(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
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