Tag: Eliza Ammendolia

2019 Week 8 Wrap

Eliza Ammendolia produced a performance to remember for Hawaii, finishing with a hat-trick with a difference against UC Irvine. Meanwhile, Teresa Morrissey was once again Rhode Island’s saviour, whilst Siena Senatore and Southeast Missouri State booked a postseason berth.

(Image Credit: Hawaii Athletics)

Eliza Ammendolia forced her way into the Hawaii starting lineup earlier in the season, and this week delivered a performance worthy of being one of the first names on the team sheet. Aside from a generally solid performance in midfield, the freshman delivered two pinpoint balls for assists on each of Hawaii’s first two goals before playing the final pass for the third goal as the Rainbow Wahine rolled to a 3-0 victory over UC Irvine. The first came courtesy of a delightful ball over the top of the Anteaters’ defence, finding Kayla Watanabe in behind, with the striker cushioning the pass before burying the finish just prior to the 20-minute mark.

However, the second was somehow even better. With UC Irvine failing to successfully clear their lines, the ball fell to Ammendolia, who rifled a wicked curling ball into the box, finding Watanabe completely unmarked in front of the goalkeeper. Once again, the striker was only too happy to oblige, turning the ball home for the second of the night. Late in the evening, tenacious play from Ammendolia near the top of the box enabled the freshman to win the ball and play a wide pass to Kayla Ryan, who cut back before launching a scintillating chip across the goalkeeper to give Ammendolia a hat-trick of assists.

Teresa Morrissey continued her outstanding freshman season, coming within a couple of minutes of a heroic match-winning performance before settling for an overtime draw against Fordham. Coming up with seven saves, it looked as though Morrissey’s performance between the sticks had given Rhode Island a chance at a 1-0 win before her clean sheet bid was cruelly denied by an 89th minute penalty. However, Morrissey and the Rams regrouped to ensure that they would at least escape with a draw as the freshman made her eighth save of the night on Fordham’s only on-target shot of overtime.

However, Morrissey wasn’t the only goalkeeper turning in a solid performance. UCLA star Teagan Micah returned to the Bruins’ lineup after three games away at Matildas camp, and didn’t miss a beat as the team from Westwood defeated Utah 2-0. Called upon on three occasions, Micah came up trumps on each occasion to maintain UCLA’s lead and eventually secure the victory. Meanwhile, Claudia Jenkins came up with ten saves for La Salle, but against Saint Louis’ blistering attack even that wasn’t enough as the Explorers leaked four goals in a 4-1 defeat.

However, Sam Roff and Fairleigh Dickinson were able to keep it tight at the back as they maintained their grip on top spot in the Northeast Conference. The Knights allowed just two shots on target in a 2-1 win over Saint Francis University, with Roff playing 66 minutes in the process. Roff and her teammates backed that up with another clean sheet in a 0-0 draw with Robert Morris, with the Aussie senior playing 46 minutes as Fairleigh Dickinson maintained a two-point advantage over the chasing pack in the Northeast Conference.

Finally, we have our first guaranteed postseason entrant of 2019, with Siena Senatore and Southeast Missouri State clinching a spot in the Ohio Valley Conference tournament with still three games remaining in league play. Senatore came off the bench in both fixtures, playing a total of 82 minutes across the weekend as the Redhawks secured victories over Eastern Kentucky and Morehead State.

Player of the Year Points:

3: Eliza Ammendolia (Hawaii)
2: Teresa Morrissey (Rhode Island)
1: Sam Roff (Fairleigh Dickinson)

Complete Results

Alabama State (Sophie Bui)

This week: defeated Alcorn State 3-2; defeated Mississippi Valley State 1-0

Sophie Bui came off the bench in both games this week, playing 14 minutes against Alcorn State and 32 minutes against Mississippi Valley State.

Chicago State (Sarah Clark)

This week: lost 3-0 to Cal Baptist; lost 2-0 to UTRGV

Sarah Clark did not feature for Chicago State in either game this week.

East Tennessee State (D’arne Boato)

This week: lost 2-0 to Furman; lost 1-0 to Wofford

D’arne Boato did not feature for East Tennessee State in either game this week.

Fairleigh Dickinson (Sam Roff)

This week: defeated Saint Francis University 2-1; drew 0-0 with Robert Morris

Sam Roff started both games for Fairleigh Dickinson this week, playing 66 minutes in the win over Saint Francis before tallying a shot in a 46-minute outing in the draw with Robert Morris.

Grand Canyon (Sandra Hill)

This week: defeated Kansas City 2-0

Sandra Hill played the full 90 minutes in Grand Canyon’s win over Kansas City.

Hawaii (Eliza Ammendolia, Kiri Dale)

This week: defeated UC Irvine 3-0

Eliza Ammendolia was key for Hawaii in their win over UC Irvine, tallying a pair of assists in 63 minutes of action. Kiri Dale came off the bench for the Rainbow Wahine, playing 28 minutes in the win.

Hofstra (Monique Iannella, Grace Watson Carr)

This week: defeated James Madison 3-1; defeated Delaware 3-2

Neither Monique Iannella nor Grace Watson Carr featured for Hofstra in either game this week.

Illinois (Ashleigh Lefevre)

This week: lost 4-1 to Michigan; defeated Michigan State 2-1

Ashleigh Lefevre started against Michigan, playing 50 minutes before coming off the bench to play 22 minutes in the win over Michigan State.

La Salle (Claudia Jenkins, Alyssa Van Heurck)

This week: lost 4-1 to Saint Louis

Claudia Jenkins made ten saves but even that wasn’t enough to keep La Salle in the contest as the junior played 79 minutes of the Explorers’ 4-1 defeat. Alyssa Van Heurck also started, playing 48 minutes.

LSU (Caitlin Cantrill)

This week: lost 4-0 to Arkansas; lost 3-0 to Alabama

Caitlin Cantrill did not feature for LSU in either game this week.

Marshall (Laura Farrelly)

This week: lost 3-2 to UTSA

Laura Farrelly did not feature for Marshall in their loss to UTSA.

Mississippi (Aimee Medwin)

This week: defeated Florida 3-2; lost 2-1 to Georgia

Aimee Medwin did not feature for Mississippi in either game this week.

Nicholls State (Tessa Calabria, Kristy Helmers, Shauni Reid)

This week: lost 5-1 to McNeese State

Kristy Helmers played the full 90 minutes for Nicholls State in their loss to McNeese State, tallying one shot. Tessa Calabria started and played 64 minutes, whilst Shauni Reid did not feature for the Colonels.

North Dakota State (Eden Taylor-Wineera)

This week: lost 1-0 to Omaha; drew 1-1 with Oral Roberts

Eden Taylor-Wineera did not feature for North Dakota State in either game this week.

Old Dominion (Gaby Bentley)

This week: defeated Middle Tennessee State 3-2 (OT)

Gaby Bentley did not feature for Old Dominion in their win over Middle Tennessee State.

Rhode Island (Teresa Morrissey)

This week: drew 1-1 with Fordham

Teresa Morrissey played all 110 minutes in Rhode Island’s draw with Fordham, making 8 saves.

Southeast Missouri State (Siena Senatore)

This week: defeated Eastern Kentucky 1-0; defeated Morehead State 5-1

Siena Senatore came off the bench in both of Southeast Missouri State’s wins this week, playing 37 minutes against Eastern Kentucky and 45 minutes against Morehead State.

Stanford (Beattie Goad)

This week: defeated Oregon State 2-0; defeated Oregon 5-0

Beattie Goad came off the bench for Stanford in both games this week, playing 44 minutes in the win over Oregon State and 64 minutes against Oregon.

Texas Tech (Demi Koulizakis)

This week: defeated West Virginia 1-0; drew 1-1 with Kansas

Demi Koulizakis started and played 69 minutes in Texas Tech’s win over West Virginia, tallying a shot and drawing the penalty that resulted in the Red Raiders’ goal. The senior then played 85 minutes against Kansas, finishing with five shots including one on target.

UCLA (Rachel Lowe, Teagan Micah)

This week: defeated Colorado 3-0; defeated Utah 2-0

Teagan Micah and Rachel Lowe both missed the game against Colorado as they made their way back from Matildas camp, but Micah returned to the UCLA side for the game against Utah, making three saves.

UMBC (Abi Jordan, Teal Kilbride)

This week: lost 1-0 to Vermont

Neither Abi Jordan nor Teal Kilbride featured for UMBC in their loss to Vermont.

Western Carolina (Kate Swartwout)

This week: defeated Wofford 1-0; lost 1-0 to Furman

Kate Swartwout came off the bench to play 37 minutes in Western Carolina’s win over Wofford, before starting and playing 44 minutes in the loss to Furman.

Wyoming (Indianna Asimus)

This week: drew 0-0 with San Jose State; lost 2-0 to Fresno State

Indianna Asimus tallied a shot in a 102-minute performance in Wyoming’s draw with San Jose State, before playing the full 90 minutes in the loss to Fresno State.

2019 Week 5 Wrap

Goals for Indianna Asimus are becoming a regular occurrence, whilst Rachel Lowe took advantage of an extended run on Sunday afternoon to make her case for extended playing time for UCLA.

(Image Credit: Greg Carroccio/Sideline Photos)

It may not have been her prettiest finish of the season to this point, but Wyoming sophomore Indianna Asimus found a way to find the back of the net for the fourth time this season even as the Cowgirls fell to a 3-2 overtime defeat to South Dakota. Finishing the night with four shots, Asimus’ third found the goal as a scrum on the goal line ended with the midfielder just managing to steer the ball home. As the only Aussie to score a goal this week, Asimus doubled her lead atop the goalscoring charts, and the sophomore’s willingness to have a crack at goal suggests that there are more goals to come.

Fresh off a frustrating 2-2 draw with Pepperdine earlier in the week, UCLA were looking to bounce back against Hawaii, and did so emphatically with a 4-0 win that saw an Aussie heavily involved. However, it was Rachel Lowe, rather than Teagan Micah, who made more of an impact as the senior goalkeeper found herself completely untested in her 45 minutes on the pitch, finishing the half without a save but also without conceding a goal. However, Lowe came off the bench to tally an assist on the Bruins’ opening goal whilst also tallying two shots on target in 48 minutes of action to go with one that the freshman had tallied against Pepperdine. Despite the scoreline, there were positives for Hawaii freshman Eliza Ammendolia, who started for the second consecutive game, playing 56 minutes and tallying two shots. Kiri Dale also featured for ten minutes off the bench, ensuring that all four Aussie players saw time on the pitch.

However, the outstanding day was not over for Micah and Lowe, with the UCLA pair named to the Matildas squad for a training camp featuring a mixture of Women’s World Cup squad members and players looking to break into the team.

La Salle may have fallen to a 3-1 defeat to George Washington to open conference play, but defender-turned-attacker Alyssa Van Heurck continues to prove why she is fully deserving of a starting berth for the Explorers. Starting for the seventh time in eight games this season, Van Heurck once again saw playing time either side of halftime, managing to tally an assist on La Salle’s only goal of the game as the Explorers managed to pull one back to trail 3-1 just after the hour mark, but found themselves unable to put together a rally. Claudia Jenkins once again played a complete game for the Explorers, coming up with four saves in the defeat.

Player of the Year Points:

3: Indianna Asimus (Wyoming)
2: Rachel Lowe (UCLA)
1: Alyssa Van Heurck (La Salle)

Complete Results

Alabama State (Sophie Bui)

This week: lost 4-1 to North Alabama; lost 4-3 to Mercer

Sophie Bui did not feature for Alabama State in either game this week.

Chicago State (Sarah Clark)

This week: lost 8-1 to Oral Roberts; lost 6-0 to Tulsa

Sarah Clark started and played 73 minutes in Chicago State’s loss to Oral Roberts, but did not feature against Tulsa.

Clark – start, 73 minutes v ORU

East Tennessee State (D’arne Boato)

This week: defeated Hampton 2-1

D’arne Boato did not feature for East Tennessee State in their win over Hampton.

Fairleigh Dickinson (Sam Roff)

This week: defeated Long Island 2-0; lost 2-0 to West Virginia

Sam Roff started both games for Fairleigh Dickinson this week, registering two shots in 70 minutes against Long Island, before playing the full 90 minutes and tallying another shot in the loss to West Virginia.

Grand Canyon (Sandra Hill)

This week: lost 2-0 to CSU Northridge

Sandra Hill played the full 90 minutes for Grand Canyon in their loss to CSU Northridge.

Hawaii (Eliza Ammendolia, Kiri Dale)

This week: lost 1-0 to Washington State; lost 4-0 to UCLA

Eliza Ammendolia started both games for Hawaii this week, playing 62 minutes against Washington State before tallying 2 shots in 56 minutes of action against UCLA. Kiri Dale did not feature against Washington State, but came off the bench to play 10 minutes against UCLA.

Hofstra (Monique Iannella, Grace Watson Carr)

This week: defeated Penn 2-1

Neither Monique Iannella nor Grace Watson Carr featured for Hofstra in their win over Penn.

Illinois (Ashleigh Lefevre)

This week: defeated Northwestern 3-1

Ashleigh Lefevre came off the bench to play 33 minutes in Illinois’ win over Northwestern.

La Salle (Claudia Jenkins, Alyssa Van Heurck)

This week: lost 3-1 to George Washington

Claudia Jenkins played the full 90 minutes between the sticks in La Salle’s loss to George Washington, making four saves. Alyssa Van Heurck also started, playing 44 minutes and tallying an assist on La Salle’s goal, as well as a shot on target.

LSU (Caitlin Cantrill)

This week: lost 3-0 to Florida; lost 1-0 to James Madison

Caitlin Cantrill did not feature for LSU in either game this week.

Marshall (Laura Farrelly)

This week: lost 4-0 to Florida Atlantic; lost 2-0 to Florida Gulf Coast

Laura Farrelly did not feature for Marshall in either game this week.

Mississippi (Aimee Medwin)

This week: drew 1-1 with Missouri

Aimee Medwin did not feature in Mississippi’s draw with Missouri.

Nicholls State (Tessa Calabria, Kristy Helmers, Shauni Reid)

This week: lost 6-0 to Lamar

Tessa Calabria started for Nicholls State in their loss to Lamar, registering a pair of shots in 58 minutes. Kristy Helmers also started, tallying a shot on target in her 76 minutes on the pitch. Shauni Reid did not feature for the Colonels this week.

North Dakota State (Eden Taylor-Wineera)

This week: defeated Eastern Washington 4-2

Eden Taylor-Wineera did not feature for North Dakota State in their win over Eastern Washington.

Old Dominion (Gaby Bentley)

This week: lost 1-0 to North Texas

Gaby Bentley did not feature for Old Dominion in their loss to North Texas.

Rhode Island (Teresa Morrissey)

This week: lost 2-0 to Dartmouth; lost 4-1 to Saint Louis

Teresa Morrissey started both games this week, playing a complete game and making two saves against Dartmouth, before playing 65 minutes and making 3 saves whilst conceding four goals in the loss to Saint Louis.

Southeast Missouri State (Siena Senatore)

This week: defeated Belmont 2-1; defeated Eastern Illinois 1-0

Siena Senatore came off the bench in both games this week, playing 15 minutes against Belmont and 10 minutes in the win over Eastern Illinois.

Stanford (Beattie Goad)

This week: defeated Santa Clara 4-2

Beattie Goad came off the bench for Stanford in their win over Santa Clara, playing 15 minutes.

Texas Tech (Demi Koulizakis)

This week: defeated South Florida 2-1


Demi Koulizakis started for Texas Tech in their win over South Florida, playing 67 minutes.

UCLA (Rachel Lowe, Teagan Micah)

This week: drew 2-2 with Pepperdine; @ Hawaii – 11:30am, Monday September 23

Teagan Micah started both games this week, making 1 save in 110 minutes against Pepperdine before going untested in 45 minutes of action against Hawaii. Rachel Lowe came off the bench in both games, tallying a shot on target in 14 minutes against Pepperdine, before testing the goalkeeper twice more and also tallying an assist in 48 minutes against Hawaii.

UMBC (Abi Jordan, Teal Kilbride)

This week: lost 4-1 to George Washington; lost 2-0 to New Hampshire

Neither Abi Jordan nor Teal Kilbride featured for UMBC in either game this week.

Western Carolina (Kate Swartwout)

This week: defeated UNC Asheville 2-0; v lost 3-1 to North Florida

Kate Swartwout started for Western Carolina in the loss to UNC Asheville, playing 45 minutes before coming off the bench in the loss to North Florida, playing 13 minutes.

Wyoming (Indianna Asimus)

This week: lost 3-2 to South Dakota (OT)

Indianna Asimus scored her fourth goal of the season in Wyoming’s loss to South Dakota, whilst tallying four shots including two on target in an 87-minute outing.

2019 Week 5 Preview

Beattie Goad and Stanford will be looking for a more successful week after dropping a game to Pepperdine last week, whilst UCLA and Hawaii bring together no less than five Aussies, including a trio of W-League teammates.

(Image Credit: Michael Rincon)

Stanford had what could only be described as an underwhelming week last week in falling to a loss to Pepperdine and defeating UC Santa Barbara 1-0 with a late winner, and things don’t stand to get any easier this week as the Cardinal take on a Santa Clara side that has already knocked off the Aussie-laden UCLA this season. The Cardinal were perhaps guilty of trying to walk the ball in on a few occasions against teams that stacked the defensive line, but Beattie Goad, among others, came up with some moments that could have ended in goals, including one scintillating cross from the Aussie senior that was headed onto the crossbar against Pepperdine. Stanford may actually benefit from playing a team like Santa Clara, who will be far more attack-minded than either of last week’s opponents, potentially opening up the pitch for the Cardinal attack, with Beattie Goad hopefully one of the beneficiaries as the senior looks to continue an outstanding senior season.

Whilst Stanford are playing a side that has already beaten UCLA, the Bruins themselves will travel to Hawaii face a Pepperdine side that upset Stanford just a week ago. Prior to that result, this contest would have appeared to be a breeze for the Bruins, but the Waves changed that line of thinking with their win over Stanford. UCLA will still come in as favourites, particularly having knocked off defending national champions Florida State and nationally ranked Wisconsin already this season, and with Teagan Micah having already picked up four clean sheets this year, sneaking a one-goal victory will be an incredibly difficult task for the Waves. Rachel Lowe also returned to the UCLA rotation last week, and will surely be hoping to see extended minutes as the Bruins attempt to put Pepperdine to the sword.

The Bruins will then face host side Hawaii in a game featuring no less than five Australians across the playing and coaching staff of both sides. Hawaii midfielder Eliza Ammendolia was a teammate of both Teagan Micah and Rachel Lowe at Western Sydney Wanderers, and with Kiri Dale also on the Rainbow Wahine roster and former Washington State and Matildas defender Rachael Doyle on the Hawaii coaching staff, there will be plenty of reasons for Aussie fans to catch Monday morning’s game.

Ashleigh Lefevre has built on last season’s performances to emerge as an integral part of Illinois’ starting lineup in 2019, and with the Illini kicking off conference play this week against in-state rivals Northwestern, the sophomore finds herself tasked with helping her team get off to a good start against a team picked to finish just one spot below them in the Big Ten. This really is the kind of game Illinois need to win if they are to atone for last year’s controversial omission from the NCAA Tournament, with a middling conference schedule in 2018 perhaps the team’s downfall. However, with a 6-1 record to this point, Illinois are looking in good form, as is Lefevre.

Sandra Hill had seen only limited minutes coming into last week’s pair of games, but the Grand Canyon fullback gained her first start of the season against North Dakota, and played 185 of 200 minutes across two games to re-establish herself as a member of the Antelopes’ lineup. This week sees Grand Canyon celebrate Senior Day against Cal State Northridge, and whilst Hill may not be a senior, both she and the remainder of the Antelopes lineup will be hoping to turn around their form to celebrate the occasion with the team’s second win of the season. It won’t be easy though, particularly against a Cal State Northridge side that has posted five wins in their eight games to this point. But with Hill back to shore up the side, things may just be turning around for Grand Canyon as they prepare to move into conference play.

Full Schedule

Alabama State (Sophie Bui)

This week: v North Alabama – 9am, Saturday September 21; @ Mercer – 4am, Monday September 23

Chicago State (Sarah Clark)

This week: @ Oral Roberts – 10am, Saturday September 21; @ Tulsa – 5am, Monday September 23

East Tennessee State (D’arne Boato)

This week: v Hampton – 7am, Thursday September 19

Fairleigh Dickinson (Sam Roff)

This week: @ Long Island – 6am, Thursday September 19; @ West Virginia – 9am, Saturday September 21

Grand Canyon (Sandra Hill)

This week: v CSU Northridge – 6am, Monday September 23

Hawaii (Eliza Ammendolia, Kiri Dale)

This week: v Washington State – 3pm, Friday September 20; v UCLA – 11:30am, Monday September 23

Hofstra (Monique Iannella, Grace Watson Carr)

This week: @ Penn – 8am, Saturday September 21

Illinois (Ashleigh Lefevre)

This week: v Northwestern – 10am, Saturday September 21

La Salle (Claudia Jenkins, Alyssa Van Heurck)

This week: v George Washington – 3am, Monday September 23

LSU (Caitlin Cantrill)

This week: v Florida – 10am, Friday September 20; v James Madison – 4am, Monday September 23

Marshall (Laura Farrelly)

This week: @ Florida Atlantic – 9am, Friday September 20; @ Florida Gulf Coast – 3am, Monday September 23

Mississippi (Aimee Medwin)

This week: v Missouri – 10am, Saturday September 21

Nicholls State (Tessa Calabria, Kristy Helmers, Shauni Reid)

This week: @ Lamar – 10am, Saturday September 21

North Dakota State (Eden Taylor-Wineera)

This week: @ Eastern Washington – 9am, Saturday September 21

Old Dominion (Gaby Bentley)

This week: @ North Texas – 10am, Saturday September 21

Rhode Island (Teresa Morrissey)

This week: @ Dartmouth – 9am, Friday September 20; v Saint Louis – 3am, Monday September 23

Southeast Missouri State (Siena Senatore)

This week: v Belmont – 9:30am, Saturday September 21; v Eastern Illinois – 5am, Monday September 23

Stanford (Beattie Goad)

This week: @ Santa Clara – 12pm, Monday September 23

Texas Tech (Demi Koulizakis)

This week: @ South Florida – 9am, Sunday September 22

UCLA (Rachel Lowe, Teagan Micah)

This week: v Pepperdine – 12:30pm, Friday September 20; @ Hawaii – 11:30am, Monday September 23

UMBC (Abi Jordan, Teal Kilbride)

This week: v George Washington – 9am, Friday September 20; v New Hampshire – 4am, Monday September 23

Western Carolina (Kate Swartwout)

This week: v UNC Asheville – 5:30am, Thursday September 19; v North Florida – 3am, Monday September 23

Wyoming (Indianna Asimus)

This week: v South Dakota – 11am, Friday September 20

2019 Week 3 Wrap

The stars kept shining this week as the season hit the 25% point, with Demi Koulizakis and Beattie Goad putting in impressive shifts. However, the undoubted top performer was Claudia Jenkins, whose career day led La Salle to victory on the road at Florida Gulf Coast.

(Image Credit: Greg Carroccio/Sideline Photos)

La Salle managed to secure a 2-1 win on the road at Florida Gulf Coast, and had Claudia Jenkins to thank following a massive performance between the sticks. After conceding early, Jenkins came up with a career-high 10 saves to keep her team in the game as a previously insipid Explorers offence turned up the wick after the hour mark, banging home two goals in the space of six minutes to secure the victory. The South Australian followed up that scintillating performance with a clean sheet against St. John’s in the second game of the week, with all three saves proving crucial as La Salle secured a 1-0 win to round out a perfect weekend. Fellow Australian, Alyssa Van Heurck started both games, tallying a shot in a 65-minute outing against Florida Gulf Coast and seeing 31 minutes of action in the win over St. John’s.

Stanford’s last two outings against San Francisco had resulted in 5-1 and 8-0 wins for the Cardinal, but Beattie Goad had yet to be involved in a single one of those 13 goals despite starting on both occasions. However, that all changed in the space of less than two minutes as the senior tallied an assist on the first of Catarina Macario’s three goals. Just 17 minutes later, Goad put Stanford up 3-0 with a goal of her own, latching onto a through ball before finishing a one-on-one opportunity. Stanford would roll to a 9-0 victory, taking their record to 5-0 with a combined scoreline of 26-3, and look set to move to #2 in the national coaches’ poll.

Senior Night is a time for celebrations, and Demi Koulizakis made sure they lasted beyond the pre-game ceremony for Texas Tech, tucking home a goal in the Red Raiders’ win over Abilene Christian. With her team already 2-0 up inside half an hour, Koulizakis found herself wide open in the area as teammate Kirsten Davis forced a turnover in the corner before hitting a neat low cross that the Sydneysider was able to sweep home off the inside of the post to all but lock up the win in the 28th minute as Texas Tech moved to 4-1, with Koulizakis finishing with a pair of shots in her 65 minutes on the pitch.

Teresa Morrissey continued her solid early season form as Rhode Island continue to put last year’s 0-17-1 record behind them. The freshman was unbeatable for 85 minutes against Pittsburgh, but a late header just snuck inside the post to force overtime as the teams played out a 1-1 draw. However, Sacred Heart were unable to beat the Victorian, with Morrissey making three saves as the Rams secured a 2-0 win, their first multi-goal game of the season following a pair of 1-0 wins and a 1-0 defeat coming into the weekend.

Eligibility issues had prevented Sophie Bui from making her debut for Alabama State, but with her clearance coming through during the week, the freshman finally hit the pitch in the Hornets’ outing against UAB. The freshman came off the bench to play 56 minutes, tallying two shots in the process. That performance was enough to earn a start and 45 minutes of playing time against Jacksonville State as Alabama State took an early 2-0 lead before falling to a 3-2 overtime defeat.

Finally, there was a moment to remember for Eliza Ammendolia and Eden Taylor-Wineera as Hawaii faced North Dakota State. Despite playing for teams based almost 4,000 miles apart, the pair of ex-Macarthur Rams faced off, with both players coming off the bench Ammendolia securing bragging rights as Hawaii came away with the 1-0 win. Both players would also have impressive ends to the week, with Ammendolia going on to secure her first career start in Hawaii’s 2-1 loss to North Dakota, whilst Taylor-Wineera’s 33 minutes against Chicago State represented more minutes than the freshman had played in her three previous appearances combined.

Eden Taylor-Wineera and Eliza Ammendolia

Player of the Year Points:

3: Claudia Jenkins (La Salle)
2: Beattie Goad (Stanford)
1: Demi Koulizakis (Texas Tech)

Complete Results

Alabama State (Sophie Bui)

This week: lost 5-0 to UAB; lost 3-2 to Jacksonville State (OT)

Sophie Bui made her college debut in the loss to UAB, coming off the bench to register a pair of shots in 56 minutes on the pitch. Bui was then rewarded with her first start against Jacksonville State, playing the first 45 minutes in the overtime defeat.

Chicago State (Sarah Clark)

This week: lost 6-0 North Dakota; lost 2-0 to North Dakota State

Sarah Clark came off the bench to play 51 minutes in Chicago State’s loss to North Dakota, before playing a complete game in the loss to North Dakota State.

East Tennessee State (D’arne Boato)

This week: lost 2-1 to Navy; defeated Delaware State 5-2

D’arne Boato did not feature for East Tennessee State in either game this week.

Fairleigh Dickinson (Sam Roff)

This week: lost 1-0 to Monmouth; drew 1-1 with William & Mary

Sam Roff played two complete games for Fairleigh Dickinson this week, registering a single shot in the draw with William & Mary in the process.

Grand Canyon (Sandra Hill)

This week: lost 2-1 to Northern Colorado; lost 1-0 to Colorado State

Sandra Hill came off the bench for Grand Canyon in both games this week, seeing 13 minutes of action in the loss to Northern Colorado before registering a shot in 47 minutes of playing time against Colorado State.

Hawaii (Eliza Ammendolia, Kiri Dale)

This week: defeated North Dakota State 1-0; lost 2-1 to North Dakota (OT)

Kiri Dale came off the bench in both games this week, playing 28 minutes on each occasion and tallying two shots with one on target against North Dakota State. Eliza Ammendolia came off the bench to register two shots with one on target in 35 minutes against North Dakota State, before making her first college start in a 38 minute outing against North Dakota.

Hofstra (Monique Iannella, Grace Watson Carr)

This week: lost 4-1 to Rutgers; defeated Stony Brook 2-1 (OT)

Neither Grace Watson Carr nor Monique Iannella featured for Hofstra in either game this week.

Illinois (Ashleigh Lefevre)

This week: defeated Illinois State 3-2

Ashleigh Lefevre started for Illinois in their win over Illinois State, playing 53 minutes.

La Salle (Claudia Jenkins, Alyssa Van Heurck)

This week: defeated Florida Gulf Coast 2-1; defeated St. John’s 1-0

Claudia Jenkins was the saviour for La Salle in their win over Florida Gulf Coast, making a career-high 10 saves in the 2-1 win, before making 3 more against St. John’s to keep a clean sheet in the win. Alyssa Van Heurck started both games, tallying a shot on target in 65 minutes of action against Florida Gulf Coast and playing 31 minutes against St. John’s.

LSU (Caitlin Cantrill)

This week: lost 1-0 to North Carolina; lost 6-0 to Duke

Caitlin Cantrill did not feature in LSU’s loss to North Carolina, but came off the bench to play 30 minutes in the Tigers’ loss to Duke.

Marshall (Laura Farrelly)

This week: lost 2-0 to Lipscomb; lost 3-2 to Vanderbilt (OT)

Laura Farrelly did not feature for Marshall in either game this week.

Mississippi (Aimee Medwin)

This week: defeated Western Kentucky 1-0 (OT); defeated Murray State 5-4 (OT)

Aimee Medwin played brief cameos off the bench in both games this week, seeing 11 minutes of action against Western Kentucky and 5 minutes in the win over Murray State.

Nicholls State (Tessa Calabria, Kristy Helmers, Shauni Reid)

This week: lost 2-1 to Prairie View A&M

Tessa Calabria and Kristy Helmers each started for Nicholls State in the loss to Prairie View A&M, playing 70 and 80 minutes respectively. Shauni Reid did not feature for the Colonels this week.

North Dakota State (Eden Taylor-Wineera)

This week: lost 1-0 to Hawaii; defeated Chicago State 2-0

Eden Taylor-Wineera came off the bench for North Dakota State in both games this week, playing 8 minutes against Hawaii and 33 minutes in the win over Chicago State.

Old Dominion (Gaby Bentley)

This week: defeated Longwood 2-1; defeated VCU 4-3

Gaby Bentley did not feature for Old Dominion in either game this week.

Rhode Island (Teresa Morrissey)

This week: drew 1-1 with Pittsburgh; defeated Sacred Heart 2-0

Teresa Morrissey played all 110 minutes in the draw with Pittsburgh, making four saves before playing all 90 minutes and coming up with another three saves to keep a clean sheet in the win over Sacred Heart.

Southeast Missouri State (Siena Senatore)

This week: defeated Evansville 2-1

Siena Senatore did not feature for Southeast Missouri State in their win over Evansville.

Stanford (Beattie Goad)

This week: defeated San Francisco 9-0

Beattie Goad started for Stanford in their rout of San Francisco, contributing a goal and an assist in her 55 minutes on the pitch.

Texas Tech (Demi Koulizakis)

This week: defeated Abilene Christian 3-0; v Arkansas State – 4am, Monday September 9

Koulizakis – 2 shots, 2 on target, 1 goal, 65 minutes v ACU

UCLA (Rachel Lowe, Teagan Micah)

This week: lost 2-0 to Santa Clara

Teagan Micah played the full 90 minutes for UCLA, making 3 saves in the loss to Santa Clara. Rachel Lowe did not feature for the Bruins in their only game of the week.

UMBC (Abi Jordan, Teal Kilbride)

This week: lost 1-0 to Towson

Teal Kilbride played the first 45 minutes for UMBC in their loss to Towson, whilst Abi Jordan did not feature for the Retrievers.

Western Carolina (Kate Swartwout)

This week: defeated Davidson 1-0; lost 5-0 to Charlotte

Kate Swartwout finished with a single shot and a yellow card in a complete-game performance against Davidson, before starting and playing 24 minutes in the loss to Charlotte.

Wyoming (Indianna Asimus)

This week: lost 2-0 to Baylor; defeated Idaho State 4-1

Indianna Asimus started both games this week, playing 78 minutes in the loss to Baylor before tallying a single shot in 49 minutes of action in the win over Idaho State.

2019 Week 3 Preview

With only a couple of weeks until conference play commences, it’s time for teams to start hitting their straps in non-conference action to prepare themselves for their league slate. Teagan Micah, Rachel Lowe, and UCLA will continue their high-level early schedule against Santa Clara, whilst Demi Koulizakis will hope that her Senior Night celebrations extend throughout the night as Texas Tech look to maintain their good form.

(Image Credit: Stanford Athletics)

Beattie Goad has put together a flying start to the season, and will attempt to keep things going in the same direction as Stanford take on a San Francisco side against whom they have had plenty of recent success. Having renewed their rivalry for the first time in a decade in 2017, Stanford have well and truly had the wood over the Dons, winning 8-0 in 2017 before following up with a 5-1 victory last season. Goad started both of those games, and tallied 4 shots in last year’s game, but did not actually have a hand in any of the 13 goals her team scored across those two games. However, this season is a different matter, with Goad having already contributed a goal and two assists in 2019 as the senior from Melbourne positions herself as an integral member of the Cardinal lineup.

Senior Night was once reserved for the final home game of a team’s season, but in recent years an increasing number of teams have moved the occasion to an earlier point in the season, and Demi Koulizakis will be celebrating her career prior to this weekend’s home game against in-state opponent Abilene Christian. Koulizakis’ form to start the season has been electric, and we could very well see the pre-game celebrations extend into the match itself, although the Wildcats could prove a tricky opponent after winning three of their first four matches. Nonetheless, the Red Raiders will be hot favourites even against an Abilene Christian side growing in confidence, and it would not be a surprise at all to see Koulizakis add a goal or assist to her season stats.

Teagan Micah broke the Pac-12 record with her eighth Goalkeeper of the Week award for her efforts against Florida State and Florida, and the senior will get another chance to test herself against high quality opposition as #2 UCLA travel north to the Bay Area to face a Santa Clara that has been free-flowing in attack but let down by its defence in falling to a 1-3 record at this early stage. Despite falling out of the Top 25 rankings, the Broncos still possess an attack that can pose the UCLA defence problems, having scored 9 goals in their first 4 games, putting 2 past #12 Duke in an overtime defeat last week. However, with Micah between the sticks, a UCLA back line that gives up very few shots on target in the first place can be confident that the ones that do slip through will be handled with ease on the majority of occasions. We may also see Rachel Lowe return to the pitch for the Bruins after being an unused substitute on both occasions last week, with the rotation likely to be slightly longer in this contest than it had been against the likes of defending national champions Florida State.

Rhode Island’s two wins in three games to open the season is already two more than the Rams picked up last week, and this week sees Teresa Morrissey’s side take on Pittsburgh in a battle of teams looking to make vast improvements on last season’s performance. Pittsburgh picked up just four wins in 2018, and whilst the Panthers may play in one of the toughest conferences in the nation in the ACC, that doesn’t guarantee success against mid-major schools. Rhode Island will fancy their chances in this one, with Pittsburgh’s leaky defence perhaps providing the Rams an opportunity to finally hit some decent scoring form, with all three of their matches finishing 1-0 one way or the other. However, they’ll still need to keep Pittsburgh at bay, and with Morrissey conceding just a single goal in her first three appearances, the freshman’s form could prove crucial in helping the Rams move to 3-1.

Siena Senatore has been ever-present for Southeast Missouri State in her return campaign after two seasons away from the game, and whilst last week’s games against SEC opponents Mississippi and Arkansas proved a tough occasion for the Redhawks’ defence, they get the chance to return to form against a pair of mid-majors this week. Heading on the road to face Evansville, Senatore and her teammates have a chance to rebound against a team that is yet to secure a win in a competitive fixture this year and scored just two goals in their three games to this point. Arkansas State will likely provide a sterner test than Evansville, with the Red Wolves having picked up wins over Kansas State and Central Arkansas in their opening two fixtures. However, both of these games are eminently winnable fixtures, and with Senatore shoring up the defence, the Redhawks can be confident that leaking goals won’t be an issue.

Finally, we have the chance to be treated to a pair of Aussie v Aussie matchups as Eden Taylor-Wineera and North Dakota State host Hawaii’s trio of Eliza Ammendolia, Kiri Dale, and assistant coach Rachael Doyle before Sarah Clark and Chicago State roll into town for a Sunday afternoon fixture. Taylor-Wineera has seen brief cameos off the bench in the last couple of games, whilst Ammendolia has been steadily forcing her way into the Hawaii lineup. Meanwhile, Clark tallied a trio of shots in Chicago State’s loss to Louisiana-Lafayette last week, leaving Aussie fans with plenty of players to watch as they build towards conference play.

Full Schedule

Alabama State (Sophie Bui)

This week: @ UAB – 10am, Friday September 6; v Jacksonville State – 4am, Monday September 9

Chicago State (Sarah Clark)

This week: @ North Dakota – 6am, Saturday September 7; @ North Dakota State – 4am, Monday September 9

East Tennessee State (D’arne Boato)

This week: @ Navy – 9am, Saturday September 7; @ Delaware State – 3am, Monday September 9

Fairleigh Dickinson (Sam Roff)

This week: v Monmouth – 9am, Saturday September 7; @ William & Mary – 3am, Monday September 9

Grand Canyon (Sandra Hill)

This week: v Northern Colorado – 12pm, Friday September 6; v Colorado State – 12pm, Monday September 9

Hawaii (Eliza Ammendolia, Kiri Dale)

This week: @ North Dakota State – 10am, Saturday September 7; @ North Dakota – 7am, Monday September 9

Hofstra (Monique Iannella, Grace Watson Carr)

This week: @ Rutgers – 9am, Friday September 6; @ Stony Brook – 3am, Monday September 9

Illinois (Ashleigh Lefevre)

This week: @ Illinois State – 9am, Monday September 9

La Salle (Claudia Jenkins, Alyssa Van Heurck)

This week: @ Florida Gulf Coast – 9am, Friday September 6; @ St. John’s – 3am, Monday September 9

LSU (Caitlin Cantrill)

This week: v North Carolina – 6:30am, Friday September 6; v Duke – 3:30am, Monday September 9

Marshall (Laura Farrelly)

This week: @ Lipscomb – 7:30am, Saturday September 7; @ Vanderbilt – 5:30am, Monday September 9

Mississippi (Aimee Medwin)

This week: @ Western Kentucky – 10am, Friday September 6; @ Murray State – 5am, Monday September 9

Nicholls State (Tessa Calabria, Kristy Helmers, Shauni Reid)

This week: @ Prairie View A&M – 4am, Monday September 9

North Dakota State (Eden Taylor-Wineera)

This week: v Hawaii – 10am, Saturday September 7; v Chicago State – 4am, Monday September 9

Old Dominion (Gaby Bentley)

This week: v Longwood – 9am, Friday September 6; @ VCU – 7am, Monday September 9

Rhode Island (Teresa Morrissey)

This week: @ Pittsburgh – 7am, Saturday September 7; v Sacred Heart – 3am, Monday September 9

Southeast Missouri State (Siena Senatore)

This week: @ Evansville – 10am, Saturday September 7

Stanford (Beattie Goad)

This week: @ San Francisco – 10am, Monday September 9

Texas Tech (Demi Koulizakis)

This week: v Abilene Christian – 10am, Saturday September 7; v Arkansas State – 4am, Monday September 9

UCLA (Rachel Lowe, Teagan Micah)

This week: @ Santa Clara – 12:30pm, Friday September 6

UMBC (Abi Jordan, Teal Kilbride)

This week: @ Towson – 6am, Friday September 6

Western Carolina (Kate Swartwout)

This week: @ Davidson – 9am, Friday September 6; @ Charlotte – 3am, Monday September 9

Wyoming (Indianna Asimus)

This week: v Baylor – 8am, Saturday September 7; v Idaho State – 5am, Monday September 9

2019 Week 1 Preview

Preseason is in the books and it’s time for the regular season to kick off. Over the next 12 weeks, over 330 teams across the US will be playing for their chance to compete for a national championship, with a couple of Aussies among the teams with the best chance to be holding the trophy aloft in San Jose in early December.

(Feature Image: Rand Bleimeister/UCLA)

As per usual, Beattie Goad and #3 Stanford have scheduled some high-level opposition in their non-conference games, starting their season with a cross-country road trip to face #6 Penn State and the always dangerous #11 West Virginia. These early games will provide an excellent litmus test for a Stanford side that lost a number of starters not only to graduation, but to the professional ranks, and how well their replacements slot in could prove to be a barometer for the Cardinal’s season. Goad will most likely be one of those starters, but which position the senior locks down remains to be seen, having been used in a number of roles over the past three seasons.

UCLA are also considered one of the favourites to be there or thereabouts come the pointy end of the season, and with Teagan Micah between the sticks and a solid defence in front of the Australian senior, the Bruins are likely to have little trouble keeping the goals out of their own net. They’ll get their chance to prove that, and also hopefully bang in a few at the other end, as they host Iowa State and regular non-conference opponent Long Beach State on the season’s opening weekend. The Bruins will be hot favourites in both contests this weekend, but will still need to ensure that they come prepared against two teams who will be hungry to grab a marquee victory early in the season. Whilst Micah will no doubt be present in goal for the Bruins, this weekend could also see Matildas midfielder Rachel Lowe make her debut for her new side, however which position that debut comes in remains to be seen as Bruins coach Amanda Cromwell has already stated that the freshman may see some time in defence.

One of the most decorated Australians in college faces a freshman lining up for her first game as Sam Roff and Fairleigh Dickinson take on Sophie Bui and Alabama State in not only an Aussie v Aussie matchup, but an all-Canberra contest as two products of the nation’s capital face off on neutral ground in Edinburg, Texas. Neither team enjoyed much success in non-conference play last year before solid if unspectacular conference seasons led to decent results but no silverware, and both teams will be champing at the bit to get off to a better start this year. For Bui, the Fairleigh Dickinson defence is likely stronger than anything the freshman will face all season in the SWAC, providing a good early test. Meanwhile, Roff will be facing an Alabama State attack eager to improve upon last year’s return of 24 goals and get back to the kind of numbers the Hornets put up in 2017, where they banged home 39 goals on their way to a conference title and a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

One Aussie has become two at Hawaii as freshman Eliza Ammendolia joins redshirt senior Kiri Dale, and it will be quite an initiation for the former W-League midfielder as #5 ranked USC visit Honolulu for the season opener as part of a three-way tournament that also features San Francisco. USC reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament in 2018, dropping just two games in a 17-win season that saw the Women of Troy fall to eventual national champions Florida State on penalties. Hawaii will no doubt be itching to post a win for the ages, but a solid performance would be a confidence booster in and of itself as the Rainbow Wahine look to set themselves up to reach the Big West conference tournament for the first time after narrowly missing out in 2018. This game will also have some extra meaning for Hawaii assistant coach Rachael Doyle – USC coach Keidane McAlpine was Doyle’s head coach at Washington State before making the move to USC.

La Salle and their Aussie duo of Alyssa Van Heurck and Claudia Jenkins opened last season with a win over Syracuse, and will be looking to open this season with another victory over an ACC opponent as they take on national powerhouse Duke in the season opener. The Explorers will be hoping this is a bounce-back season, having posted 17 wins in 2017 but just 8 in 2018 as their conference title defence proved quite lacklustre. However, the two Aussies could prove crucial as they look to make the climb back up the ladder this season, with Jenkins a rock between the sticks and Van Heurck adapting to her new attacking role with aplomb. A non-conference win over a side like Duke may not have a tangible effect on the conference standings, but it will certainly give the Explorers a marquee victory and provide plenty of confidence going forward.

It’s been a long time coming, but Siena Senatore is finally set to make her return for Southeast Missouri State after two seasons away from the pitch. The redshirt senior from Canberra saw decent playing time in the Redhawks’ preseason exhibitions, and will now look to shore up the team’s defence, either as a member of the back four or shielding the defence in a holding midfield role as Southeast Missouri State start their season with a single game against Southern Mississippi. The Golden Eagles will be a good test for Senatore and the Redhawks, having compiled a 13-6-1 record in 2018 playing a tougher schedule than what Southeast Missouri State encountered. However, the Redhawks’ preseason form has been solid, winning all three of their games including a 1-0 victory over AAC side Memphis.

Full Schedule

Alabama State (Sophie Bui)

This week: v Fairleigh Dickinson – 6am, Friday August 23; @ UTRGV – 10am, Sunday August 25

Watch Alabama State v UTRGV

Chicago State (Sarah Clark)

This week: @ Northern Iowa – 9am, Friday August 23; v Wisconsin-Green Bay – 4am, Monday August 26

East Tennessee State (D’arne Boato)

This week: v King – 9am, Friday August 23; v UNC Asheville – 9am, Monday August 26

Fairleigh Dickinson (Sam Roff)

This week: v Alabama State – 6am, Friday August 23; v Miami (FL) – 2am, Monday August 26

Grand Canyon (Sandra Hill)

This week: @ Stetson – 9am, Friday August 23; @ Florida Atlantic – 3am, Monday August 26

Watch Grand Canyon v Stetson

Watch Grand Canyon v Florida Atlantic ($)

Hawaii (Eliza Ammendolia, Kiri Dale)

This week: v USC – 3pm, Friday August 23; v South Florida – 3pm, Sunday August 25

Hofstra (Monique Iannella, Grace Watson Carr)

This week: @ Monmouth – 8am, Saturday August 24; @ Penn State – 4:30am, Monday August 26

Watch Hofstra v Penn State ($)

Illinois (Ashleigh Lefevre)

This week: v Loyola Chicago – 10am, Friday August 23; v Dayton – 4am, Monday August 26

Watch Illinois v Loyola Chicago ($)

Watch Illinois v Dayton ($)

La Salle (Claudia Jenkins, Alyssa Van Heurck)

This week: v Duke – 6am, Friday August 23; v North Florida – 2am, Monday August 26

LSU (Caitlin Cantrill)

This week: @ Villanova – 6am, Friday August 23; @ Navy – 3am, Monday August 26

Watch LSU v Villanova

Watch LSU v Navy

Marshall (Laura Farrelly)

This week: @ Michigan – 9:30am, Friday August 23; @ Michigan State – 3am, Monday August 26

Mississippi (Aimee Medwin)

This week: v North Alabama – 10am, Friday August 23; @ Memphis – 10am, Monday August 26

Watch Mississippi v Memphis

Nicholls State (Tessa Calabria, Kristy Helmers, Shauni Reid)

This week: v Mississippi Valley State – 7am, Saturday August 24; v Mississippi Valley State – 6am, Sunday August 25

North Dakota State (Eden Taylor-Wineera)

This week: v Saint Mary’s – 10am, Saturday August 24; v Montana – 4am, Monday August 26

Watch North Dakota State v Saint Mary’s ($)

Watch North Dakota State v Montana ($)

Old Dominion (Gaby Bentley)

This week: @ Towson – 7am, Friday August 23; @ George Mason – 8am, Monday August 26

Watch Old Dominion v Towson

Watch Old Dominion v George Mason

Rhode Island (Teresa Morrissey)

This week: @ New Hampshire – 9am, Friday August 23

Southeast Missouri State (Siena Senatore)

This week: v Southern Miss – 5am, Monday August 26

Stanford (Beattie Goad)

This week: @ Penn State – 9am, Saturday August 24; @ West Virginia – 2am, Monday August 26

Watch Stanford v Penn State ($)

Texas Tech (Demi Koulizakis)

This week: @ San Diego State – 12pm, Friday August 23; @ New Mexico – 11am, Monday August 26

UCLA (Teagan Micah)

This week: v Iowa State – 12pm, Saturday August 24; @ Long Beach State – 11am, Monday August 26

Watch UCLA v Iowa State

UMBC (Abi Jordan, Teal Kilbride)

This week: @ NJIT – 8am, Friday August 23; v Saint Francis (PA) – 4am, Monday August 26

Watch UMBC v NJIT

Watch UMBC v Saint Francis (PA)

Western Carolina (Kate Swartwout)

This week: v Gardner-Webb – 9am, Monday August 26

Wyoming (Indianna Asimus)

This week: @ UTEP – 11am, Friday August 23; @ New Mexico State – 4am, Monday August 26

Watch Wyoming v New Mexico State

2019 Midfielder Previews

A stacked midfield group featuring junior national representatives Aimee Medwin and Eliza Ammendolia, national champion Beattie Goad, and senior Matilda Rachel Lowe is set to provide plenty of excitement in 2019, with a number of players in position to make a significant impact on their teams. The continued improvement of Alyssa Van Heurck is one storyline to keep an eye on, with the sophomore having made the move from defence into a more attacking role in 2018.

(Featured Image Credit: Stanford Athletics)

Eliza Ammendolia (Freshman, Hawaii, Griffith)

With 15 W-League appearances for Western Sydney Wanderers under her belt, Ammendolia comes into her first college season as one of the more credentialed players among all Aussies in NCAA Division I. The pint-sized midfielder has represented the Young Matildas at a major tournament and has already built a solid resume at both NPL and W-League level, and will almost certainly come in and bolster a Hawaii side that will need to replace 2018 Big West Conference Player of the Year and current Utah Royals squad member Raisa Strom-Okimoto if they are to maintain their current level and make a charge at the post-season in 2019. In particular, the Rainbow Wahine will need to replace Strom-Okimoto’s goal output, but with 6 goals in her most recent NPL season, Ammendolia certainly has the scoring prowess to help atone for that loss.

Gaby Bentley (Senior, Old Dominion, Adelaide)

A regular in the Old Dominion rotation for the past two seasons, starts have been rare for Bentley but appearances have been forthcoming. But with a number of midfielders having graduated after last season, there are now additional minutes to battle for in the lead-up to the 2019 season. Bentley has certainly shown herself to be worthy of a starting berth with her appearances off the bench in 2018, tallying two goals from midfield as the Monarchs finished with an 8-7-4 record to secure a second consecutive winning season. Now, in her final season, the South Australian will be hoping to play a far more integral role as Old Dominion look to make a run at a conference championship after setting a platform with two solid seasons.

D’arne Boato (Freshman, East Tennessee State, Melbourne)

Isabel Hodgson’s scintillating college career may be over, but the Australian presence at East Tennessee State remains with the addition of freshman D’arne Boato. A teammate of Mississippi freshman Aimee Medwin at South Melbourne, Boato has been a member of three squads that have reached NPL grand finals at both senior and age group level across the last two seasons, serving as a regular member of the club’s Under 18 and Under 19 squads as well as making appearances for the first team during a highly successful period for the club. Having made the move to Johnson City in January, Boato has enjoyed a long settling-in period with her new side, something that will help to stand her in good stead in her first season in college.

Caitlin Cantrill (Senior, LSU, Canberra)

One of the senior members of the LSU roster, Cantrill will be hoping to see more playing time in 2019 after not getting on the pitch during LSU’s outstanding 2018 season which culminated in an SEC Championship and NCAA Tournament second round berth before the Tigers fell to USC. How much playing time the Canberra product sees this season will rest upon the impression she makes upon interim head coach Debbie Hensley, who replaces Brian Lee after his surprise move to Rice in the off-season. Hensley was also on LSU’s staff in Cantrill’s freshman year in 2016, a season in which the midfielder made 12 appearances and four starts, by far her most impressive season to this point. As one of just three seniors on the roster, Cantrill may not have the biggest impact on the pitch in her final season, but will certainly provide an outstanding mentor for the younger players on the roster, as evidenced by her words of advice to the graduating class of her high school alma mater, Radford College, in 2018.

Kiri Dale (Senior, Hawaii, Mullumbimby)

Able to slot in at just about any position on the pitch with the exception of goalkeeper, Kiri Dale serves as an integral member of the Hawaii lineup, having made 12 starts in her 16 appearances in 2018. Be it delivering balls in from out wide or controlling the centre of midfield, Dale’s presence helped Hawaii come within a final day result of reaching the Big West conference tournament for the first time before falling agonisingly short last season, and with the Rainbow Wahine losing just two players to graduation, Dale and the remainder of the team are well-positioned to go one step further and give themselves a shot at a conference title and an NCAA berth.

Laura Farrelly (Sophomore, Marshall, Central Coast)

Having not featured for Marshall in her freshman season, Farrelly comes into this season looking to play her first minutes for the Thundering Herd whilst attempting to establish herself in the midfield of a team looking to vastly improve on last season’s 5-9-2 record, their third consecutive losing season since compiling a 15-5-3 record in 2015. Should Farrelly take to the pitch this season, the sophomore is set to play an attacking midfield role for a team that was decent in the front third last season, but by no means electric, finishing almost dead in the middle of the national rankings for goals per game. Whilst the Marshall defence certainly needs more improvement than the attack, if Farrelly can help to provide a couple of unexpected goals throughout the season, they could yet turn a couple of losses into draws and draws into wins, compiling a solid season in the process.

Beattie Goad (Senior, Stanford, Melbourne)

Already a national champion in 2017 with Stanford, Goad will no doubt be looking to round out her career with a second College Cup title as the Cardinal enter a new era following the graduation of a raft of players that included Alana Cook, Tierna Davidson, Tegan McGrady, and Jordan DiBiasi after the 2018 season, all of whom now play in NWSL or the French top flight. Having come off the bench in over 60% of her appearances for Stanford, the opportunity to become a regular starter in her senior season now presents itself for Goad, who will be one of a number of experienced players expected to take on a larger role with the aim of keeping Stanford among the top teams in the nation. What position Goad will actually fill in 2019 remains to be seen though, with the two-time W-League champion being utilised as a fullback, winger, and central midfielder during her time on the Farm, and it may come to pass that that versatility is the ace up her sleeve in the hunt for more playing time in her final season.

Rachel Lowe (Freshman, UCLA, Sydney)

UCLA teammate Teagan Micah may have been to the 2019 World Cup with the Matildas, but Lowe already has a senior cap with the national team after her call-up for the 2018 Algarve Cup, and is set to become the first player to receive a Matildas cap before making their college debut since Washington State legend and current Hawaii assistant coach Rachael Doyle. An integral member of the Western Sydney Wanderers W-League side before making the move to Westwood, Lowe will certainly have a battle on her hands to slot into the UCLA lineup with the same regularity, particularly as the Bruins lost just two players to graduation after the 2018 season. However, Lowe has clearly demonstrated enough class for Bruins coach Amanda Cromwell to recruit her from the other side of the Pacific, so the opportunities will no doubt be there for the young midfielder.

Aimee Medwin (Freshman, Mississippi, Hobart)

The first Tasmanian to play NCAA Division I women’s soccer since Alabama State legend Shelbi-Vienna Hallam, Junior Matildas representative Medwin comes to Mississippi with a solid pedigree, with first team experience at South Melbourne and a W-League debut with Melbourne City in 2018 already under her belt before making the move to Oxford. The wide attacking player’s arrival at Mississippi coincides with an interesting time for the program, who find themselves at a crossroads after a solid 2018 campaign. The Rebels finished fourth in the regular season SEC standings and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament, but will have to replace the goalscoring output of NWSL draftee CeCe Kizer, who tallied 13 goals last season. However, Mississippi did feature one of the leakier defences in the SEC last season, and it may yet come to pass that Medwin is deployed in the back line, having been utilised as a fullback during her time in national colours.

Eden Taylor-Wineera (Freshman, North Dakota State, Sydney)

Taylor-Wineera looked set to form half of an Australian duo at North Dakota State, but with Lauren Featherstone returning home permanently, the freshman will now be the only Aussie on the Bison roster in her first season. Mostly a reserves player for Macarthur Rams, Taylor-Wineera did make five appearances for the first-grade side that won the NPLNSW Grand Final in 2018 before making the move to Fargo. With two of the team’s starting midfielders, including an All-Summit League First Team selection, graduating after the 2018 campaign, Taylor-Wineera joins the Bison at a time where the roster features a number of midfielders with no more than a season of college experience all fighting for minutes. Whether this translates into immediate playing time for the freshman remains to be seen, but there are certainly opportunities to shoot for from day one for the Sydneysider.

Alyssa Van Heurck (Sophomore, La Salle, Perth)

A defender until she arrived at La Salle, Van Heurck slotted into a spot on the wing for the Explorers and immediately found her niche, earning six starts in her 17 appearances in her first season in Philadelphia. Whilst the Explorers may not have enjoyed the same success as they had in 2017, the emergence of Van Heurck as a versatile option on either flank was one of the positives of the 2018 season, with the then-freshman also picking up her first goal in just the second game of her college career, a 5-0 win over UMBC. Now, with a number of attacking starters having graduated after the 2018 season, Van Heurck has the opportunity to assert her position in the La Salle attack, and will look to establish herself as a regular starter as the Explorers look to return to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in three seasons.