Maine came into their game against New Hampshire needing only a draw to secure the first America East regular season title in program history, but the Black Bears showed little sign of playing defensively despite going on the road for the Border Battle. Lara Kirkby started for Maine, who held the edge for much of the contest and took the lead on a first half penalty to hold a 1-0 advantage at halftime. Although New Hampshire had their chances in the second half, they were unable to force even one save from Maine goalkeeper Jessica Kasacek, ensuring that the Black Bears would secure victory and the regular season crown. Whilst Grace Wilson didn’t feature between the sticks on this occasion, Kirkby was once again a threat for Maine, finishing with four shots and putting one on target in her 81 minutes on the pitch. The win not only secures the regular season title, but also America East semi-final and championship hosting rights for Maine should they advance to the title game.
Meanwhile, in Birmingham, another South Australian was ensuring her own team secured the best possible tournament seeding as Abbey Burns led UAB’s comeback against North Texas to prevent the Mean Green jumping the Blazers for fifth spot in the AAC standings. Trailing 2-0 with 20 minutes to play, all signs pointed to North Texas securing a final-day win and making a leap up the table, but Burns had other ideas. A lethal left-footed strike in the 71st minute was followed up by a perfectly-placed free kick from the best part of 40 yards that had the entire North Texas defence and goalkeeper essentially shouting “yours” before it snuck just inside the far post. Burns was awarded the AAC Offensive Player of the Week for her performance, before also picking up an All-Conference First Team nod for her efforts this season heading into the conference tournament.
The top of the West Coast Conference was already chaotic heading into this weekend, but Katie Godden turned the upcoming final weekend into absolute bedlam as Oregon State defeated Santa Clara. Trailing 1-0 to an early Broncos goal on Senior Day, Godden’s header from a pinpoint cross nestled in the far corner to tie things up in the 27th minute. The Beavers would take the lead on the 67-minute mark, and although Santa Clara won the shot count 28-7, Oregon State held on for a crucial win. The Beavers now own the tiebreaker atop the West Coast Conference, meaning two wins on the final weekend will secure a conference championship and the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. However, Holly Furphy and the Broncos are right there waiting to swoop in should the Beavers slip up.
Elsewhere, it was, as per usual, a mixed week for the Aussies in conference tournaments. However, Lilly Bailey and Natasha Tanner were instrumental as Morehead State advanced to the semi-finals to keep the dream of an Aussie v Aussie final against Candice Kilderry and Little Rock alive. Tanner played all bar nine minutes of the weekend as the Eagles dispatched of UT Martin and Southern Indiana, whilst Bailey came up with eleven crucial saves in her team’s two one-goal victories. The Eagles now take on Tennessee Tech, whom they knocked off last season in an upset to secure the championship, whilst Little Rock will face Lindenwood as Aussie fans hope for a guaranteed NCAA Tournament bid.
Meanwhile, Hannah Peric and Massachusetts advanced to the semi-finals of the Atlantic 10 Tournament following a 1-0 win over Loyola Chicago. In a cagey affair that saw the teams combine for just five shots on target, it was Massachusetts’ defence that came away with the clean sheet and the victory after a ninth-minute Olimpico from Ella Curry. Unfortunately, the dream of a semi-final against Greta Kraszula and VCU was not to be after VCU fell to Dayton in the quarter-final. Whilst a conference championship is the obvious goal, Massachusetts remain an outside chance of an at-large bid if they reach the Atlantic 10 final, but they will need a win against Dayton to keep both of those hopes alive.
Complete Results
NCAA Division I
Alabama State (Grace Norbury, Madison Chambers)
This week: lost 2-1 to Alabama A&M
No stats were made available to Alabama State’s loss to Alabama A&M.
Bellarmine (Teagan Douglas)
This week: defeated Austin Peay 4-3 on penalties (1-1 AET) (ASUN Tournament First Round); lost 2-1 (AET) to Lipscomb (ASUN Tournament Quarter-Final)
Teagan Douglas started both of Bellarmine’s tournament games, tallying three shots with two on target in 107 minutes in the win over Austin Peay, and playing all 107 minutes as the Knights fell to a golden goal to Lipscomb in the quarter-finals, tallying another two shots with one on target.
Charleston Southern (Eve Tiktikakis)
This week: No games.
Coastal Carolina (Tahlia Voskanian)
This week: lost 2-1 to Georgia St.
Tahlia Voskanian came off the bench in Coastal Carolina’s loss to Georgia State, playing 10 minutes.
Dartmouth (Kate Ryan)
This week: defeated Brown 1-0
Kate Ryan did not feature in Dartmouth’s win over Brown.
Denver (Isabella Chidiac)
This week: No games.
Detroit Mercy (Chantelle Symes)
This week: defeated Purdue Fort Wayne 2-1 (Horizon League Tournament First Round)
Chantelle Symes did not feature in Detroit Mercy’s win over Purdue Fort Wayne.
Fresno State (Shivani Battaglia)
This week: defeated San Jose St. 2-1
Shivani Battaglia played the second half of Fresno State’s win over San Jose State, making two saves and keeping a clean sheet.
Harvard (Erin Gordon)
This week: defeated Yale 3-1
Erin Gordon came off the bench to play 61 minutes in Harvard’s win over Yale.
High Point (Meg Roden)
This week: No games.
Incarnate Word (Montanna Mathews)
This week: drew 0-0 with Lamar University
Montanna Mathews came off the bench to play 38 minutes in Incarnate Word’s draw with Lamar.
Little Rock (Candice Kilderry)
This week: No games.
Long Island (Izzy Stein)
This week: lost 1-0 to Wagner
Izzy Stein played the full 90 minutes in LIU’s final game of the season, tallying one shot.
Loyola Maryland (Ava Blizzard)
This week: defeated Colgate 3-0 (Patriot League Tournament Quarter-Final)
Ava Blizzard did not feature in Loyola Maryland’s win over Colgate.
Maine (Grace Wilson, Lara Kirkby)
This week: defeated New Hampshire 1-0
Lara Kirkby started in Maine’s win over New Hampshire, tallying four shots with one on target in 82 minutes. Grace Wilson did not feature in the victory.
Massachusetts (Hannah Peric)
This week: defeated Loyola Chicago 1-0 (Atlantic 10 Tournament Quarter-Final)
Hannah Peric played the full 90 minutes in Massachusetts’ win over Loyola Chicago.
Mississippi Valley State (Jacquelline Kambere)
This week: No games.
Morehead State (Lilly Bailey, Natasha Tanner)
This week: defeated UT Martin 1-0 (Ohio Valley Conference Tournament First Round); defeated Southern Indiana 2-1 (Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Quarter-Final)
Lilly Bailey played every minute of the weekend for Morehead State, making seven saves in the win over UT Martin and four more against Southern Indiana. Natasha Tanner also started both games, playing 81 minutes against UT-Martin before playing the full 90 minutes and notching one shot on target against Southern Indiana.
Northwestern State (Caitlin Le Roux)
This week: lost 5-0 to SFA
Caitlin Le Roux did not feature in Northwestern State’s loss to Stephen F. Austin.
Old Dominion (Alice Thompson)
This week: defeated App State 3-1
Alice Thompson came off the bench to play 18 minutes in Old Dominion’s win over Appalachian State.
Oregon State (Katie Godden)
This week: defeated Santa Clara 2-1
Katie Godden came off the bench in just the third minute of Oregon State’s win over Santa Clara, scoring the equaliser with her only shot in 87 minutes on the pitch.
Pacific (Libby Davy)
This week: lost 2-1 to Saint Mary’s (CA)
Libby Davy did not feature in Pacific’s loss to Saint Mary’s.
Purdue (Zoe Karipidis)
This week: No games.
Rider (Eloise Jones)
This week: No games.
Saint Francis (Claire Scarpin, Aimee Benton)
This week: lost 3-1 to Mercyhurst
Claire Scarpin came off the bench to play 24 minutes in Saint Francis’ loss to Mercyhurst, whilst Aimee Benton did not feature in the defeat.
Saint Peter’s (Sophie Cook, Wilma Thodhlana)
This week: No games.
Santa Clara (Holly Furphy)
This week: lost 2-1 to Oregon St.
Holly Furphy did not feature in Santa Clara’s loss to Oregon State.
Seton Hall (Grace Mitchell, Sarah Mitchell)
This week: lost 3-0 to Marquette
Neither Grace nor Sarah Mitchell featured in Seton Hall’s loss to Marquette.
Siena (Iona Snape)
This week: lost 1-0 to Manhattan (MAAC Tournament Quarter-Final)
Iona Snape started in Siena’s defeat to Manhattan, registering one shot in 83 minutes.
Southern (Yazmin Baird-Watson)
This week: defeated Jackson St. 3-0
Yazmin Baird-Watson did not feature in Southern’s win over Jackson State.
Stetson (Camila Madriz Figueroa)
This week: No games.
Tarleton State (Adelaide Wyrzynski)
This week: lost 2-0 to Cal Baptist (WAC Tournament Quarter-Final)
Adelaide Wyrzynski started in Tarleton State’s loss to Cal Baptist, playing 80 minutes.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (Molly Arens, Emma Bates)
This week: defeated UTRGV 2-0
Molly Arens started in Texas A&M-Corpus Christi’s win over UTRGV, tallying a shot on target in her 68 minutes on the pitch. Emma Bates did not feature for the Islanders this week.
Towson (Courtney Butlion)
This week: No games.
UAB (Abbey Burns)
This week: drew 2-2 with North Texas
Abbey Burns played the full 90 minutes in UAB’s comeback draw with North Texas, posting four shots scoring both of the Blazers’ goals.
UMBC (Annie Grove)
This week: lost 2-1 to NJIT
Annie Grove did not feature in UMBC’s loss to NJIT.
UNC Asheville (Mercedes McNabb, Jasmine Barry)
This week: lost 3-0 to Radford (Big South Tournament First Round)
Jasmine Barry and Mercedes McNabb both started in UNC Asheville’s loss to Radford, with McNabb tallying a shot on target in her 71 minutes on the pitch and Barry playing 74 minutes.
VCU (Greta Kraszula)
This week: lost 1-0 to Dayton (Atlantic 10 Tournament Quarter-Final)
Greta Kraszula played the full 90 minutes in VCU’s season-ending loss to Dayton.
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