After a first-up draw against Hampton, Week 2 was a lot tougher for Howard as they fell to heavy defeats to Florida International and Florida Atlantic. However, there was some cause for celebration as JUCO transfer goalkeeper Ruby Lancaster made her NCAA Division I debut for the Bison against FIU. Although the Cronulla product only saw five minutes of action, Lancaster was called upon to make one save in what was hopefully only the first of many appearances. Despite the losses, Howard will have used their trip to Florida more in preparation for conference season than anything else, as conference success is the only way for smaller teams to find their way to the NCAA Tournament.
Meanwhile, Grace Wilson returned following their game off after receiving a red card last week, and was promptly called into action repeatedly as San Francisco took on Boston University. Although the Dons fell to a 3-1 defeat, Wilson’s 10 saves in 81 minutes of action ensured the result was still in the balance before the Terriers tacked on an third goal with six minutes remaining. Wilson now ranks 32nd for saves per game this season, posting 22 in their first four appearances of the campaign.
Slightly further up the pitch, junior college transfer Keisha Blaauw has had an immediate impact as a fullback for Southern University, and this week picked up her first award just three games into her NCAA Division I career. Blaauw was awarded SWAC Defender of the Week after playing 73 minutes in the Jaguars’ loss to SMU before tallying an assist in 45 minutes of action as Southern defeated NCAA Division II side Spring Hill. Blaauw has now started each of her first three games for the Jaguars and is quickly cementing herself as one of the first names on the team sheet.
Elsewhere, there was a first career start for a player who has only been seen sparingly even off the bench before this week. Quinnipiac sophomore Stella Tosoni was listed as a forward in 2025 and made only four appearances, but a move to the backline has paid immediate dividends. Three appearances off the bench to start the season gave way to a first start for the Queenslander as the Bobcats took on Albany. In a game that saw all the scoring take place in the final 20 minutes, Quinnipiac came away with a 2-1 victory, with Tosoni playing a career-high 69 minutes. Tosoni’s playing time has increased with each appearance so far this season, and hopefully a first 90-minute outing isn’t far away.
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