
The regular season is complete, but it was wrapped up in fine fashion as three Aussies secured conference championships and one even secured a Most Outstanding Player award. With everything done and dusted, it looks as though five Aussies will feature in the NCAA Tournament, but those two at-large bids won’t be known for a few hours.
Where else can we begin this week but with the performance of Lara Kirkby in the America East Conference tournament? The Oregon transfer was in sublime form as Maine secured the title in overtime against UMass-Lowell, delivering the Black Bears their first NCAA Tournament appearance in program history.
After picking up an assist on the opener in the semi-final as the Black Bears defeated Vermont 2-1 courtesy of a 90th minute winner, Kirkby took things into her own hands in the championship game. With her team up 1-0 and winning a penalty, the Maine players realised that their usual penalty taker was not actually on the pitch at the time. Kirkby, who had missed both of her penalties in training the previous day, stepped up and buried the spot kick for a 2-0 lead before UMass-Lowell halved the deficit with just 13 seconds left in the first half.
UMass-Lowell had defeated Maine once already this season, and with the Black Bears unable to put away the River Hawks, the visitors were able to tie things up in the 86th minute through a spot kick of their own and send the game to overtime. Once again, Kirkby stepped up when her team needed her most. As the ball pinballed its way around the area following a corner, it dropped to the South Australian on the edge of the area. Kirkby needed no second invitation, leathering the ball just inside the near post with the goalkeeper absolutely rooted to the spot to send the Maine faithful at Mahaney Diamond into raptures. Six minutes later, the final whistle sounded, and Maine were America East champions. Just to top things off, Kirkby was also named Most Outstanding Player of the tournament for her two scintillating performances.
Two more Aussies became conference champions this week, with Aimee Benton’s Grambling State and Natasha Tanner’s Morehead State winning the SWAC and Ohio Valley Conference tournaments respectively. Although Benton’s nine minutes in Grambling State’s quarter-final win over Alabama A&M were the only playing time either player saw during tournament week, both players have been integral at different times this season, and their contributions to each team’s campaign should not be ignored.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi may not have been able to make home ground advantage work for them in the Southland Conference tournament as they fell to Caitlin Le Roux’s Northwestern State on penalties in the quarter-finals, but Molly Arens was still able to help produce a highlight for her team. A smart turn as the ball ricocheted out to the edge of the area allowed the Northern NSW product to find Mai-Lisa Atis, who unleashed a peach of a shot to put the Islanders 1-0 up in the 48th minute. However, Northwestern State would respond in the 69th minute before prevailing in the shootout. Unfortunately, the shootout giveth and the shootout taketh away as the Demons fell to Lamar by the very same method in the semi-finals.
With the conference tournaments done and dusted, we already know that these three conference champion teams will feature in the NCAA Tournament. They look set to be joined by Holly Furphy and Santa Clara, as well as Talia Grossman’s USC team, who have all but locked in at-large bids.
Moving away from conference tournaments, it’s been a tough season for Oregon State, finishing 11th in the Pac-12, but Katie Godden ensured the Beavers would finish on a high and also hold bragging rights over in-state rival Oregon following a 2-0 win on the final day of the season. The reigning Rachael Doyle Medallist was credited with one of two assists on the Beavers’ 11th minute opener, but it was her goal just shy of the hour mark that was a true highlight. Finding herself in space but with a defender recovering quickly, Godden unleashed a low shot from well outside the area that skipped past the Oregon goalkeeper and nestled in the back of the net to double her side’s lead. Both the goal and assist had been a long time coming, with each being Godden’s first of the season, but they couldn’t have come at a better time.
Complete Results
Grambling State (Aimee Benton)
This week: defeated Alabama A&M 3-0 (SWAC Tournament Quarter-Final); defeated Texas Southern 3-0 (SWAC Tournament Semi-Final); defeated Jackson State 2-1 (SWAC Championship)
Aimee Benton came off the bench to play 9 minutes in Grambling State’s quarter-final win over Alabama A&M, but did not feature in the Tigers’ remaining games as they secured the SWAC Championship and the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
High Point (Meg Roden)
This week: lost 2-0 to USC Upstate (Big South Tournament Semi-Final)
Meg Roden started in High Point’s tournament loss to USC Upstate, tallying two shots with one on target in her 77 minutes on the pitch.
Kent State (Lua Suero)
This week: defeated Western Michigan 2-1 (MAC Tournament Semi-Final); lost 2-1 to Ohio (MAC Championship)
Lua Suero did not feature as Kent State came agonisingly close to securing a MAC Tournament crown.
La Salle (Courtney Butlion)
This week: defeated Dayton 1-0 AET (Atlantic 10 Tournament Semi-Final); lost 3-0 to Saint Louis (Atlantic 10 Championship)
Courtney Butlion started both games as La Salle reached the Atlantic 10 Championship before falling to powerhouse Saint Louis. The Western Australian registered one shot in 51 minutes in the win over Dayton, and played 45 minutes against Saint Louis.
Little Rock (Cameron Barreiro, Emily Jensen, Candice Kilderry, Bronte Peel)
This week: lost 2-0 to Tennessee Tech (OVC Tournament Semi-Final)
Bronte Peel started in Little Rock’s loss to Tennessee Tech, registering two shots with one on target in 73 minutes of action. Candice Kilderry came off the bench to tally a shot in her 37 minutes, whilst Cameron Barreiro and Emily Jensen did not feature.
Louisiana (Emma Bates)
This week: lost 2-1 to Texas State (Sun Belt Tournament First Round)
Emma Bates did not feature in Louisiana’s tournament loss to Texas State.
Maine (Lara Kirkby)
This week: defeated Vermont 2-1 (America East Tournament Semi-Final); defeated UMass-Lowell 3-2 AET (America East Championship)
Lara Kirkby played all 200 minutes of Maine’s successful conference championship campaign, notching two shots and an assist against Vermont before banging home two goals including the overtime winner in the championship game against UMass-Lowell to send the Black Bears to the NCAA Tournament.
Morehead State (Natasha Tanner)
This week: defeated Southeast Missouri State 1-0 (OVC Tournament Semi-Final); defeated Tennessee Tech 1-0 AET (OVC Championship)
Natasha Tanner did not feature this week as Morehead State knocked off top seed Tennessee Tech on their home patch to win the Ohio Valley Conference and secure the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Northwestern State (Caitlin Le Roux)
This week: defeated Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 4-2 on penalties (1-1 AET) (Southland Conference Tournament Quarter-Final); lost to Lamar 5-4 on penalties (1-1 AET) (Southland Conference Tournament Semi-Final)
Caitlin Le Roux did not feature this week as Northwestern State felt both agony and ecstasy in penalty shootouts in the Southland Conference tournament, being eliminated at the semi-final stage.
Oregon State (Katie Godden)
This week: defeated Oregon 2-0
Katie Godden started in Oregon State’s win over Oregon, tallying both a goal and an assist in 55 minutes of action.
Pacific (Libby Davy)
This week: defeated San Francisco 5-3
Libby Davy did not feature in Pacific’s final day win over San Francisco.
Rider (Eloise Jones)
This week: lost 1-0 to Quinnipiac (MAAC Tournament Semi-Final)
Eloise Jones did not feature in Rider’s conference tournament loss to Quinnipiac.
Santa Clara (Holly Furphy)
This week: defeated San Diego 2-0; defeated Portland 1-0
Holly Furphy came off the bench for Santa Clara in both games this week, playing the entire second half and registering two shots against San Diego before playing 20 minutes in the win over Portland.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (Molly Arens)
This week: lost to Northwestern State 4-2 on penalties (1-1 AET) (Southland Conference Tournament Quarter Final)
Molly Arens started in Texas A&M-Corpus Christi’s season ending tournament loss to Northwestern State, registering the assist on her team’s only goal in a 43-minute outing.
UAB (Abbey Burns)
This week: lost 2-1 to Memphis (AAC Tournament Quarter-Final)
Abbey Burns played the full 90 minutes in UAB’s season-ending tournament loss to Memphis, registering a pair of shots with one on target.
USC (Talia Grossman)
This week: lost 4-2 to UCLA
Talia Grossman did not feature in USC’s derby loss to UCLA.
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