For a variety of reasons, Aussie v Aussie matchups this season actually haven’t seen a whole lot of time with both Aussies on the pitch. However, that could change this week as Alyssa Van Heurck and La Salle host Greta Kraszula’s VCU side, with the Explorers fully intent on snapping the visitors’ winning streak. Van Heurck has been one of the mainstays of the La Salle lineup throughout much of career, and nothing has changed this season as the Western Australian has become one of the leaders of this Explorers side. Meanwhile, Kraszula has slotted into a role coming off the bench since her return from injury for the high-flying Rams. This could be a tasty battle between a VCU side looking to continue their march to a regular season crown and a La Salle outfit desperate for a win that would see them move right into the midpack scrap currently occurring in the Atlantic 10.
Claire Farrington and Butler went down to a heartbreaking last-minute goal against Georgetown last week, but the Bulldogs remain right in the mix as an Aussie v Aussie matchup looms in a Big East conference laden with Australian talent. Butler currently sit 3rd in the conference, and this week face a Providence side sitting below them only on goal difference, and a DePaul side just one point back. That match against DePaul will be where we see Aussies facing off, with Katie Godden enjoying a solid freshman season for the Blue Demons. In fact, we may even see the pair as direct opponents, with Farrington an integral part of the Butler defence and Godden utilised as an option up front for DePaul.
October 3’s 4-1 defeat to Prairie View A&M will have stung Alabama State, and with a bye last week, the Hornets have had plenty of time to stew on that loss and come out firing against Grambling State and Arkansas Pine-Bluff this weekend. Whilst Prairie View A&M appear untouchable atop the SWAC, a pair of wins against a midtable Grambling State side and an Arkansas-Pine Bluff side yet to gain a point all season would go a long way to ensuring a high seeding for the conference tournament. Integral to that will be Grace Norbury, who has made one Alabama State midfield spot her own since her debut in the spring season. Unfortunately, there is as yet no word on Madi Chambers’ return to the lineup.
Grand Canyon are flying high in the West Division of the Western Athletic Conference, and Sandra Hill’s team will be fully expecting to pocket another three points as they take on a Seattle side with just two draws to their name in five league games. However, it won’t be that simple as this will be the second meeting between the two teams this season, with Grand Canyon only managing a 1-0 win in the first contest. This could be a case where we see which team learnt the most from that first meeting, but regardless, Grand Canyon know that a win will ensure they maintain their four-point buffer atop the league with a game against New Mexico State to come later in the weekend. With a game against third-placed Cal Baptist next week, good results in these three games could render the final week of the regular season moot in terms of the chase for top spot in the division. Expect to see Hill again providing solid minutes off the bench for the Lopes as the senior attempts to round out her college career with a conference title.
Full Schedule
(All Times AEDT)
Alabama State (Madison Chambers, Grace Norbury)
This week: @ Grambling State – 7am, Saturday October 16; @ UAPB – 5am, Monday October 18
Butler (Claire Farrington)
This week: v Providence – 4am, Friday October 15; v DePaul – 4am, Monday October 18
Creighton (Ayana Aoyagi, Renée Pountney)
This week: @ Connecticut – 10am, Friday October 15; v Seton Hall – 5am, Monday October 18
DePaul (Katie Godden)
This week: v Xavier – 7am, Friday October 15; @ Butler – 4am, Monday October 18
East Tennessee State (D’arne Boato)
This week: v Chattanooga – 10am, Saturday October 16; v Samford – 5am, Monday October 18
Eastern Illinois (Ashleigh Harvie)
This week: @ Southeast Missouri State – 10am, Friday October 15; v Belmont – 5am, Monday October 18
Grand Canyon (Sandra Hill)
This week: @ Seattle – 1pm, Saturday October 16; @ Cal Baptist – 6am, Monday October 18
Hawaii (Eliza Ammendolia)
This week: v UC Irvine – 4pm, Friday October 15
Hofstra (Grace Watson-Carr)
This week: v Northeastern – 10am, Friday October 15; v William & Mary – 3am, Monday October 18
Illinois (Ashleigh Lefevre)
This week: @ Minnesota – 12pm, Friday October 15; @ Iowa – 5am, Monday October 18
Illinois State (Indianna Asimus)
This week: v Drake – 5am, Monday October 18
Incarnate Word (Madison McComasky)
This week: @ McNeese State – 11am, Saturday October 16; @ Northwestern State – 4am, Monday October 18
La Salle (Alyssa Van Heurck)
This week: @ Duquesne – 10am, Friday October 15; v VCU – 4am, Monday October 18
Long Beach State (Aimee Medwin)
This week: @ UC Davis – 10am, Friday October 15; @ Cal State Bakersfield – 12pm, Monday October 18
Louisiana Tech (Caitlin Le Roux)
This week: @ UTSA – 11am, Friday October 15
Massachusetts (Hannah Peric)
This week: v Richmond – 6am, Friday October 15; @ Fordham – 4am, Monday October 18
Oregon (Lara Kirkby)
This week: v USC – 10am, Friday October 15
San Francisco (Ashley Jordan)
This week: @ Santa Clara – 7am, Sunday October 17
Stanford (Amy Sayer)
This week: @ Colorado – 5am, Monday October 18
Tennessee-Martin (Kiarnie Latham)
This week: v Murray State – 6am, Monday October 18
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (Molly Arens)
This week: @ Northwestern State – 11am, Saturday October 16; @ McNeese State – 5am, Monday October 18
UMBC (Isobel Davy, Annaliese Grove, Abi Jordan)
This week: v NJIT – 10am, Friday October 15; @ Albany – 6am, Monday October 18
UNC Asheville (Jasmine Barry)
No games this week.
USC (Talia Grossman, Isabel Rolley)
This week: @ Oregon – 10am, Friday October 15
VCU (Greta Kraszula)
This week: v Fordham – 10am, Friday October 15; @ La Salle – 4am, Monday October 18
Leave a Reply