2023 Week 4 Preview

In a 12-week regular season, things move fast, and Week 4 sees a number of teams wrap up their non-conference slate before moving into crucial league fixtures in Week 5. A number of teams have chosen to test themselves, with VCU even welcoming #2 ranked Stanford to town for their final game before Atlantic 10 play commences.

However, we kick things off with a couple of Aussie v Aussie games, starting with an in-state derby between Teagan Douglas’ Bellarmine outfit and a Morehead State side featuring Western Australian freshman Natasha Tanner. Bellarmine picked up wins over Evansville and Chicago State last week to improve their record to 3-1-1, whilst Morehead State are looking to improve upon their 1-3-1 record, having registered two losses and a draw since defeating Detroit 5-2 early in the campaign. Both Aussies should be expected to see playing time, although they may not see a whole lot of each other as they take their positions in the defensive line. Douglas has started all five games this season and averages 78 minutes per contest, whilst Tanner has come off the bench in four of the Eagles’ five games to play an average of 40 minutes per appearance.

Grambling State have been performing impressively against arguably better-credentialed teams this season, with freshman goalkeeper Aimee Benton integral to their successes to this point. This week, the Tigers test themselves with a trip to SEC outfit Texas A&M, who may sit 1-3-1 at this stage but have already played national championship contenders Florida State as well as formidable Washington State and TCU outfits. Benton has taken over starting duties for the last three games, and if the South Australian can put together a good showing against a team picked to finish fifth in one of the best conferences in the nation, it will bode incredibly well as Grambling State head into conference play looking to go one step further than 2022 and secure a conference championship.

Abbey Burns’ UAB program made the switch from Conference USA to the American Athletic Conference this season, and the Blazers find themselves just a week away from playing their first game against an AAC foe (even if it is Charlotte, a fellow former Conference USA outfit). Their record heading into this final week of non-conference play is a solid 3-2-1, but there is no doubt they will want to make that 5-2-1 with wins over South Alabama and Tennessee Tech. The Blazers will be favoured at home against a Tennessee Tech side yet to pick up a win this season, but heading to Mobile to face South Alabama is a different prospect entirely. The Jaguars sit 6-0-0 at this stage, and although their schedule to this point hasn’t been the most challenging around, there is little arguing with a team whose cumulative score to this point is 24-2 with four clean sheets. We should expect to see Abbey Burns heavily involved for the Blazers, with the sophomore featuring in all six games to this point and starting four, averaging just over an hour of playing time to this point.

VCU took on Virginia last week, falling to a 4-1 defeat, and things don’t get any easier for the Rams this week as Stanford come to town, bringing a 5-0-0 record and the #2 spot in the national rankings with them. VCU, meanwhile, currently hold a 1-3-2 record, but given the non-conference slate they are up against, these games appear more to be tests to battle-harden the squad prior to Atlantic 10 play. If the Rams can bounce back from last week’s defeat to Virginia with a solid showing against Stanford, it will be the perfect lead-in to conference play, and Greta Kraszula looks set to play a major part. As expected before the season, the Under 20 World Cup representative has started all six games to this point and played the full 90 minutes on three occasions. The midfielder (not defender!) has also tallied seven shots so far this season, regularly getting involved in the attack for the Rams to emerge as a highly versatile player for coach Lindsey Martin.

Alabama State (Madison Chambers, Grace Norbury)

This week: v Georgia St. – 4:00AM, Monday September 11

Bellarmine (Teagan Douglas)

This week: @ Morehead St. – 8:00AM, Friday September 8; @ Xavier – 3:00AM, Monday September 11

Butler (Claire Farrington)

This week: v Cincinnati – 9:00AM, Friday September 8; v TCU – 3:00AM, Monday September 11

Central Michigan (Shivani Battaglia)

This week: v Purdue Fort Wayne – 3:00AM, Monday September 11

Coastal Carolina (Asha McClurg)

This week: @ UNC Greensboro – 8:00AM, Friday September 8; v Stetson – 3:00AM, Monday September 11

Dartmouth (Kate Ryan)

This week: @ Boston College – 7:30AM, Friday September 8; v Central Conn. St. – 5:00AM, Monday September 11

Denver (Isabella Chidiac)

This week: v Colgate – 11:00AM, Friday September 8; @ Oregon – 6:00AM, Monday September 11

Eastern Kentucky (Sophie MacAlpine)

This week: v Northern Ky. – 6:00AM, Friday September 8; @ Miami (OH) – 3:00AM, Monday September 11

Grambling State (Aimee Benton)

This week: @ Texas A&M – 10:00AM, Friday September 8

High Point (Meg Roden)

This week: @ UMBC – 9:00AM, Friday September 8; @ Old Dominion – 6:00AM, Monday September 11

Illinois (Isabel Rolley)

This week: @ Missouri – 9:00AM, Friday September 8; v Pepperdine – 3:00AM, Monday September 11

Kent State (Lua Suero)

This week: v Duquesne – 3:00AM, Monday September 11

La Salle (Courtney Butlion)

This week: @ NJIT – 9:00AM, Friday September 8; @ Temple – 3:00AM, Monday September 11

Little Rock (Cameron Barreiro, Emily Jensen, Candice Kilderry, Bronte Peel)

This week: @ Ark.-Pine Bluff – 8:00AM, Friday September 8; v Alabama A&M – 3:00AM, Monday September 11

Long Island (Matilda Boyle, Isabella Stein)

This week: @ VMI – 3:00AM, Monday September 11

Louisiana (Emma Bates)

This week: v Alcorn – 9:00AM, Friday September 8; v Lamar University – 8:00AM, Monday September 11

Maine (Lara Kirkby)

This week: @ Boston U. – 8:00AM, Friday September 8; @ UIC – 4:00AM, Monday September 11

Massachusetts (Hannah Peric)

This week: @ UAlbany – 9:00AM, Friday September 8; @ Rutgers – 3:00AM, Monday September 11

Mississippi Valley State (Jacquelline Kambere)

This week: @ Jacksonville St. – 7:00AM, Friday September 8

Morehead State (Natasha Tanner)

This week: v Bellarmine – 8:00AM, Friday September 8; @ Northern Ky. – 3:00AM, Monday September 11

Northwestern State (Caitlin Le Roux)

This week: @ Jackson St. – 6:00AM, Saturday September 9; @ LSU – 7:00AM, Monday September 11

Oral Roberts (Layla Lopez)

This week: @ Central Ark. – 10:00AM, Friday September 8; @ Kansas St. – 4:00AM, Monday September 11

Oregon State (Katie Godden)

This week: v UC Irvine – 10:00AM, Friday September 8; @ Boise St. – 5:00AM, Monday September 11

Pacific (Libby Davy)

This week: v Southern Utah – 12:00PM, Saturday September 9; @ Sacramento St. – 6:00AM, Monday September 11

Rider (Eloise Jones)

This week: v Marist – 9:00AM, Sunday September 10

Santa Clara (Holly Furphy)

This week: @ California – 8:00AM, Friday September 8; @ Cal Poly – 5:00AM, Monday September 11

Siena (Iona Snape)

This week: v Manhattan – 3:00AM, Sunday September 10

Southern Illinois (Chantelle Symes)

This week: @ North Ala. – 10:00AM, Friday September 8

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (Molly Arens)

This week: @ Tarleton St. – 10:00AM, Saturday September 9

UAB (Abbey Burns)

This week: v Tennessee Tech – 9:00AM, Friday September 8; @ South Alabama – 8:00AM, Monday September 11

UMBC (Isobel Davy, Annaliese Grove)

This week: v High Point – 9:00AM, Friday September 8; v Navy – 2:00AM, Monday September 11

UNC Asheville (Jasmine Barry)

This week: v The Citadel – 8:00AM, Friday September 8; v Mercer – 5:00AM, Monday September 11

USC (Talia Grossman)

This week: v Utah Valley – 7:00AM, Friday September 8

VCU (Greta Kraszula)

This week: v Stanford – 9:00AM, Friday September 8

About Lachy 429 Articles
Founder of College Matildas. An Australian women's football fan who also happens to be a college sports fan. Often found at A-League Women or NPLW games.

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