It’s been a whirlwind week of #CollegeMatildasOnTour, but we managed to find time to cobble together a preview of the week’s action. We’ll be in Indianapolis to see Claire Farrington and Butler take on DePaul this weekend, but there are plenty of games worth watching.
Massachusetts are sitting pretty atop the Atlantic 10 standings, but Hannah Peric’s side will need to maintain their solid form this week against St. Bonaventure if they are to keep pace with perennial conference favourites Saint Louis. Regular strugglers in conference play, St. Bonaventure appear to be on the upswing in 2023 with seven points from six games to this point, so the Minutewomen will need to have their wits about them if they are to maintain an unbeaten streak against the Bonnies that stretches all the way back to 2012. Expect Peric to be heavily involved as per usual, with the defender having played the full 90 minutes on nine occasions this season, and has yet to play less than 66 minutes in any one contest.
Chantelle Symes is another player who regularly sees a full 90 minutes of action, and with good reason as the Southern Illinois goalkeeper has regularly come up with massive games, including a seven-save outing last week. However, despite Symes’ best efforts, Southern Illinois have picked up only a solitary point in five conference games. This week gives the Salukis a chance to pick up points against two teams sitting only marginally above them in the Missouri Valley Conference standings. Indiana State are in the same boat as Southern Illinois, with just one point in conference play, whilst Belmont sit on four points. Encouragingly, Southern Illinois knocked off both of these teams just a year ago, defeating Belmont 2-0 and Indiana State 1-0. If Symes can maintain her form of the season to this point, the Salukis will have few better chances to pick up points in conference play this year.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the pitch, Abbey Burns was in fine fettle for UAB last week, scoring the equaliser against Florida Atlantic that maintained her team’s undefeated record in conference play, even if that record is three draws from three games. This week, the Blazers host South Florida, a team that sits narrowly above them in the standings with four points from three games. UAB can be buoyed by the fact that their opponents this week have conceded 16 goals this season compared to their own number of 9, but with both teams only averaging around a single goal per game, they will need to step up to take advantage. Could Burns do the trick again? It’s not out of the question.
Hawaii currently sit top of the Big West, but with a number of teams having one or even two games in hand, that one-point lead could quickly evaporate if they aren’t careful. Eliza Ammendolia played a big part in leading her team to top spot last week with a goal and an assist, and will be hoping to reprise that form as the Wahine visit CSU Bakersfield and UC Davis. Although both opponents this week are mid-table in the conference, only three points separates top from bottom, so there are absolutely no easy games in this league. On the face of it, Cal State Bakersfield’s defensive numbers look to suggest that this game would provide Ammendolia and the Hawaii attack with more opportunities, but they also sit two spots above UC Davis on the table. However, we know that the opposition’s level means little to a player of Ammendolia’s quality.
Full Schedule
Alabama State (Madison Chambers, Grace Norbury)
This week: v Jackson St. – 10:00AM, Saturday October 7; v Southern U. – 5:00AM, Monday October 9
Bellarmine (Teagan Douglas)
This week: @ Central Ark. – 11:00AM, Friday October 6; @ North Ala. – 5:00AM, Monday October 9
Butler (Claire Farrington)
This week: @ Villanova – 6:00AM, Friday October 6; v DePaul – 4:00AM, Monday October 9
Central Michigan (Shivani Battaglia)
This week: v Buffalo – 10:00AM, Friday October 6; @ Kent St. – 4:00AM, Monday October 9
Coastal Carolina (Asha McClurg)
This week: @ Texas St. – 11:00AM, Friday October 6; v Ga. Southern – 4:00AM, Monday October 9
Dartmouth (Kate Ryan)
This week: v Columbia – 4:00AM, Monday October 9
Denver (Isabella Chidiac)
This week: v South Dakota St. – 12:00PM, Friday October 6; v South Dakota – 5:00AM, Monday October 9
Eastern Kentucky (Sophie MacAlpine)
This week: @ North Ala. – 11:00AM, Friday October 6; @ Central Ark. – 4:00AM, Monday October 9
Grambling State (Aimee Benton)
This week: @ Mississippi Val. – 9:00AM, Saturday October 7; @ Alcorn – 5:00AM, Monday October 9
Hawaii (Eliza Ammendolia)
This week: @ CSU Bakersfield – 1:00PM, Friday October 6; @ UC Davis – 7:00AM, Monday October 9
High Point (Meg Roden)
This week: @ Longwood – 5:00AM, Sunday October 8
Illinois (Isabel Rolley)
This week: @ Minnesota – 5:00AM, Monday October 9
Kent State (Lua Suero)
This week: @ Ball St. – 7:00AM, Friday October 6; v Central Mich. – 4:00AM, Monday October 9
La Salle (Courtney Butlion)
This week: v George Mason – 4:00AM, Sunday October 8
Little Rock (Cameron Barreiro, Emily Jensen, Candice Kilderry, Bronte Peel)
This week: @ Southeast Mo. St. – 3:00PM, Friday October 6; v SIUE – 5:00AM, Monday October 9
Long Island (Matilda Boyle, Isabella Stein)
This week: v FDU – 2:00AM, Monday October 9
Louisiana (Emma Bates)
This week: @ Ga. Southern – 9:00AM, Friday October 6; v Southern Miss. – 5:00AM, Monday October 9
Maine (Lara Kirkby)
This week: @ NJIT – 4:00AM, Monday October 9
Massachusetts (Hannah Peric)
This week: v St. Bonaventure – 4:00AM, Monday October 9
Mississippi Valley State (Jacquelline Kambere)
This week: v Grambling – 9:00AM, Saturday October 7; v Ark.-Pine Bluff – 5:00AM, Monday October 9
Morehead State (Natasha Tanner)
This week: v Southeast Mo. St. – 4:00AM, Monday October 9
Northwestern State (Caitlin Le Roux)
This week: @ Lamar University – 11:00AM, Saturday October 7; @ Houston Christian – 5:00AM, Monday October 9
Oral Roberts (Layla Lopez)
This week: v North Dakota St. – 11:00AM, Friday October 6; v St. Thomas (MN) – 5:00AM, Monday October 9
Oregon State (Katie Godden)
This week: @ UCLA – 1:00PM, Friday October 6; @ Southern California – 6:00AM, Monday October 9
Pacific (Libby Davy)
This week: @ San Diego – 7:00AM, Sunday October 8
Rider (Eloise Jones)
This week: v Manhattan – 4:00AM, Sunday October 8
Siena (Iona Snape)
This week: v Niagara – 4:00AM, Sunday October 8
Southern Illinois (Chantelle Symes)
This week: v Belmont – 10:00AM, Friday October 6; v Indiana St. – 3:00PM, Monday October 9
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (Molly Arens)
This week: v Southeastern La. – 11:00AM, Saturday October 7; v Nicholls – 5:00AM, Monday October 9
UAB (Abbey Burns)
This week: v South Fla. – 11:00AM, Friday October 6
UMBC (Isobel Davy, Annaliese Grove)
This week: v Vermont – 4:00AM, Monday October 9
UNC Asheville (Jasmine Barry)
This week: @ South Carolina St. – 7:30AM, Monday October 9
USC (Talia Grossman)
This week: v Oregon – 9:00AM, Friday October 6; v Oregon St. – 6:00AM, Monday October 9
VCU (Greta Kraszula)
This week: v Dayton – 4:00AM, Monday October 9
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