshall (Laura Farrelly)

This week: lost 2-1 to Florida Atlantic

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

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

This week: match v Lamar postponed due to field conditions; match v Southern abandoned after 55 minutes due to lightning

Despite leading 5-1, Nicholls State’s game against Southern was ruled a no-contest as the game did not reach 70 minutes of play due to lightning. Kristy Helmers had played 23 minutes when the game was called off. 

Old Dominion (Gaby Bentley) 

This week: match v North Texas cancelled due to Hurricane Florence; defeated Richmond 4-1

Gaby Bentley came off the bench for Old Dominion in their win over Richmond, playing 24 minutes. 

Southeast Missouri State (Siena Senatore)

This week: lost 4-1 to Murray State; lost 1-0 to Tennessee-Martin

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 Duquesne; lost 2-0 to West Virginia

Shelby Milton started and played 17 minutes in St. Francis’ loss to Duquesne, but did not feature in the loss to West Virginia. 

Stanford (Beattie Goad)

This week: defeated Cal Poly 3-0; drew 1-1 with Santa Clara

Beattie Goad came off the bench in both games this week, playing 34 minutes against Cal Poly and tallying a single shot from distance in her 19 minutes against Santa Clara.

Texas Tech (Demi Koulizakis)

This week: defeated Cal State Northridge 2-0; defeated Loyola Marymount 2-0

Demi Koulizakis came off the bench in both games this week, tallying a shot in 22 minutes against Cal State Northridge before playing 7 minutes in the win over Loyola Marymount. 

Towson (Jodie Burchell)

This week: lost 1-0 to Pennsylvania

Jodie Burchell came off the bench to play 14 minutes in Towson’s loss to Pennsylvania.

UCLA (Teagan Micah)

This week: defeated Loyola Marymount 3-0; defeated San Diego State 3-0

Teagan Micah did not feature for UCLA in their win over Loyola Marymount, but played the full game against San Diego State, although the junior was not required to make a save in keeping a clean sheet.

William & Mary (Lorena Bugden) 

This week: lost 1-0 to VCU

Lorena Bugden came off the bench for William & Mary in their loss to VCU, playing 35 minutes. 

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

This week: defeated Southern Utah 2-1

Caitlin Pickett was the hero for Wyoming, forcing Southern Utah to turn her shot into their own net for the winner seven minutes from time in her 60 minutes on the pitch. Annika Clayton had the assist on the opener in her 73 minutes of action, whilst Jessie Gentle played the full 90 minutes and tallied a single shot. Indianna Asimus came off the bench for the Cowgirls, playing 42 minutes.

Player of the Year Points: 

3: Monique Iannella (Hofstra)
2: Annika Clayton (Wyoming)
1: Caitlin Pickett (Wyoming)

2018 Week 5 Preview

Yet another Aussie v Aussie affair highlights this week, with Sam Roff and Fairleigh Dickinson face La Salle’s Australian pairing of Claudia Jenkins and Alyssa Van Heurck. Elsewhere, Sandra Hill continues her comeback for Grand Canyon and Demi Koulizakis looks to build on last week’s excellent outing against Florida International.

(Featured Image Credit: Greg Carroccio/Sideline Photos)

Sam Roff has been seeing Aussies everywhere she has looked lately, and things don’t look like changing this weekend as Fairleigh Dickinson take on La Salle, their third match this season against a team featuring an Australian, following games against Marshall and Hofstra earlier in the season. It won’t be easy against a La Salle team in good form though, particularly with the Explorers’ Australian goalkeeper Claudia Jenkins in outstanding form recently, making nine saves last week against Rutgers to ensure her side escaped with an unexpected point from their trip to New Jersey. However, Roff has been her ever-reliable self in defence for the Knights to this point, so La Salle are unlikely to find goals easy to come by themselves.

Wyoming have given a good account of themselves in the first part of the season, and it is no small part due to the play of their Australian foursome. The Cowgirls have dropped just one game to this point, a 4-1 loss to local rivals Northern Colorado, and aside from that blip have looked dangerous throughout. A victory over Big Ten side Iowa last week will no doubt have boosted the side’s confidence, and with Australian freshmen Indianna Asimus and Caitlin Pickett forcing their way into the starting lineup alongside seniors Annika Clayton and Jessie Gentle, Wyoming’s game against Southern Utah will no doubt be one to follow this week.

Grand Canyon may have started the season 1-7, but with Sandra Hill back in the lineup after making her first two appearances of the season last week, the time may just be right for the Antelopes to turn things around and set themselves up for conference play. Portland State and Cal State Fullerton won’t exactly roll over, with both sides having put together better records than Grand Canyon to this point, but the Antelopes aren’t without a chance in either game. GCU do have another couple of weeks before conference play starts, but they won’t want to come into league action still on a losing streak that has already extended to five games.

Demi Koulizakis opened her account for Texas Tech last week with a stunner of a goal, and was rewarded in the team’s second game of the week, being the first player called off the bench in the Red Raiders’ win over Oregon State. It will then be interesting to see how the junior gets on this week on the team’s trip to California to play Cal State Northridge and Loyola Marymount. At 6-1, Texas Tech will certainly come into both games this week as heavy favourites and will look to press on with what has been a successful non-conference slate to this point as they attempt to put together a season that culminates in an NCAA Tournament berth.

A couple of teams do kick off conference play this week, with Ashleigh Lefevre and Illinois in particular looking to parlay outstanding non-conference form into a solid league season. The Illini sit at 5-2 with a couple of big wins over Duke and Oklahoma State under their belt, and if they can pick up results against Minnesota and Wisconsin, it will not only be a great start to league play, but also add to an ever-improving resume for 2018.

Full Schedule (many cancellations in the southeast are expected due to Hurricane Florence):

Akron (Freyja Murray)

This week: @ Robert Morris – 5am, Saturday September 15

Albany (Claire Urquhart) 

This week: v Northeastern – 9am, Friday September 14; @ Dartmouth – 3am, Monday September 17

Chicago State (Sarah Clark) 

This week: v Western Illinois – 4am, Saturday September 15; @ Indiana State – 4am, Monday September 17

Colorado (Isobel Dalton)

This week: v Utah Valley – 7:30am, Friday September 14; v Denver – 5am, Monday September 17 

Drexel (Emma Heckenberg) 

This week: @ Providence – 6am, Friday September 14; @ Princeton – 8am, Monday September 17

East Tennessee State (Isabel Hodgson)

This week: @ South Carolina State – 6am, Monday September 17

Fairleigh Dickinson (Sam Roff)

This week: @ La Salle – 9am, Friday September 14; @ Hartford – 3am, Monday September 17 

Georgia Southern (Hannah Allen)

This week: @ Georgia State – 9am, Saturday September 15; v Louisiana – 2am, Monday September 17

Grand Canyon (Sandra Hill)

This week: v Cal State Fullerton – 6am, Monday September 17

Hawaii (Kiri Dale) 

This week: @ Nevada – 11:30am, Friday September 14; @ San Francisco – 6am, Monday September 17

Hofstra (Monique Iannella, Grace Watson-Carr)

This week: @ Columbia – 8am, Friday September 14; v Stony Brook – 3am, Monday September 17 

Illinois (Ashleigh Lefevre)

This week: @ Minnesota – 9am, Saturday September 15; @ Wisconsin – 3am, Monday September 17 

La Salle (Claudia Jenkins, Alyssa Van Heurck)

This week: v Fairleigh Dickinson – 9am, Friday September 14

LSU (Caitlin Cantrill)

This week: @ Texas A&M – 10:30am, Saturday September 15; @ Cincinnati – 3am, Monday September 17

Marshall (Laura Farrelly)

This week: v Florida Atlantic – 9am, Saturday September 15

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

This week: v Lamar – 7am, Saturday September 15; v Southern – 4am, Monday September 17

Old Dominion (Gaby Bentley)

This week: v North Texas – 9am, Saturday September 15; v Richmond – 8am, Monday September 17

Southeast Missouri State (Siena Senatore) 

This week: v Murray State – 9:30am, Friday September 14; v Tennessee-Martin – 5am, Monday September 17 

St. Francis University (Shelby Milton)

This week: @ Duquesne – 9am, Saturday September 15; @ West Virginia – 3am, Monday September 17 

Stanford (Beattie Goad)

This week: v Cal Poly – 12pm, Friday September 14; v Santa Clara – 9am, Monday September 17

Texas Tech (Demi Koulizakis)

This week: @ Cal State Northridge – 12pm, Friday September 14; @ Loyola Marymount – 6am, Monday September 17

Towson (Jodie Burchell) 

This week: v Pennsylvania – 4am, Monday September 17

UCLA (Teagan Micah) 

This week: @ Loyola Marymount – 12pm, Friday September 14; @ San Diego State – 11am, Monday September 17

Western Carolina (Kate Swartwout)

This week: @ South Florida – 9am, Friday September 14; v Davidson – 3am, Monday September 17

William & Mary (Lorena Bugden)

This week: v VMI – 4am, Monday September 17 

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

This week: @ Southern Utah – 8am, Saturday September 15

2018 Week 4 Wrap

Demi Koulizakis’ peach of a goal to open her college account was one of the highlights of the week, whilst La Salle goalkeeper Claudia Jenkins was again in brick wall-like form to set a new career high for saves in the Explorers’ 2-2 draw with Rutgers.

Claudia Jenkins may have given up two goals in La Salle’s draw with Rutgers in their only game of the weekend, but taking into account that Rutgers finished with 31 shots and 11 on target, the South Australian’s performance was actually one of the finest of the week as La Salle escaped with a share of the points. Jenkins’ nine saves were more than La Salle’s total number of shots for the game and allowed the Explorers to secure a result that they really had no right to leave with and move to 4-1-1 to start the season.

It may have taken until her junior year, but Demi Koulizakis grabbed her first college goal this week, and certainly made up for lost time with a scintillating strike in Texas Tech’s 6-0 win over Florida International. Latching onto a long ball, Koulizakis stopped on a dime to leave her defender out of position, and took advantage of the extra space to find the back of the net from the edge of the area with her left foot. Koulizakis wasn’t able to add to her tally in Texas Tech’s 4-1 win over Oregon State, but did earn another half-hour stint off the bench as her minutes continue to increase as the season progresses.

 

 

It’s been a long time coming, but after battling through a number of knee injuries, Lorena Bugden finally made her college debut this week, coming off the bench against Bucknell in William & Mary’s thrilling 3-2 victory, playing 36 minutes and ending a stint of more than 12 months stuck to the bench. Bugden reprised the role in the Tribe’s second game of the week against Texas A&M, but Aggies star Ally Watt rattled off 12 shots as William & Mary found themselves under pressure all game in falling to a 2-0 defeat.

Two Australians also made their first college starts this week. Lauren Featherstone started both games this week for North Dakota State, playing 16 minutes in a 4-0 loss to Minnesota and 14 minutes in a 2-1 win over Northern Iowa. Meanwhile, Chicago State may have fallen 8-0 to Massachusetts after a six-goal second half from the Minutewomen, but Innisfail junior Sarah Clark started for the first time in her NCAA Division I career, playing 47 minutes for the Cougars.

 

Complete Results:

Akron (Freyja Murray)

This week: lost 3-2 to Dayton; lost 3-0 to Xavier

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

Albany (Claire Urquhart)

This week: defeated Siena 3-0; defeated Rhode Island 4-1

Claire Urquhart came off the bench to play five minutes against Siena, but did not feature against Rhode Island.

Chicago State (Sarah Clark)

This week: lost 8-0 to Massachusetts

Sarah Clark earned a start for Chicago State in their only game of the week and played 47 minutes, but Massachusetts rolled with six second-half goals to romp to a dominant victory.

Colorado (Isobel Dalton)

This week: defeated Marquette 2-1; defeated Michigan State 3-0

Isobel Dalton did not feature in the win over Marquette, but came off the bench to play 14 minutes as Colorado rolled against Michigan State.

Drexel (Emma Heckenberg)

This week: drew 1-1 with St. Joseph’s

Emma Heckenberg started for Drexel in their draw with St. Joseph’s, playing all 110 minutes in the process.

East Tennessee State (Isabel Hodgson)

This week: lost 4-0 to Tennessee

Isabel Hodgson played all 90 minutes for ETSU in their loss to Tennessee, registering a single shot.

Fairleigh Dickinson (Sam Roff)

This week: lost 2-1 to Hofstra (2OT); drew 0-0 with Army

Sam Roff played the complete game on both occasions this week, tallying a single shot in the loss to Hofstra.

Georgia Southern (Hannah Allen) 

This week: lost 1-0 to Kennesaw State

Hannah Allen did not feature for Georgia Southern in their loss to Kennesaw State.

Grand Canyon (Sandra Hill)

This week: lost 2-1 to Northern Colorado; lost 1-0 to Colorado State

Sandra Hill started both games for Grand Canyon this week, playing the full 90 minutes on each occasion.

Hawaii (Kiri Dale)

This week: lost 2-1 to UC San Diego

Kiri Dale started and registered a single shot during her 51 minutes on the pitch in Hawaii’s loss to UC San Diego.

Hofstra (Monique Iannella, Grace Watson-Carr)

This week: defeated Fairleigh Dickinson 2-1 (2OT); lost 2-1 to Princeton

Monique Iannella played all 196 minutes this week, but Grace Watson-Carr did not feature for Hofstra in either game.

Illinois (Ashleigh Lefevre)

This week: defeated Illinois State 1-0

Ashleigh Lefevre came off the bench for Illinois in the win over Illinois State, playing 10 minutes.

La Salle (Claudia Jenkins, Alyssa Van Heurck)

This week: drew 2-2 with Rutgers

Claudia Jenkins played the complete game and made a career-high 9 saves in the draw with Rutgers, whilst Alyssa Van Heurck came off the bench to play 7 minutes.

LSU (Caitlin Cantrill)

This week: defeated Stetson 2-0; defeated Samford 2-0

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

Marshall (Laura Farrelly)

This week: defeated High Point 1-0; drew 2-2 with Gardner-Webb

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

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

This week: lost 2-0 to Southern Mississippi

Kristy Helmers started and played 40 minutes in Nicholls State’s loss to Southern Mississippi, but Tessa Calabria and Tenille Harberger did not feature for the Colonels this week.

North Dakota State (Lauren Featherstone)

This week: lost 4-0 to Minnesota; defeated Northern Iowa 2-1

Lauren Featherstone earned her first career starts this week, playing 16 minutes against Minnesota and 14 minutes against Northern Iowa.

Old Dominion (Gaby Bentley)

This week: lost 2-1 to VCU (OT); lost 1-0 to Duke

Gaby Bentley came off the bench to play 18 minutes in Old Dominion’s loss to VCU, but did not feature against Duke.

Southeast Missouri State (Siena Senatore)

This week: defeated Oral Roberts 1-0

Siena Senatore did not feature for Southeast Missouri State in their win over Oral Roberts.

St. Francis University (Shelby Milton)

This week: lost 2-0 to Niagara; lost 3-0 to Buffalo

Shelby Milton did not feature for St. Francis in the loss to Niagara, but came off the bench to play 18 minutes against Buffalo.

Stanford (Beattie Goad)

This week: defeated Notre Dame 3-1; defeated North Carolina 2-1 (OT)

Beattie Goad started and played 47 minutes in the win over Notre Dame, before playing 4 minutes off the bench against North Carolina. 

Texas Tech (Demi Koulizakis)

This week: defeated Florida International 6-0; defeated Oregon State 4-1

Demi Koulizakis came off the bench in both games this week, scoring her first collegiate goal in a 23-minute cameo against Florida International, before playing 31 minutes in the win over Oregon State.

Towson (Jodie Burchell)

This week: defeated Loyola Maryland 3-2 (OT); defeated UMBC 2-1

Jodie Burchell did not feature for Towson in either game this week.

UCLA (Teagan Micah)

This week: defeated Pepperdine 3-0

Teagan Micah made a rare appearance off the bench, playing the second half and rounding out the combined clean sheet with two saves in UCLA’s victory over Pepperdine.

Western Carolina (Kate Swartwout)

This week: lost 2-1 to Tennessee-Martin; lost 4-0 to Middle Tennessee State

Kate Swartwout came off the bench to play 22 minutes against Tennessee-Martin, before playing 30 minutes off the bench against Middle Tennessee State.

William & Mary (Lorena Bugden)

This week: defeated Bucknell 3-2; lost 2-0 to Texas A&M

Lorena Bugden came off the bench for her first two college appearances this week, playing 36 minutes against Bucknell and 37 minutes in the loss to Texas A&M.

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

This week: drew 0-0 with Montana; defeated Iowa 1-0

Indianna Asimus started against Montana and played 72 minutes before coming off the bench against Iowa to play 38 minutes. Annika Clayton started both games, tally three shots with one on target in 90 minutes of action against Montana and tallying a single shot in 58 minutes in the win over Iowa. Caitlin Pickett also started both games, tallying a single shot in 80 minutes against Montana and seeing 66 minutes of action against Iowa. Jessie Gentle was also in the starting lineup for both games, playing 96 minutes and tallying a shot against Montana and playing 81 minutes against Iowa.

Player of the Year Points:

3: Claudia Jenkins (La Salle)
2: Demi Koulizakis (Texas Tech)
1: Annika Clayton (Wyoming)

2018 Week 4 Preview

Sam Roff and Monique Iannella will face off in an All-Aussie matchup as part of a big week as teams look to hit form just in time for the rapidly approaching conference season.

(Featured Image Credit: Jonathan Heisler)

An All-Aussie matchup between a couple of the best defenders we have highlights this week’s schedule as Sam Roff’s Fairleigh Dickinson side face Monique Iannella and Hofstra. Hofstra have certainly enjoyed a better start to the season to this point, sitting at 3-2 even after last week’s heavy loss to Virginia. However, Fairleigh Dickinson recently snapped a four-game losing streak with last week’s win over Kent State and will be in no mood to fall back into those losing ways that halted their momentum early in the piece. Whatever the result may be, expect both Roff and Iannella to be heavily involved as the pair form integral parts of their respective backlines.

Beattie Goad has been on a tear for Stanford recently, but this week will be the biggest test of the still young season as the Cardinal host Notre Dame before facing North Carolina in a #1 v #2 matchup. It’s been a slightly stuttering start for Notre Dame, who won their first three games before falling to a 4-1 loss to Butler two weeks ago, and have since fallen to 4-2. However, the Fighting Irish are certainly a very good side and will provide a stern test for Stanford. North Carolina are always among the title contenders, and currently sit at #2 in the polls, behind only Stanford themselves. The Tar Heels have won five of their six games to this point, with their only dropped points coming in a 1-1 draw with a Texas side currently sitting at #18 in the polls. With that said, Stanford are a perfect six wins from six games, scoring 18 goals and conceding just 2 to this point, and will expect themselves to win both of these games to extend their 26-game winning streak by another two games.

Emma Heckenberg has been in solid form of late, and her Drexel team has been no different, winning their last three games to move to a 3-1-2 record through six games, with their only loss to this point coming on the road at Rutgers. This week sees the Dragons take on one of their local rivals on the four-mile trip to St. Joseph’s to face a Hawks team that also finds itself in good form coming in. Whilst St. Joseph’s fell to a 3-0 loss to Princeton last week, they still sit at 3-1-1 and drew 1-1 with the same Rutgers side that defeated Drexel. With both sides looking to continue good starts to the season and plenty of feeling between the two teams, this game could be an entertaining early season contest.

It’s been a tough start to the season for Isabel Hodgson and East Tennessee State, but the Buccaneers picked up their first competitive win of the season last week, which couldn’t have come at a better time as they now host #9 ranked Tennessee as they continue to battle-test themselves before conference play. However, the Volunteers sit at 5-0-1 through six games, and rolled to a 4-0 victory over the same George Mason side that defeated East Tennessee State 1-0 earlier in the season. Although this will be an incredibly tough game for the Buccaneers, it could prove to be valuable down the stretch, particularly if they can at least keep it close, if not pick up a result.

Gaby Bentley has been in scoring form for Old Dominion recently with two goals in as many weeks, and the Monarchs may need the South Australian to pop up with another midfield strike if they are to get results in a tough pair of games against VCU and Duke. VCU have put together a 3-2 record to this point against an interesting set of opponents, and would probably be considered slender favourites. However, Old Dominion are 2-1-2 against a reasonably comparable set of opponents, so this match could certainly be a tight one. Duke, however, will be a different proposition entirely. Although the Blue Devils slipped up in a loss to Ashleigh Lefevre and Illinois early in the season, they have compiled a 4-1-1 record with wins against a number of power conference teams to flex their title credentials. Old Dominion will certainly have their work cut out for them against a side looking to return to the College Cup, but like ETSU against Tennessee, these are the games that test a team’s mettle and can set them up for conference play, which is where Old Dominion really need to shine this year if they are to make a run at the NCAA Tournament.

Full Schedule: 

Akron (Freyja Murray)

This week: @ Dayton – 9am, Saturday September 8; @ Xavier – 3am, Monday September 10

Albany (Claire Urquhart)

This week: @ Siena – 6am, Friday September 7; v Rhode Island – 3am, Monday September 10

Chicago State (Sarah Clark)

This week: @ Massachusetts – 3am, Saturday September 8

Colorado (Isobel Dalton) 

This week: @ Marquette – 10am, Friday September 7; @ Michigan State – 2am, Monday September 10

Drexel (Emma Heckenberg) 

This week: @ St. Joseph’s – 9am, Friday September 7

East Tennessee State (Isabel Hodgson)

This week: v Tennessee – 9am, Friday September 7

Fairleigh Dickinson (Sam Roff)

This week: v Hofstra – 9am, Friday September 7; v Army – 2am, Monday September 10 

Georgia Southern (Hannah Allen)

This week: @ Kennesaw State – 8am, Saturday September 8

Grand Canyon (Sandra Hill)

This week: @ Northern Colorado – 11am, Saturday September 8; @ Colorado State – 4am, Monday September 10

Hawaii (Kiri Dale)

This week: v UC San Diego – 3pm, Saturday September 8

Hofstra (Monique Iannella, Grace Watson-Carr)

This week: @ Fairleigh Dickinson – 9am, Friday September 7; @ Princeton – 9am, Monday September 10

Illinois (Ashleigh Lefevre)

This week: v Illinois State – 4am, Monday September 10

La Salle (Claudia Jenkins, Alyssa Van Heurck)

This week: @ Rutgers – 3am, Monday September 10

LSU (Caitlin Cantrill)

This week: v Stetson – 10am, Friday September 7; v Samford – 7am, Monday September 10

Marshall (Laura Farrelly)

This week: @ High Point – 9am, Saturday September 8; @ Gardner-Webb – 3am, Monday September 10 

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

This week: v Southern Mississippi – 4am, Monday September 10

North Dakota State (Lauren Featherstone) 

This week: @ Minnesota – 9am, Saturday September 8; v Northern Iowa – 4am, Monday September 10 

Old Dominion (Gaby Bentley)

This week: v VCU – 9am, Friday September 7; @ Duke – 7am, Monday September 10

Southeast Missouri State (Siena Senatore)

This week: v Oral Roberts – 5am, Monday September 10

St. Francis University (Shelby Milton) 

This week: @ Niagara – 9am, Friday September 7; @ Buffalo – 2am, Monday September 10

Stanford (Beattie Goad)

This week: v Notre Dame – 11am, Saturday September 8; v North Carolina – 7:30am, Monday September 10 

Texas Tech (Demi Koulizakis)

This week: v Florida International – 10:15am, Saturday September 8; v Oregon State – 10am, Monday September 10

Towson (Jodie Burchell)

This week: @ Loyola Maryland – 9am, Friday September 7; v UMBC – 3am, Monday September 10

UCLA (Teagan Micah)

This week: v Pepperdine – 12pm, Saturday September 8

Western Carolina (Kate Swartwout) 

This week: @ Tennessee-Martin – 10am, Saturday September 8; @ Middle Tennessee State – 5am, Monday September 10

William & Mary (Lorena Bugden)

This week: @ Bucknell – 9am, Friday September 7; @ Texas A&M – 9am, Monday September 10

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

This week: v Montana – 8am, Saturday September 8; v Iowa – 4am, Monday September 10

2018 Week 3 Wrap

One of the biggest weekends for Australians in college in recent memory transpired this week, with four players tallying goals, another six registering assists, and a number of others putting in solid efforts to round out what was a simply mesmerising set of performances across the board.

(Featured Image Credit: Jim Shorin/ISIPhotos.com)

You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who had a better weekend than Beattie Goad, with the junior proving instrumental for Stanford as the #1 side in the nation extended their winning streak to 26 games. The Cardinal had to work for it in both games, being outshot by BYU in their opening game of the week but nonetheless finding their way to a 2-0 win, with Goad being credited with an assist on the game’s opening goal. The junior then came up with the opening goal in Stanford’s second game of the week against Minnesota, hitting a shot from the edge of the area into the far bottom corner and out of the goalkeeper’s reach. However, Stanford would by no means have the game their own way as Minnesota forced overtime before the Cardinal escaped with a winner early in overtime.

Claudia Jenkins also enjoyed an outstanding week, playing a vital role between the sticks in La Salle’s 2-1 overtime win over Colgate. Jenkins faced six shots on target, making an impressive five saves, with each and every one of those proving crucial as the Explorers only managed to equalise in the final 15 minutes after giving up the opener just after the hour mark. The La Salle side didn’t mess around in overtime, as although it took them seven minutes to create an attacking chance, they scored with their very first to clinch the golden goal win and move to 4-1 through their first five games. Alyssa Van Heurck came off the bench for La Salle in the win, playing an 8-minute cameo.

Isabel Hodgson returned to the scorers list for the first time in 2018 as the South Australian looks to improve on last season’s return of two goals, burying the winner in East Tennessee State’s win over USC Upstate. In a fairly even contest that saw each team register 10 shots, Hodgson’s close-range finish in the 19th minute proved to be the difference as the Buccaneers put a four-game losing streak behind them to pick up their first win of the season with the 1-0 result. Unfortunately, a far tougher Charlotte side proved to be too much to handle for ETSU in their second game of the weekend as the Buccaneers fell to a 3-0 defeat, with Hodgson tallying one of the team’s three shots.

Teagan Micah and UCLA endured a tough road trip to Florida with national team stars Hailie Mace and Jessie Fleming away representing the US and Canada respectively, but the Australian goalkeeper still managed to notch a career highlight even as the Bruins could only come away with a draw and a loss from their two games in the southeast. UCLA opened the weekend with a 0-0 draw against Florida, and although Micah had just the one save to make, that save was enough to see the junior register the 20th clean sheet of her career in just 51 appearances, equating to just under 40% of Micah’s appearances resulting in clean sheets. Ironically, Micah came up with six saves against Florida State in the team’s second game of the week, but the Bruins fell to a 4-1 defeat as the Seminoles peppered the UCLA goal with ten shots on target.

Gaby Bentley’s goal against Towson last week proved to be no fluke as the South Australian tallied her second goal of the season, although Old Dominion fell to George Mason in their only game of the week. Bentley scored the opener in the 40th minute, capitalising on a rebound to tap the ball home from close range. But George Mason equalised early in the second half before finding the winner 16 minutes from fulltime to send the Monarchs to their first loss of what has been a solid season to this point.

Monique Iannella has been delivering assists to teammates from the moment she transferred from Texas to Hofstra, and nothing changed this week as the former Melbourne City player again played a part in the build-up of a Pride goal. Needing a solid start against Fordham as they looked to put together a dominant performance for the first time since their win over Bucknell, Iannella was credited with the assist on Lucy Shepherd’s opener in the third minute as Hofstra found themselves 2-0 up inside 20 minutes before running out 3-1 victors. Unfortunately, things were far tougher against #6 Virginia, who registered 27 shots to 2 on their way to a 5-1 victory.

Emma Heckenberg appears to be joining Iannella as a threat whipping in corners after delivering two almost identical assists in Drexel’s 2-1 victory over St. John’s. The first came in the 11th minute as Kiera Hennessy looped a header off Heckenberg’s delicious ball in over the goalkeeper’s head to nestle in the back of the net, before repeating the dose 17 minutes later in a similar fashion. St. John’s gave themselves a late chance with an 88th minute goal from the spot, but Drexel managed to hold on for the 2-1 victory. The Dragons followed that victory up with a 1-0 overtime win over Maryland, with Heckenberg and the Drexel defence holding the Terrapins to just two shots on target before the Dragons came up with a 94th minute golden goal to take their winning streak to three games as part of a four-game unbeaten run.

Kristy Helmers and Tessa Calabria have found minutes slightly difficult to come by so far this season, but the attacking pair pressed their claims for increased playing time after delivering for Nicholls State this weekend. Whilst Helmers tallied a single shot in the Colonels’ 2-1 thrilling overtime win over Jackson State, that had nothing on the performances the Aussie pair turned out in a 6-0 demolition of Alcorn State. Helmers was given the start and tallied four shots, scoring the opener in the 8th minute, whilst Calabria tallied five shots and added an assist in just 21 minutes off the bench as Nicholls State rattled off 36 shots on the way to cruising to a dominant victory.

Ashleigh Lefevre also made a case for more playing time off the bench after coming up with an assist in Illinois’ win over SIU Edwardsville. The Illini, already on a high after securing an upset 2-1 win over #14 Oklahoma State, came out firing against their in-state foes, scoring in the first minute and heading into halftime up 3-0. Lefevre tallied her assist on the fourth goal of the game 12 minutes after the break, teeing up Kelly Maday for the junior’s third goal of the season as Illinois cruised to a 5-0 demolition of the Cougars.

Jessie Gentle is one player who has no need to fight for increased playing time, with the senior one of the first names on the team sheet for Wyoming, and this week the Woolgoolga product came up with her first tangible production of the season as Wyoming picked up a 2-1 win over Idaho State. With Wyoming up 1-0 going into the second half, Gentle delivered the assist on what would prove to be the game-winning goal in the 49th minute as the Cowgirls went up 2-0 before Idaho State made things interesting with a goal in the 82nd minute as the game ended 2-1.

Finally, we had yet another Australian make their NCAA Division I debut this week as Chicago State’s Sarah Clark made her first appearance since transferring from Lassen Community College. Clark came off the bench for the Cougars in their 2-0 loss to Eastern Illinois, playing 21 minutes to see her first action in the top level of college soccer.

Complete Results: 

Akron (Freyja Murray)

This week: drew 2-2 with Indiana State; defeated Youngstown State 6-0

Freyja Murray did not feature in the draw with Indiana State, but played 13 minutes off the bench in the win over Youngstown State.

Albany (Claire Urquhart)

This week: defeated Iona 2-1; lost 2-0 to Buffalo

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

Chicago State (Sarah Clark)

This week: lost 6-1 to SIU Edwardsville; lost 2-0 to Eastern Illinois

Sarah Clark did not feature in the loss to SIU Edwardsville, but came off the bench to make her NCAA Division I debut against Eastern Illinois, playing 13 minutes. 

Colorado (Isobel Dalton)

This week: defeated UTSA 4-0; defeated Iowa State 3-1

Isobel Dalton came off the bench in both games this week, registering a single shot in her 9 minutes of playing time against UTSA, before playing 19 minutes in the win over Iowa State and again tallying a shot.

Drexel (Emma Heckenberg)

This week: defeated St. John’s 2-1; defeated Maryland 1-0 (OT)

Emma Heckenberg started both games this week, playing 84 minutes and delivering the corners that resulted in both Drexel goals against St. John’s, before playing the full 94 minutes in the overtime win over Maryland.

East Tennessee State (Isabel Hodgson)

This week: defeated USC Upstate 1-0; lost 3-0 to Charlotte

Isabel Hodgson started both games this week, playing 65 minutes and scoring the only goal in ETSU’s win over USC Upstate, before registering a single shot in 76 minutes in the loss to Charlotte.

Fairleigh Dickinson (Sam Roff)

This week: lost 4-0 to Cleveland State; defeated Kent State 2-1

Sam Roff played the full 90 minutes in the loss to Cleveland State, before coming off the bench to play 63 minutes and register two shots on target in the win over Kent State. 

Georgia Southern (Hannah Allen)

This week: lost 1-0 to Stetson; defeated Davidson 1-0

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

Grand Canyon (Sandra Hill)

This week: lost 2-1 to UTEP; lost 2-1 to UTSA (OT)

Sandra Hill did not feature for Grand Canyon in either game this week.

Hawaii (Kiri Dale)

This week: defeated Saint Mary’s 2-1; defeated Pacific 5-0

Kiri Dale came off the bench against Saint Mary’s registering a shot in 47 minutes of action, before getting the start in the win over Pacific and playing 48 minutes. 

Hofstra (Monique Iannella, Grace Watson-Carr)

This week: defeated Fordham 3-1; lost 5-1 to Virginia

Monique Iannella started both games this week, playing the full 90 minutes and tallying an assist in the win over Fordham before playing 84 minutes in the loss to Virginia. Grace Watson-Carr did not feature for Hofstra this week.

Illinois (Ashleigh Lefevre) 

This week: defeated Oklahoma State 2-1; defeated SIU Edwardsville 5-0

Ashleigh Lefevre came off the bench in both games this week, playing five minutes in the upset win over Oklahoma State and delivering the assist for Illinois’ fourth goal during her 20-minute cameo against SIU Edwardsville.

La Salle (Claudia Jenkins, Alyssa Van Heurck) 

This week: defeated Colgate 2-1 (OT)

Claudia Jenkins played the full 97 minutes and made five saves in La Salle’s 2-1 overtime win over Colgate, whilst Alyssa Van Heurck came off the bench to play 8 minutes.

LSU (Caitlin Cantrill)

This week: defeated South Alabama 1-0

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

Marshall (Laura Farrelly)

This week: defeated Eastern Kentucky 2-1; lost 3-1 to Ohio

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

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

This week: defeated Jackson State 2-1; defeated Alcorn State 6-0

Kristy Helmers came off the bench in the win over Jackson State, playing 29 minutes and tallying a single shot, before getting the start in the demolition of Alcorn State, slotting home her first goal of the season in 60 minutes of playing time. Tessa Calabria played just 10 minutes off the bench against Jackson State, but registered five shots in 21 minutes and tallied an assist in the win over Alcorn State. Tenille Harberger did not feature in either game this week.

North Dakota State (Lauren Featherstone)

This week: lost 1-0 to Northern Colorado; lost 1-0 to Drake

Lauren Featherstone came off the bench to play 29 minutes against Northern Colorado, but did not feature in the loss to Drake. 

Old Dominion (Gaby Bentley)

This week: lost 2-1 to George Mason

Gaby Bentley finished with Old Dominion’s only goal in 28 minutes off the bench as the Monarchs fell to a 2-1 defeat. 

Southeast Missouri State (Siena Senatore) 

This week: lost 5-0 to Arizona; lost 4-0 to Arizona State

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

St. Francis University (Shelby Milton) 

This week: defeated Binghamton 3-0; drew 0-0 with Bucknell

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

Stanford (Beattie Goad)

This week: defeated BYU 2-0; defeated Minnesota 2-1 (OT)

Beattie Goad started both games this week, playing the full 90 minutes against BYU and delivering an assist on Stanford’s opener, before again playing a complete game against Minnesota and scoring the Cardinal’s opening goal in the 2-1 overtime victory.

Texas Tech (Demi Koulizakis) 

This week: lost 1-0 to Boston College

Demi Koulizakis came off the bench for Texas Tech in the loss to Boston College, but saw just 10 minutes of playing time. 

Towson (Jodie Burchell)

This week: lost 1-0 to Bucknell; lost 3-1 to Utah State

Jodie Burchell came off the bench to play 12 minutes in the loss to Bucknell, but did not feature in the loss to Utah State.

UCLA (Teagan Micah)

This week: drew 0-0 with Florida; lost 4-1 to Florida State

Teagan Micah picked up the 20th clean sheet of her career against Florida, making a single save, before making six saves in the loss to Florida State. 

Western Carolina (Kate Swartwout)

This week: defeated Campbell 1-0 (OT); drew 0-0 with Navy (match shortened due to lightning)

Kate Swartwout came off the bench against Campbell to play 18 minutes and register a pair of shots, before playing the final 10 minutes against Navy as the match was called after 72 minutes due to lightning with the score at 0-0.

William & Mary (Lorena Bugden) 

This week: match v South Carolina cancelled due to inclement weather; defeated Liberty 2-1 (OT)

Lorena Bugden did not feature for William & Mary in the win over Liberty. 

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

This week: defeated Idaho State 2-1

All four Australians started the game in the win over Idaho State, with Jessie Gentle providing the assist on Wyoming’s goal in the 48th minute in a 75-minute effort. Indianna Asimus tallied three shots in 57 minutes, whilst Annika Clayton also had a trio of attempts in her 80 minutes on the pitch, with Caitlin Pickett playing 62 minutes.

Player of the Year Points:

3: Beattie Goad (Stanford)
2: Emma Heckenberg (Drexel)
1: Claudia Jenkins (La Salle)

2018 Week 3 Preview

Title contenders Stanford and UCLA head on the road for some early season tests, with Beattie Goad and Teagan Micah looking to maintain their outstanding early season form. Elsewhere, Sam Roff and Fairleigh Dickinson will be looking to get back to winning ways, whilst Monique Iannella and Hofstra are hoping that a win comes a little more easily than in last week’s overtime thriller against Boston University.

(Featured Image Credit: Hector Garcia)

Beattie Goad and Stanford face a difficult road double this week, with their task not made any easier by the amount of distance they will cover across the weekend. The Cardinal begin their week in Utah at BYU, facing the Cougars for the first time since an NCAA Tournament win in 2015. BYU currently sit at 1-1-1, a fair record considering their schedule to this date, but Stanford will go into this one as heavy favourites. Stanford then travel to Minnesota for their second game of the week, facing a Golden Gophers side that has started the season 3-1, with a loss to nationally ranked Washington State their only blip so far. With plenty of travel and a game in their legs, Stanford will have to make sure they get up for this one or it could prove to be a potential banana skin for the #1 team in the country.

UCLA also head away this week, and whilst their two opponents may not be as spread as wide as Stanford’s, the Bruins have set themselves up with a solid early-season test against national title contenders Florida and Florida State. Florida in particular will be itching to bounce back as their ambitions to secure a high seeding in the NCAA Tournament took an early hit after falling to Ohio State and Oklahoma State last week after starting the season with a pair of wins. Florida State, on the other hand, are absolutely flying at the moment. The Seminoles have started the season 4-0, scoring 12 goals and conceding the princely sum of zero. However, UCLA have already shown their wares in last week’s 2-1 win over Penn State, a game in which Teagan Micah’s performance earned the Australian junior Pac-12 Goalkeeper of the Week honours after some scintillating saves as Penn State needed a spot kick to get by the Queenslander, and even that was nearly saved.

Hofstra make the trip from Long Island into the city for a local derby of sorts against Bronx-based Fordham in what is a regular fixture for the two sides. The Pride are on a three-game winning streak dating back to 2015, and with the team looking to maintain their reputation as a mid-major powerhouse, this is one game they simply have to win to keep themselves in the national conversation, particularly after slipping to a loss to Fairfield earlier in the season. Fordham are yet to pick up a win this season, falling to three defeats to start their campaign, so expect this one to be battled out intensely, and whilst it would be great to see Monique Iannella pick up another assist or two, hopefully the Pride won’t require one in the final minute again as they did to force overtime in their win over Boston University.

Although the Pride will start favourites against Fordham, they will definitely be underdogs in their road game against #7 Virginia which rounds out their weekend. However, with that said, the Pride have very little to lose in this matchup, and that may just give them the freedom to play which could help them perhaps spring a surprise against a highly-rated Cavaliers that is tipped to be in the mix in the latter stages of the NCAA Tournament come the end of the season.

La Salle’s Australian goalkeeper Claudia Jenkins has given up only one goal in four games this season, but unfortunately that one goal came in the second overtime of a midweek match against Drexel as the Explorers fell to a still-impressive 3-1 record through four games. The Explorers play just the one game this week, against a Colgate side that currently sits at 1-1-1 through three games after picking up their first victory of the season last weekend in a double overtime win over Claire Urquhart and Albany. But with Jenkins in sparkling form recently and Aussie freshman Alyssa Van Heurck helping to shore up the defence off the bench, the Explorers have turned into a defensive juggernaut of sorts, and if La Salle are to pick up a fourth victory in five games, it will start at the back.

Fairleigh Dickinson looked set to take victory in their midweek match against Rider before giving up a last-minute game-tying goal before falling in overtime, but Sam Roff and the Knights will be looking to bounce back on neutral turf as they face a pair of Ohio schools in Wilmington, North Carolina. Having suffered three consecutive losses, this trip away for a pair of games could hopefully serve as the shake-up the team needs to get them back in their rhythm after a tough couple of weeks since their opening day victory over Marshall. The first game, against Cleveland State, looks set to be the Knights’ best chance at victory, particularly as the Vikings fell 2-0 to Kent State, the other team that Fairleigh Dickinson will face this weekend, just last week. However, neither game will be a walk in the park, and another solid performance from Roff and her fellow defenders will go a long way to getting the Knights over the line this weekend.

Full Schedule:

Akron (Freyja Murray)

This week: v Indiana State – 9am, Saturday September 1; v Youngstown State – 3am, Monday September 3

Albany (Claire Urquhart)

This week: v Iona – 6am, Saturday September 1; v Buffalo – 3am, Monday September 3

Chicago State (Sarah Clark)

This week: v SIU Edwardsville – 4am, Saturday September 1; v Eastern Illinois – 4am, Monday September 3

Colorado (Isobel Dalton)

This week: v UTSA – 8am, Saturday September 1; v Iowa State – 4am, Monday September 3

Drexel (Emma Heckenberg)

This week: v St. John’s – 9am, Friday August 31; v Maryland – 4am, Monday September 3

East Tennessee State (Isabel Hodgson)

This week: @ USC Upstate – 9am, Friday August 31; @ Charlotte – 9am, Monday September 3

Fairleigh Dickinson (Sam Roff)

This week: v Cleveland State – 7am, Saturday September 1; v Kent State – 1am, Monday September 3

Georgia Southern (Hannah Allen)

This week: v Stetson – 6am, Saturday September 1; v Davidson – 3am, Monday September 3

Grand Canyon (Sandra Hill)

This week: @ UTEP – 10am, Saturday September 1; @ UTSA – 4am, Monday September 3

Hawaii (Kiri Dale) 

This week: @ Saint Mary’s – 9:30am, Friday August 31; @ Pacific – 6am, Monday September 3

Hofstra (Monique Iannella, Grace Watson-Carr)

This week: @ Fordham – 9am, Friday August 31; @ Virginia – 3am, Monday September 3

Illinois (Ashleigh Lefevre) 

This week: v Oklahoma State – 10am, Saturday September 1; v SIU Edwardsville – 4am, Monday September 3

La Salle (Claudia Jenkins, Alyssa Van Heurck)

This week: @ Colgate – 9am, Friday August 31

LSU (Caitlin Cantrill)

This week: @ South Alabama – 10am, Friday August 31

Marshall (Laura Farrelly)

This week: v Eastern Kentucky – 9am, Saturday September 1; @ Ohio – 3am, Monday September 3

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

This week: v Jackson State – 7am, Saturday September 1; v Alcorn State – 4am, Monday September 3 

North Dakota State (Lauren Featherstone) 

This week: v Northern Colorado – 10am, Saturday September 1; v Drake – 4am, Monday September 3 

Old Dominion (Gaby Bentley) 

This week: @ George Mason – 9am, Friday August 31

Southeast Missouri State (Siena Senatore)

This week: @ Arizona – 7:30am, Saturday September 1; @ Arizona State – 4:30am, Monday September 3

St. Francis University (Shelby Milton)

This week: v Binghamton – 6am, Saturday September 1; v Bucknell – 6am, Monday September 3

Stanford (Beattie Goad)

This week: @ BYU – 11am, Friday August 31; @ Minnesota – 4am, Monday September 3

Texas Tech (Demi Koulizakis)

This week: @ Boston College – 10am, Sunday September 2

Towson (Jodie Burchell)

This week: v Utah State – 1am, Monday September 3 

UCLA (Teagan Micah)

This week: @ Florida – 9am, Saturday September 1; @ Florida State – 7am, Monday September 3

Western Carolina (Kate Swartwout)

This week: v Campbell – 9am, Saturday September 1; v Navy – 3am, Monday September 3

William & Mary (Lorena Bugden)

This week: v South Carolina – 9am, Friday August 31; v Liberty – 4am, Monday September 3

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

This week: @ Idaho State – 8am, Friday August 31