Tag: Indianna Asimus

2018 Week 10 Wrap

Extended time on the pitch has not been forthcoming for Beattie Goad recently, but the Stanford junior took full advantage of her chance to star for the Cardinal as the nation’s top team continued their march towards back-to-back titles. Elsewhere, Emma Heckenberg continued to exhibit her talent at dead ball situations to help Drexel grab a vital win.

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(Featured Image Credit: Stanford Athletics)

Given her chance after an injury to teammate Sophia Smith early in the second first half of Stanford’s game against Utah, Beattie Goad took full advantage in her unexpected extended stint on the field. After a short stint on the field late in the first half, Goad was called upon just after halftime after Smith went down following a crunching tackle, and set about asserting herself. In 44 minutes on the pitch, Goad tallied three shots, positioning herself well throughout the second half both deep in midfield and higher up the pitch. But the moment of the match for the junior was surely her second goal of the season. Making a perfect run in behind, Goad picked up Jordan DiBiasi’s delightful through ball and finished across the goalkeeper to double Stanford’s lead to 2-0 and ensure that the Cardinal’s unbeaten streak would be extended. Goad rounded out her weekend with an assist in Stanford’s 7-0 rout of Isobel Dalton’s Colorado side as the Cardinal left no doubt as to the top team in the Pac-12, extinguishing the Buffaloes’ conference title charge with the dominant win. The Victorian, along with teammate Kiki Pickett, combined to tee superstar Catarina Macario for Stanford’s third goal inside the first half-hour, a sign of things to come throughout the rest of the afternoon.

Emma Heckenberg also chipped in an assist on a weekend that saw Drexel pick up a pair of wins to secure their spot in the Colonial Athletic Association conference tournament. After a solid 90-minute performance in the Dragons’ 1-0 upset win over Northeastern that earned the team a bonus three points of sorts, Drexel came into their game against Elon on a high. That confidence turned to goals, with Heckenberg heavily involved in the attack. Aside from tallying two shots with one on target, the senior once again demonstrated her prowess at set pieces, whipping in a free kick from deep that found teammate Lauren Currey for the Dragons’ second goal ten minutes from time to seal the 2-0 win and a spot in the conference tournament.

Wyoming have become the masters of overtime this season, and this week picked up their fourth win in the extra minutes this season to continue their march towards a high seed in the Mountain West tournament. After demolishing Nevada 4-0 earlier in the week, Wyoming looked set to defeat UNLV as they took a 1-0 lead into the final five minutes. However, a contentious penalty call handed UNLV their chance which was duly taken. However, Wyoming rebounded in the 9th minute of the first overtime period to see Madison Barrick score the golden goal for the 2-1 victory. Whilst the Australian quartet did not manage any of the goals, they did combine for five of the Cowgirls’ 16 shots. Indianna Asimus and Caitlin Pickett tallied one apiece, whilst Annika Clayton dominated the midfield as per usual whilst also managing to get forward and have three attempts on goal, of which one was on target.

Full Schedule:

Akron (Freyja Murray)

This week: defeated Bowling Green 1-0; defeated Toledo 1-0

Freyja Murray did not feature for Akron in either game this week.

Albany (Claire Urquhart)

This week: defeated UMBC 4-0; defeated Binghamton 1-0

Claire Urquhart did not feature for Albany in either game this week. 

Chicago State (Sarah Clark) 

This week: lost 2-0 to UTRGV

Sarah Clark did not feature for Chicago State in their loss to UTRGV. 

Colorado (Isobel Dalton)

This week: defeated California 3-0; lost 7-0 to Stanford

Isobel Dalton came off the bench in both games this week, playing 5 minutes against California and 8 minutes in the loss to Stanford. 

Drexel (Emma Heckenberg) 

This week: defeated Northeastern 1-0; defeated Elon 2-0

Emma Heckenberg played the full 90 minutes in both games this week, tallying an assist and two shots in the win over Elon, of which one was on target.

East Tennessee State (Isabel Hodgson) 

This week: lost 2-1 to Mercer (OT); lost 2-1 to The Citadel (OT)

Isabel Hodgson played all 102 minutes in the loss to Mercer, before following up with another complete game performance as East Tennessee State conceded a 105th minute winner to The Citadel, a game in which Hodgson finished with two shots. 

Fairleigh Dickinson (Sam Roff)

This week: lost 2-1 to St. Francis (OT)

Sam Roff started and played all 95 minutes for Fairleigh Dickinson in their loss to St. Francis.

Georgia Southern (Hannah Allen)

This week: lost 3-1 to Arkansas State; lost 1-0 to Arkansas-Little Rock

Hannah Allen did not feature for Georgia Southern in either game this week. 

Grand Canyon (Sandra Hill)

This week: defeated New Mexico State 1-0; drew 0-0 with Utah Valley

Sandra Hill started both games for Grand Canyon this week, playing 68 minutes in the win over New Mexico State and 40 minutes against Utah Valley.

Hawaii (Kiri Dale) 

This week: defeated Cal Poly 4-0; lost 1-0 to UC Santa Barbara

Kiri Dale came off the bench for Hawaii in both games this week, tallying a single shot in 52 minutes against Cal Poly and playing 28 minutes in the loss to UC Santa Barbara.

Hofstra (Monique Iannella, Grace Watson-Carr)

This week: defeated Charleston 1-0

Monique Iannella played all 90 minutes for Hofstra in their win over Charleston, whilst reserve goalkeeper Grace Watson-Carr did not feature for the Pride. 

Illinois (Ashleigh Lefevre)

This week: lost 2-1 to Northwestern; defeated Nebraska 2-1

Ashleigh Lefevre came off the bench in both games this week, playing 9 minutes against Northwestern and 13 minutes in the win over Nebraska.

La Salle (Claudia Jenkins, Alyssa Van Heurck)

This week: lost 1-0 to George Mason; lost 4-2 to VCU

Claudia Jenkins played the full 90 minutes in both games this week, making four saves on each occasion. Alyssa Van Heurck also started both games, playing 40 minutes against George Mason and 42 minutes in the loss to VCU. 

LSU (Caitlin Cantrill) 

This week: lost 2-1 to Tennessee (OT); defeated South Carolina 2-1 (OT)

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

Marshall (Laura Farrelly)

This week: drew 2-2 with Louisiana Tech

Laura Farrelly did not feature for Marshall in their draw with Louisiana Tech. 

Nicholls State (Tessa Calabria, Tenille Harberger, Kristy Helmers) 

This week: lost 4-0 to Central Arkansas; lost 3-2 to Northwestern State (OT)

Kristy Helmers came off the bench in both games this week, playing 32 minutes against Central Arkansas and registering one shot in 52 minutes against Northwestern State. Neither Tessa Calabria nor Tenille Harberger featured in either game this week. 

North Dakota State (Lauren Featherstone) 

This week: defeated Oral Roberts 1-0 (OT); lost 1-0 to Nebraska-Omaha

Lauren Featherstone came off the bench in both games this week, playing 4 minutes against Oral Roberts and tallying a shot in 13 minutes against Nebraska-Omaha.

Old Dominion (Gaby Bentley)

This week: defeated UTSA 2-0; drew 2-2 with UTEP

Gaby Bentley came off the bench in both games this week, playing 4 minutes against UTSA and 9 minutes against UTEP. 

Southeast Missouri State (Siena Senatore) 

This week: lost 2-1 to Belmont; defeated Austin Peay 2-1

Siena Senatore did not feature for Southeast Missouri State in either game this week. 

St. Francis University (Shelby Milton) 

This week: defeated Fairleigh Dickinson 2-1 (OT)

Shelby Milton did not feature for St. Francis in their win over Fairleigh Dickinson. 

Stanford (Beattie Goad)

This week: defeated Utah 2-0; defeated Colorado 7-0

Beattie Goad starred off the bench for Stanford, tallying the Cardinal’s second goal with one of her three shots in 44 minutes against Utah before adding an assist and another shot in 58 minutes in the 7-0 drubbing of Colorado.

Texas Tech (Demi Koulizakis) 

This week: lost 2-0 to TCU

Demi Koulizakis came off the bench for Texas Tech in their loss to TCU, playing 22 minutes and tallying a single shot.

Towson (Jodie Burchell) 

This week: lost 4-3 to UNC Wilmington (OT)

Jodie Burchell started for Towson in their overtime loss to UNC Wilmington, playing 37 minutes.

UCLA (Teagan Micah) 

This week: defeated Oregon 2-1; defeated Oregon State 6-0

Teagan Micah played the full 90 minutes against Oregon and made one save, but did not feature against Oregon State – a game in which the UCLA defence gave up a total of zero shots on target in any case. 

Western Carolina (Kate Swartwout)

This week: defeated The Citadel 3-0; defeated Mercer 1-0 (OT)

Kate Swartwout came off the bench to play 21 minutes against The Citadel, but did not feature in the win over Mercer.

William & Mary (Lorena Bugden)

This week: lost 2-0 to Delaware; lost 1-0 to Northeastern

Lorena Bugden did not feature for William & Mary in either game this weekend.

Wyoming (Indianna Asimus, Annika Clayton, Jessie Gentle, Caitlin Pickett)

This week: defeated Nevada 4-0; defeated UNLV 2-1 (OT)

Annika Clayton started both games this week, playing 55 minutes against Nevada and finishing with 3 shots in 84 minutes against UNLV. Jessie Gentle saw 54 minutes of action against Nevada and played the full 99 minutes in the win over UNLV. Caitlin Pickett also played 54 minutes against Nevada, before tallying a single shot in 53 minutes against UNLV. Indianna Asimus played 65 minutes in the win over Nevada and registered a shot in 66 minutes against UNLV.

2018 Week 8 Preview

As conference play ramps up, a number of teams featuring Aussies find themselves in intriguing positions heading into crunch time. Meanwhile, Lorena Bugden and Monique Iannella face off in a game that could have serious implications in the Colonial Athletic Association.

(Featured Image Credit: The Southern Conference)

The Colonial Athletic Association delivers yet another Aussie v Aussie matchup as Monique Iannella and Hofstra face Lorena Bugden’s William & Mary side. Iannella has been one of the best performed Aussies this season, as well as a mainstay of a Hofstra side that has won three of its first four games to sit just three points out of top spot, whilst William & Mary sit right on the edge of the conference tournament spots, but also just three points behind Hofstra in second spot. However, Hofstra have a game against league leaders Northeastern prior to this game, whilst the game against Hofstra is William & Mary’s only contest of the week. With just two weeks of conference play following this game, getting the three points in this one will be imperative for both teams – for Hofstra, in a quest for the regular season title; for William & Mary, in their attempt to return to the six-team conference tournament after missing out in 2017.

La Salle were expected to be among the leaders in the Atlantic 10, but with only the outstanding performances of Claudia Jenkins keeping the Explorers from giving up buckets of goals in conference play to this point, the 2017 conference champions have a bit of work to do if they are to remain in the top eight and secure a conference tournament spot. Fortunately, after a run of tough games to start conference play, the Explorers this week play the bottom two teams in St. Bonaventure and Rhode Island. Whilst finishing at or near the top of the league this season may be out of the Explorers’ reach, a solid run home could still deliver a decent seeing for the conference tournament in their quest for a return trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Wyoming are looking to atone for last year’s fairly dismal end to the season, and will need to keep picking up points at regular intervals if they are to maintain their current spot in the conference tournament spots in the Mountain West. The Cowgirls kick off their week by hosting the second-placed Colorado College, where a win would draw them level with the Tigers. Wyoming will be fully expected to pick up a win against Air Force in their second game of the week, and if the Cowgirls can secure a minimum of four points from their two games, it would go a long way to securing a conference tournament berth. With Caitlin Pickett in solid form up front of late and her fellow Aussies providing excellent service from midfield, there is no reason why they can’t bounce back from last week’s loss to Boise State and return to the form that saw them win the previous two games.

Isabel Hodgson and East Tennessee State are flying in conference play after a dismal start to the season, sitting pretty in second spot at 3-0 after three conference games. However, this week’s two opponents will bring a far tougher challenge than the Buccaneers have faced to this point as they go on the road to face Samford and Chattanooga. Perennial league contenders Samford sit atop the league table with 10 points after 4 games, whilst Chattanooga sit just two points behind East Tennessee State with 7 points from 4 games. Whilst this weekend won’t define the conference regular season title race, it could very well go a long way to determining which teams reach the conference tournament. With the Buccaneers coming into the weekend in good form, these games certainly appear eminently winnable, something that wouldn’t have been said about a team that came into league play with a 1-7 non-conference record.

Full Schedule: 

Akron (Freyja Murray)

This week: @ Ohio – 6am, Friday October 5; v Kent State – 4am, Monday October 8 

Albany (Claire Urquhart)

This week: v Vermont – 9am, Friday October 5; @ Maine – 4am, Monday October 8 

Chicago State (Sarah Clark)

This week: @ Utah Valley – 3am, Saturday October 6; @ Seattle – 7am, Monday October 8

Colorado (Isobel Dalton) 

This week: v Washington State – 7:30am, Friday October 5; v Washington – 7am, Monday October 8

Drexel (Emma Heckenberg)

This week: v UNC Wilmington – 8am, Friday October 5; v Delaware – 5am, Monday October 8 

East Tennessee State (Isabel Hodgson)

This week: @ Samford – 9am, Saturday October 6; @ Chattanooga – 5am, Monday October 8

Fairleigh Dickinson (Sam Roff)

This week: @ Bryant – 4am, Monday October 8 

Georgia Southern (Hannah Allen) 

This week: v Troy – 9am, Saturday October 6; @ Texas State – 4am, Monday October 8 

Grand Canyon (Sandra Hill)

This week: v UTRGV – 12pm, Saturday October 6; v Cal Baptist – 7am, Monday October 8

Hawaii (Kiri Dale)

This week: v Long Beach State – 3pm, Friday October 5; v UC Davis – 2pm, Monday October 8

Hofstra (Monique Iannella, Grace Watson-Carr) 

This week: v Northeastern – 9am, Friday October 5; v William & Mary – 4am, Monday October 8

Illinois (Ashleigh Lefevre)

This week: @ Maryland – 9am, Friday October 5; @ Rutgers – 4am, Monday October 8

La Salle (Claudia Jenkins, Alyssa Van Heurck)

This week: v St. Bonaventure – 9am, Friday October 5; v Rhode Island – 4am, Monday October 8

LSU (Caitlin Cantrill)

This week: @ Arkansas – 9:30am, Friday October 5; v. Missouri – 5am, Monday October 8

Marshall (Laura Farrelly)

This week: @ UTSA – 5am, Monday October 8

Nicholls State (Tessa Calabria, Tenille Harberger, Kristy Helmers)

This week: @ McNeese State – 10am, Saturday October 6

North Dakota State (Lauren Featherstone)

This week: v Denver – 10am, Friday October 5; @ North Dakota – 5am, Monday October 8

Old Dominion (Gaby Bentley) 

This week: @ Middle Tennessee State – 9am, Saturday October 6

Southeast Missouri State (Siena Senatore)

This week: @ Tennessee Tech – 10am, Saturday October 6

St. Francis University (Shelby Milton) 

This week: v Mount St. Mary’s – 3am, Monday October 8

Stanford (Beattie Goad) 

This week: @ Oregon – 10am, Friday October 5; @ Oregon State – 9am, Monday October 8

Texas Tech (Demi Koulizakis)

This week: @ Oklahoma State – 10am, Saturday October 6 

Towson (Jodie Burchell)

This week: v James Madison – 6am, Friday October 5; @ Charleston – 4am, Monday October 8

UCLA (Teagan Micah)

This week: v Arizona State – 10am, Friday October 5; v Arizona – 9am, Monday October 8

Western Carolina (Kate Swartwout) 

This week: @ Chattanooga – 9am, Saturday October 6; @ Samford – 10am, Monday October 8 

William & Mary (Lorena Bugden)

This week: @ Hofstra – 4am, Monday October 8

Wyoming (Indianna Asimus, Annika Clayton, Jessie Gentle, Caitlin Pickett)

This week: v Colorado College – 7am, Saturday October 6; v Air Force – 5:30am, Monday October 8

2018 Week 6 Wrap

Assists were the theme of the weekend, as Monique Iannella tied the Hofstra school record for a single game and several other Aussies teed up teammates. However, that didn’t stop a couple of players from tallying goals, and there was also a first career appearance for Tenille Harberger.

(Featured Image Credit: The Southern Conference)

Monique Iannella is certainly well-known for teeing up teammates, but more often than not her assists come from well-placed corners. However, Iannella proved that she is just as adept at setting up her fellow Hofstra players in open play, tying a school record with three assists in the Pride’s 6-0 win over Towson. A pinpoint cross from the senior set up Lucy Porter for the opener in the 15th minute, before laying the ball off for Sabrina Bryan, who rocketed home a world-class strike for Hofstra’s 3rd goal in the 38th minute. Just three minutes later, another cross from Iannella found the head of Miri Taylor, who flicked the ball on for Porter to head home to give Hofstra a 4-0 halftime lead on their way to a 6-0 victory. Unfortunately, the Pride couldn’t round out the weekend with another win, falling 1-0 to James Madison in their second game of the first week of conference play.

East Tennessee State were another team that dominated an opponent as they romped to a 7-1 win over Wofford. Having already secured a 1-0 win over regular conference contenders Furman earlier in the week, the Buccaneers dominated on the scoreboard against Wofford even as both teams finished with 15 shots on target. Izzy Hodgson certainly got in on the action, teeing up teammate Sarah Connolly for her fourth goal of the match just after the hour mark before adding one of her own just a minute later to double her tally for the season. For a side desperate to atone for a fairly dismal 2017 Southern Conference campaign, it was a perfect start for East Tennessee State as they sit atop the league standings alongside Kate Swartwout and Western Carolina, who defeated the same pair of opponents with a 3-1 win over Furman and a 4-1 victory over Wofford.

Isobel Dalton’s name isn’t one we see on the stat sheet too often for Colorado, but the senior reminded everyone of the class that saw her play in both the W-League and the English Women’s Super League before heading to college with a scything pass for an assist in Colorado’s 6-0 win over Oregon State. Winning the ball with a solid tackle in midfield, Dalton split the Oregon State defence with an incisive ball through to Camilla Shymka, who buried the shot across the goalkeeper to round out the six-goal demolition as the Buffaloes got off to the best possible start in the toughest conference in the nation.

It was a mixed week for Wyoming on the road, and ironically enough the highlights for the Aussies came in their loss to San Diego State. Right on the 30-minute mark, freshman Caitlin Pickett teed up senior Annika Clayton, who buried a shot across the goalkeeper from 10 yards out to put Wyoming 1-0. Unfortunately, a five-minute lapse from the Cowgirls was enough for San Diego State to score two quick goals either side of the 70-minute mark to secure a 2-1 victory. However, Wyoming would bounce back in their second game of the week in a thrilling 3-2 victory over New Mexico, and although the Aussies didn’t make a tangible impact, all four made their mark with Clayton, Pickett, and Jessie Gentle starting and Indianna Asimus coming off the bench to play 34 minutes.

Like Hofstra, Emma Heckenberg and Drexel also fell to a loss to James Madison, but bounced back in their second game of the week to defeat Charleston 2-1 in overtime. Having gone down 1-0 in the 55th minute, Heckenberg whipped in a cross from the left which found teammate Morgan Rees who headed the ball down into the bottom corner for the 68th minute equaliser. The Dragons peppered the Charleston goal in overtime, with their fifth shot of the extra minutes finding the back of the net to hand Drexel the win.

In a weekend in Honolulu stacked with games featuring Aussies as Lauren Featherstone and Sandra Hill came to town, it was Hawaii’s Kiri Dale who came away with a pair of wins as well as an assist in a 4-0 win over Hill and her Grand Canyon outfit. Having defeated Featherstone’s North Dakota State side the previous day, Dale set up the Wahine’s third goal, sending in a free kick that would be rocketed home by Mikaelah Johnson-Griggs to put the game out of Grand Canyon’s reach just after halftime before Hawaii added a fourth goal late in the piece to round out a perfect weekend.

Claudia Jenkins was solid once again for La Salle this week, but unfortunately even her best efforts couldn’t quite secure two wins for the Explorers. After being forced into just two saves in a 1-0 overtime win over Davidson, Jenkins was forced into eight saves against Saint Joseph’s, but yet another penalty conceded by the Explorers led to one of the few goals the South Australian has conceded this season. Unfortunately, it was the goal that broke the 1-1 tie and handed the Hawks the win in the local derby. This game was also notable for it being Alyssa Van Heurck’s first collegiate start, with the Western Australian playing 31 minutes and tallying a shot after coming off the bench in each of her eight previous appearances.

However, Van Heurck wasn’t the only player to reach an appearance-related milestone. Jodie Burchell made her first start for Towson in their 1-0 loss to a William & Mary side featuring Lorena Bugden, who had also made a first collegiate start in the Tribe’s previous game, a 2-1 loss to Charleston. Meanwhile, Demi Koulizakis made her first start since 2016 for Texas Tech in a 2-0 loss to West Virginia, playing 58 minutes in the process.

Finally, it’s been a long time coming, but Nicholls State midfielder Tenille Harberger made her first college appearance in the Colonels’ 1-0 loss to Abilene Christian. Having redshirted her first year in Thibodaux, Harberger’s first appearance came more than 12 months after she arrived at Nicholls State, with the 10 minutes of playing time surely giving her an appetite for more. 

Full Schedule:

Akron (Freyja Murray)

This week: lost 1-0 to Western Michigan; @ Northern Illinois – 4am, Monday September 24 

Chicago State (Sarah Clark) 

This week: lost 5-0 to Fort Wayne

Sarah Clark did not feature for Chicago State in their loss to Fort Wayne.

Colorado (Isobel Dalton) 

This week: defeated Oregon State 6-0

Isobel Dalton came off the bench for Colorado in their demolition of Oregon State, securing the assist on the Buffaloes’ final goal in her 21 minutes on the pitch. 

Drexel (Emma Heckenberg)

This week: lost 1-0 to James Madison; defeated Charleston 2-1 (2OT)

Emma Heckenberg played every minute of the weekend, picking up an assist on Drexel’s equaliser in their overtime win over Charleston.

East Tennessee State (Isabel Hodgson)

This week: defeated Furman 1-0; defeated Wofford 7-1

Isabel Hodgson finished with two shots, both of which were on target in a complete game performance against Furman, before tallying a goal and an assist in 64 minutes of action in the Buccaneers’ demolition of Wofford.

Fairleigh Dickinson (Sam Roff)

This week: drew 1-1 with Mount St. Mary’s

Sam Roff played all 110 minutes in Fairleigh Dickinson’s draw with Mount St. Mary’s. 

Georgia Southern (Hannah Allen) 

This week: lost 2-1 to Appalachian State

Hannah Allen did not feature for Georgia Southern in their loss to Appalachian State.

Grand Canyon (Sandra Hill)

This week: lost 3-2 to North Dakota State (OT); lost 4-0 to Hawaii

Sandra Hill came off the bench to play 43 minutes in the thrilling loss to North Dakota State, but started and played 77 minutes in the loss to Hawaii

Hawaii (Kiri Dale) 

This week: defeated North Dakota State 2-0; defeated Grand Canyon 4-0

Kiri Dale started both games this week, playing 83 minutes in the win over North Dakota State and picking up an assist in a complete game performance in the win over Grand Canyon.

Hofstra (Monique Iannella, Grace Watson-Carr)

This week: defeated Towson 6-0; lost 1-0 to James Madison

Monique Iannella tallied a school record-tying 3 assists as well as a shot in her 77 minutes on the pitch against Towson, before playing the full 90 minutes against James Madison and registering another shot. Grace Watson-Carr did not feature for Hofstra in either game this week.

Illinois (Ashleigh Lefevre)

This week: lost 2-0 to Ohio State; lost 2-1 to Penn State (OT)

Ashleigh Lefevre did not feature for Illinois in either game this week.

La Salle (Claudia Jenkins, Alyssa Van Heurck)

This week: defeated Davidson 1-0; lost 2-1 to Saint Joseph’s

Claudia Jenkins played every minute of the weekend, making two saves in the win over Davidson and eight more in the loss to Saint Joseph’s. Alyssa Van Heurck came off the bench to play 7 minutes against Davidson, but picked up her first career start against St. Joseph’s, playing 31 minutes and registering a shot that tested the Hawks’ goalkeeper. 

LSU (Caitlin Cantrill)

This week: drew 0-0 with Auburn; lost 4-1 to Florida

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

Marshall (Laura Farrelly)

This week: defeated UTEP 2-1 (OT); defeated Florida International 3-2

Laura Farrelly did not feature for Marshall in either of their wins this week. 

Nicholls State (Tessa Calabria, Tenille Harberger, Kristy Helmers)

This week: lost 2-1 to Incarnate Word; lost 1-0 to Abilene Christian

Kristy Helmers started in the loss to Incarnate Word, playing 34 minutes and registering a single shot before coming off the bench to play 27 minutes against Abilene Christian. Tenille Harberger did not feature against Incarnate Word, but came off the bench to make her college debut with 10 minutes of playing time against Abilene Christian. Tessa Calabria did not feature in either game this week. 

North Dakota State (Lauren Featherstone) 

This week: defeated Grand Canyon 3-2 (OT); lost 2-0 to Hawaii

Lauren Featherstone came off the bench in both of North Dakota State’s games this week, playing 13 minutes against Grand Canyon and 25 minutes in the loss to Hawaii. 

Old Dominion (Gaby Bentley)

This week: lost 3-2 to Louisiana Tech (OT)

Gaby Bentley came off the bench in Old Dominion’s thrilling overtime loss to Louisiana Tech, playing 15 minutes. 

Southeast Missouri State (Siena Senatore)

This week: lost 1-0 to Jacksonville State (OT)

Siena Senatore did not feature for Southeast Missouri State in their overtime loss to Jacksonville State.

St. Francis University (Shelby Milton)

This week: defeated Long Island-Brooklyn 1-0

Shelby Milton did not feature for St. Francis in their win over Long Island-Brooklyn.

Stanford (Beattie Goad) 

This week: defeated Arizona 2-0

Beattie Goad started for Stanford in their win over Arizona and tallied 2 shots in her 42 minutes on the pitch.

Texas Tech (Demi Koulizakis)

This week: lost 2-0 to West Virginia; defeated Iowa State 3-0

Demi Koulizakis started for Texas Tech against West Virginia and played 58 minutes, before coming off the bench to play 16 minutes against Iowa State.

Towson (Jodie Burchell) 

This week: lost 6-0 to Hofstra; lost 1-0 to William & Mary

Jodie Burchell came off the bench to play 17 minutes in Towson’s loss to Hofstra, but started and played 11 minutes against William & Mary.

UCLA (Teagan Micah)

This week: lost 1-0 to Washington State

Teagan Micah did not feature for UCLA in their loss to Washington State after suffering an injury in the warm-up.

Western Carolina (Kate Swartwout)

This week: defeated Wofford 4-1; defeated Furman 3-1

Kate Swartwout started in Western Carolina’s win over Wofford and played 67 minutes, before playing 26 minutes off the bench in the win over Furman.

William & Mary (Lorena Bugden) 

This week: lost 2-1 to Charleston; defeated Towson 1-0

Lorena Bugden made her first career start in the win over Charleston, playing 38 minutes before coming off the bench to play 26 minutes in the win over Towson. 

Wyoming (Indianna Asimus, Annika Clayton, Jessie Gentle, Caitlin Pickett)

This week: lost 2-1 to San Diego State; defeated New Mexico 3-2

Annika Clayton started both games this week, registering Wyoming’s only goal in their loss to San Diego State as part of an 85-minute effort before registering a single shot in 73 minutes in the win over New Mexico. Jessie Gentle was once again all but ever-present for the Cowgirls, starting both games and playing all bar 12 minutes of the weekend as well as tallying a single shot against New Mexico. Caitlin Pickett also started both games and played around an hour in each game, teeing up Clayton for the goal against San Diego State. Indianna Asimus came off the bench in both games, playing just the five minutes against San Diego State but seeing 34 minutes of action in the win over New Mexico.

Player of the Year Points: 

3: Monique Iannella (Hofstra)
2: Isabel Hodgson (East Tennessee State)
1: Annika Clayton (Wyoming)

2018 Week 6 Preview

Aussies face each other on both sides of the country this week as Kiri Dale takes on Sandra Hill and Lauren Featherstone in a tournament in Honolulu, whilst Jodie Burchell faces Monique Iannella and Lorena Bugden in Towson’s first two conference games. Elsewhere, Sam Roff and the Fairleigh Dickinson defence look to keep things tight at the back against a Mount St. Mary’s team that has had enough troubles scoring goals as it is.

(Featured Image Credit: Michael Rincon)

Kiri Dale and Hawaii play host to a pair of other teams featuring Australians this week as Sandra Hill’s Grand Canyon outfit and a North Dakota State team featuring Lauren Featherstone head to Manoa for a small tournament prior to conference play kicking off next week. Both Hawaii and North Dakota State have put together decent records approaching the .500 mark to this point, but for Grand Canyon this week provides a chance to continue rebuilding their season as a pair of wins last week lifted the Antelopes from 1-7 to 3-7. With all three Aussies seeing playing time of late and the teams fairly evenly matched, this is certainly a set of games worth watching.

The Colonial Athletic Association is stacked with Aussies, and it shows this week as Jodie Burchell and Towson kick off conference play against another pair of teams featuring Australians. The Tigers face perennial contenders Hofstra in their first game of the week, where they will face a Pride defence featuring Monique Iannella that finds itself in good form of late after keeping two clean sheets last week. Towson then face a William & Mary side featuring Lorena Bugden in their second game of the week, and although this game appears to be the Tigers’ best chance of victory this week, they will still come in as slight underdogs in this one. Home advantage may give Burchell and the Tigers the leg-up they need though as they look to get off to a good start in league play.

Claudia Jenkins has stepped into the void left by La Salle legend Larisa Zambelli superbly, and the Explorers would love for the South Australian goalkeeper to continue that outstanding form as they look to make a return trip to the NCAA Tournament. Starting their Atlantic 10 campaign with a local derby against St. Joseph’s, this game shapes to be a battle between two of the league’s true contenders, particularly given the fact both teams have shown outstanding form in the non-conference season. However, St. Joseph’s don’t have the most potent offence in the country, and with Jenkins giving up just five goals in seven games, La Salle’s defence – which also features fellow Australian Alyssa Van Heurck at times – could prove to be the difference as the Explorers look to hit the ground running in conference action.

Sam Roff and Fairleigh Dickinson fell on penalties in the Northeast Conference championship game last season, and in a conference where only Central Connecticut State have shown any really strong non-conference form, the league is wide open for any team that can get off to a good start. Although the Knights have won just two of their ten games to this point, they start league play against a Mount St. Mary’s outfit with just one win in seven games and only four goals so far this season, of which two came in their sole win of the campaign against Howard. As was the case in 2017, the Fairleigh Dickinson defence hasn’t been at its absolute best in non-conference play, but if they can reprise their conference form of last season, scoring goals will be tough not only for a team like Mount St. Mary’s, but for every team in the NEC.

Wyoming limped home last season to miss the Mountain West conference tournament after losing five of their last six games of the 2017 campaign, but come into this year’s league slate as one of the form teams in the conference after compiling a 5-1-2 record to this point. All four Australians – Caitlin Pickett, Indianna Asimus, Jessie Gentle, and Annika Clayton – have played vital roles for the Cowgirls to this point, and they will look to continue their good form having been given a favourable draw to open the conference slate. San Diego State usually prove to be one of the league contenders, but after winning just two of their eight non-conference games, catching the Aztecs at the start of league play may allow Wyoming to snare a result before San Diego State have the chance to regain winning form. Their second opponent of the week, New Mexico, are faring better at 4-3-0, which also appears to a fair reflection on the team’s quality. Despite being on the road, Wyoming will see themselves as favourites in this one and will have eyes firmly fixed on picking up six points from the first weekend of conference play.

Full Schedule:

Akron (Freyja Murray)

This week: @ Western Michigan – 6am, Saturday September 22; @ Northern Illinois – 4am, Monday September 24 

Chicago State (Sarah Clark)

This week: @ Fort Wayne – 5am, Sunday September 23 

Colorado (Isobel Dalton)

This week: @ Oregon State – 9am, Saturday September 22

Drexel (Emma Heckenberg) 

This week: v James Madison – 9am, Friday September 21; @ Charleston – 2am, Monday September 24

East Tennessee State (Isabel Hodgson)

This week: v Furman – 9am, Saturday September 22; v Wofford – 4am, Monday September 24

Fairleigh Dickinson (Sam Roff)

This week: @ Mount St. Mary’s – 3am, Monday September 24 

Georgia Southern (Hannah Allen)

This week: v Appalachian State – 9am, Monday September 24

Grand Canyon (Sandra Hill)

This week: @ Hawaii – 1pm, Monday September 24

Hawaii (Kiri Dale) 

This week: v North Dakota State – 10am, Sunday September 23; v Grand Canyon – 1pm, Monday September 24 

Hofstra (Monique Iannella, Grace Watson-Carr) 

This week: v Towson – 9am, Friday September 21; @ James Madison – 3am, Monday September 24

Illinois (Ashleigh Lefevre) 

This week: v Ohio State – 10am, Friday September 21; v Penn State – 10am, Sunday September 23 

La Salle (Claudia Jenkins, Alyssa Van Heurck)

This week: @ Davidson – 9am, Friday September 21; v Saint Joseph’s – 3am, Monday September 24 

LSU (Caitlin Cantrill)

This week: v Auburn – 10am, Friday September 21; @ Florida – 3am, Monday September 24

Marshall (Laura Farrelly)

This week: @ UTEP – 11am, Friday September 21; v Florida International – 3am, Monday September 24

Nicholls State (Tessa Calabria, Tenille Harberger, Kristy Helmers)

This week: @ Incarnate Word – 8am, Saturday September 22; @ Abilene Christian – 4am, Monday September 24 

North Dakota State (Lauren Featherstone)

This week: @ Hawaii – 10am, Sunday September 23

Old Dominion (Gaby Bentley)

This week: @ Louisiana Tech – 9am, Saturday September 22

Southeast Missouri State (Siena Senatore)

This week: @ Jacksonville State – 4am, Monday September 24 

St. Francis University (Shelby Milton) 

This week: @ Long Island-Brooklyn – 3am, Sunday September 23

Stanford (Beattie Goad)

This week: v Arizona – 1pm, Saturday September 22 

Texas Tech (Demi Koulizakis)

This week: v West Virginia – 10:15am, Saturday September 22; v Iowa State – 3am, Monday September 24 

Towson (Jodie Burchell) 

This week: @ Hofstra – 9am, Friday September 21; v William & Mary – 3am, Monday September 24

UCLA (Teagan Micah)

This week: v Washington State – 1pm, Saturday September 22 

Western Carolina (Kate Swartwout)

This week: v Wofford – 9am, Saturday September 22; v Furman – 6am, Monday September 24

William & Mary (Lorena Bugden)

This week: @ Charleston – 9am, Friday September 21; @ Towson – 4am, Monday September 24

Wyoming (Indianna Asimus, Annika Clayton, Jessie Gentle, Caitlin Pickett)

This week: @ San Diego State – 12pm, Saturday September 22; @ New Mexico – 4:30am, Monday September 24

2018 Week 5 Preview

Yet another Aussie v Aussie affair highlights this week, with Sam Roff and Fairleigh Dickinson face La Salle’s Australian pairing of Claudia Jenkins and Alyssa Van Heurck. Elsewhere, Sandra Hill continues her comeback for Grand Canyon and Demi Koulizakis looks to build on last week’s excellent outing against Florida International.

(Featured Image Credit: Greg Carroccio/Sideline Photos)

Sam Roff has been seeing Aussies everywhere she has looked lately, and things don’t look like changing this weekend as Fairleigh Dickinson take on La Salle, their third match this season against a team featuring an Australian, following games against Marshall and Hofstra earlier in the season. It won’t be easy against a La Salle team in good form though, particularly with the Explorers’ Australian goalkeeper Claudia Jenkins in outstanding form recently, making nine saves last week against Rutgers to ensure her side escaped with an unexpected point from their trip to New Jersey. However, Roff has been her ever-reliable self in defence for the Knights to this point, so La Salle are unlikely to find goals easy to come by themselves.

Wyoming have given a good account of themselves in the first part of the season, and it is no small part due to the play of their Australian foursome. The Cowgirls have dropped just one game to this point, a 4-1 loss to local rivals Northern Colorado, and aside from that blip have looked dangerous throughout. A victory over Big Ten side Iowa last week will no doubt have boosted the side’s confidence, and with Australian freshmen Indianna Asimus and Caitlin Pickett forcing their way into the starting lineup alongside seniors Annika Clayton and Jessie Gentle, Wyoming’s game against Southern Utah will no doubt be one to follow this week.

Grand Canyon may have started the season 1-7, but with Sandra Hill back in the lineup after making her first two appearances of the season last week, the time may just be right for the Antelopes to turn things around and set themselves up for conference play. Portland State and Cal State Fullerton won’t exactly roll over, with both sides having put together better records than Grand Canyon to this point, but the Antelopes aren’t without a chance in either game. GCU do have another couple of weeks before conference play starts, but they won’t want to come into league action still on a losing streak that has already extended to five games.

Demi Koulizakis opened her account for Texas Tech last week with a stunner of a goal, and was rewarded in the team’s second game of the week, being the first player called off the bench in the Red Raiders’ win over Oregon State. It will then be interesting to see how the junior gets on this week on the team’s trip to California to play Cal State Northridge and Loyola Marymount. At 6-1, Texas Tech will certainly come into both games this week as heavy favourites and will look to press on with what has been a successful non-conference slate to this point as they attempt to put together a season that culminates in an NCAA Tournament berth.

A couple of teams do kick off conference play this week, with Ashleigh Lefevre and Illinois in particular looking to parlay outstanding non-conference form into a solid league season. The Illini sit at 5-2 with a couple of big wins over Duke and Oklahoma State under their belt, and if they can pick up results against Minnesota and Wisconsin, it will not only be a great start to league play, but also add to an ever-improving resume for 2018.

Full Schedule (many cancellations in the southeast are expected due to Hurricane Florence):

Akron (Freyja Murray)

This week: @ Robert Morris – 5am, Saturday September 15

Albany (Claire Urquhart) 

This week: v Northeastern – 9am, Friday September 14; @ Dartmouth – 3am, Monday September 17

Chicago State (Sarah Clark) 

This week: v Western Illinois – 4am, Saturday September 15; @ Indiana State – 4am, Monday September 17

Colorado (Isobel Dalton)

This week: v Utah Valley – 7:30am, Friday September 14; v Denver – 5am, Monday September 17 

Drexel (Emma Heckenberg) 

This week: @ Providence – 6am, Friday September 14; @ Princeton – 8am, Monday September 17

East Tennessee State (Isabel Hodgson)

This week: @ South Carolina State – 6am, Monday September 17

Fairleigh Dickinson (Sam Roff)

This week: @ La Salle – 9am, Friday September 14; @ Hartford – 3am, Monday September 17 

Georgia Southern (Hannah Allen)

This week: @ Georgia State – 9am, Saturday September 15; v Louisiana – 2am, Monday September 17

Grand Canyon (Sandra Hill)

This week: v Cal State Fullerton – 6am, Monday September 17

Hawaii (Kiri Dale) 

This week: @ Nevada – 11:30am, Friday September 14; @ San Francisco – 6am, Monday September 17

Hofstra (Monique Iannella, Grace Watson-Carr)

This week: @ Columbia – 8am, Friday September 14; v Stony Brook – 3am, Monday September 17 

Illinois (Ashleigh Lefevre)

This week: @ Minnesota – 9am, Saturday September 15; @ Wisconsin – 3am, Monday September 17 

La Salle (Claudia Jenkins, Alyssa Van Heurck)

This week: v Fairleigh Dickinson – 9am, Friday September 14

LSU (Caitlin Cantrill)

This week: @ Texas A&M – 10:30am, Saturday September 15; @ Cincinnati – 3am, Monday September 17

Marshall (Laura Farrelly)

This week: v Florida Atlantic – 9am, Saturday September 15

Nicholls State (Tessa Calabria, Tenille Harberger, Kristy Helmers) 

This week: v Lamar – 7am, Saturday September 15; v Southern – 4am, Monday September 17

Old Dominion (Gaby Bentley)

This week: v North Texas – 9am, Saturday September 15; v Richmond – 8am, Monday September 17

Southeast Missouri State (Siena Senatore) 

This week: v Murray State – 9:30am, Friday September 14; v Tennessee-Martin – 5am, Monday September 17 

St. Francis University (Shelby Milton)

This week: @ Duquesne – 9am, Saturday September 15; @ West Virginia – 3am, Monday September 17 

Stanford (Beattie Goad)

This week: v Cal Poly – 12pm, Friday September 14; v Santa Clara – 9am, Monday September 17

Texas Tech (Demi Koulizakis)

This week: @ Cal State Northridge – 12pm, Friday September 14; @ Loyola Marymount – 6am, Monday September 17

Towson (Jodie Burchell) 

This week: v Pennsylvania – 4am, Monday September 17

UCLA (Teagan Micah) 

This week: @ Loyola Marymount – 12pm, Friday September 14; @ San Diego State – 11am, Monday September 17

Western Carolina (Kate Swartwout)

This week: @ South Florida – 9am, Friday September 14; v Davidson – 3am, Monday September 17

William & Mary (Lorena Bugden)

This week: v VMI – 4am, Monday September 17 

Wyoming (Indianna Asimus, Annika Clayton, Jessie Gentle, Caitlin Pickett)

This week: @ Southern Utah – 8am, Saturday September 15

2018 Week 2 Preview

With a number of Aussies coming up with match-winning performances last week, there are plenty of teams looking to keep perfect records alive or build on momentum generated from an upset result. La Salle and Wyoming in particular will once again be looking for their Aussies to fire after outstanding starts to the season.

(Featured Image Credit: Rand Bleimeister)

Wyoming got their season off to a flyer last week courtesy of some well-timed goals from Australian pair Annika Clayton and Caitlin Pickett, and the Cowgirls will be looking to extend their perfect start to the season in their only game of the week as they host Northern Iowa. Like Wyoming, Northern Iowa played South Dakota last week, but could only manage a 0-0 draw whereas Wyoming stormed home to a 4-2 comeback victory courtesy of Clayton’s second-half brace. With fellow Aussies Indiana Asimus and Jessie Gentle also playing solid minutes, the Cowgirls are once again looking to be a sure bet if you’re searching for Aussies to watch even in the post-Georgia Rowntree and Alisha Bass era.

Ashleigh Lefevre and Illinois travelled to North Carolina last week and put the entire nation on notice after running the Tar Heels close before knocking off Duke in a 2-1 victory, and the Illini will look to build off that momentum as they play a couple of games closer to home. Making the short drive to Chicago to play DePaul in their first game of the week, Illinois will face a Blue Demons team that may have lost its opener to Southern Methodist, but flexed its offensive muscle in a 7-0 win over lowly UMass-Lowell to round out the weekend. The Illini then round out their week by hosting Northern Illinois, a side looking to bounce back from a 3-0 loss in their opener against Milwaukee. If Lefevre and Illinois can put together performances like the ones they did in the opening weekend, they’ll certainly be a better than even-money chance to end the weekend on a 3-game unbeaten run.

Claudia Jenkins and Alyssa Van Heurck both made solid impacts last week as La Salle opened their 2018 campaign with a pair of wins, but this weekend’s opponent is a bit of an unknown entity as Manhattan are yet to play a game in 2018. The Jaspers did pick up 10 wins in 2017, but eight of those victories came in league play, where they play in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, a far weaker league than the Atlantic 10 which La Salle won last season. The Explorers will still have to play to their potential to get the win, but come into this game as prohibitive favourites, particularly with Jenkins in good form between the sticks and the La Salle defence unlikely to give up a high number of shots.

Claire Urquhart and Albany came up with a pair of wins last week on their cross-country trip to Arizona, but play far closer to home this week with road games at comparatively nearby Boston College and Colgate. Both teams will provide a significant challenge to the Great Danes, with Boston College coming off a pair of wins over Quinnipiac and Northeastern, with the latter a perennial challenger for the Colonial Athletic Association. Meanwhile, Colgate fell 2-1 in a tight one against #8 Virginia last week, showing that they will by no means roll over. It will also be interesting to see how many minutes Claire Urquhart sees this week, having only played in one of the two games last week, playing 46 minutes against New Mexico State.

Beattie Goad and Stanford opened up their season with a dominant 5-0 win over UC Davis, and the Cardinal are poised to bang in the goals once again as they take on one of their local rivals in San Francisco. Stanford won last year’s encounter 8-0 as part of a four-game in run in which they scored 26 goals without conceding, and this year’s Cardinal side hardly looks less potent on offence. Beattie Goad snagged an assist last week in the win over UC Davis, and if the Stanford offence continues to fire on all cylinders, expect to see the junior have plenty of chances to tee up teammates from out wide not only in this game, but throughout the season.

Stanford’s title rivals UCLA face a far tougher challenge this week, making the cross-country trip to play fellow championship contenders Penn State. The Bruins may have picked up the win over Long Beach State last week with a final minute goal, but will need a far more polished performance to get by the #3 team in the nation, who defeated the always-strong West Virginia 1-0 and demolised Duquesne 6-0 in the opening week of the season. However, with Teagan Micah already showing her penchant for coming up with big saves at vital times, Penn State’s offence won’t have things all their own way in this one in what could be one of the games of the regular season.

We also have the potential for a couple of Aussie v Aussie matchups this week, as Jodie Burchell has the chance to make her debut against Gaby Bentley and Old Dominion. These two sides have plenty of history as former conference rivals prior to Old Dominion’s move from the Colonial Athletic Association to Conference-USA, and if Burchell was to make an impact on debut in a game like this it certainly would be a memorable one. We could also see Shelby Milton take the field for St. Francis University against a UMBC side coached by Australian first-year head coach Vanessa Mann, and whilst the pair obviously wouldn’t face each other on the field, it certainly provides another little point of interest in an early-season game. 

Full Schedule:

Akron (Freyja Murray)

This week: @ Charlotte – 9am, Saturday August 25; @ Wofford – 4am, Monday August 27

Albany (Claire Urquhart)

This week: v Boston College – 7am, Friday August 24; @ Colgate – 3am, Monday August 27

Chicago State (Sarah Clark)

This week: @ South Dakota – 4am, Monday August 27

Colorado (Isobel Dalton)

This week: v Missouri – 5am, Sunday August 26

Drexel (Emma Heckenberg)

This week: v Columbia – 7am, Saturday August 25

East Tennessee State (Isabel Hodgson)

This week: @ Tennessee Tech – 9am, Saturday August 25

Fairleigh Dickinson (Sam Roff)

This week: @ Lehigh – 2am, Friday August 24

Georgia Southern (Hannah Allen)

This week: v Jacksonville State – 9am, Saturday August 25; @ Gardner-Webb – 3am, Monday August 27 

Grand Canyon (Sandra Hill)

This week: v Houston Baptist – 9am, Saturday August 25; v Northern Arizona – 12pm, Monday August 27

Hofstra (Monique Iannella, Grace Watson-Carr)

This week: v Boston University – 9am, Friday August 24

Illinois (Ashleigh Lefevre) 

This week: @ DePaul – 7am, Friday August 24; v Northern Illinois – 5am, Monday August 27

La Salle (Claudia Jenkins, Alyssa Van Heurck)

This week: v Manhattan – 8am, Friday August 24

LSU (Caitlin Cantrill)

This week: @ Liberty – 8am, Friday August 24; v Texas State – 4am, Monday August 27

Marshall (Laura Farrelly)

This week: v Tennessee-Martin – 6am, Saturday August 25

Nicholls State (Tessa Calabria, Tenille Harberger, Kristy Helmers)

This week: at Mississippi Valley State – 9am, Saturday August 25; v Prairie View A&M – 4am, Monday August 27

North Dakota State (Lauren Featherstone)

This week: v Weber State – 4am, Monday August 27 

Old Dominion (Gaby Bentley)

This week: v Towson – 9am, Friday August 24; v Old Dominion – 8am, Monday August 27

Southeast Missouri State (Siena Senatore)

This week: v Illinois-Springfield – 9:30am, Saturday August 25 

St. Francis University (Shelby Milton)

This week: v UMBC – 6am, Friday August 24; at Loyola Maryland – 6am, Monday August 27

Stanford (Beattie Goad) 

This week: v San Francisco – 1pm, Saturday August 25

Texas Tech (Demi Koulizakis)

This week: @ San Diego State – 12pm, Saturday August 25; v Abilene Christian – 10am, Monday August 27

Towson (Jodie Burchell)

This week: @ Old Dominion – 9am, Friday August 24; v Longwood – 3am, Monday August 27

UCLA (Teagan Micah)

This week: @ Penn State – 6am, Sunday August 26

Western Carolina (Kate Swartwout)

This week: v Elon – 9am, Friday August 24; v Belmont – 3am, Monday August 27

William & Mary (Lorena Bugden)

This week: v Virginia – 9am, Friday August 24; v Coastal Carolina – 4am, Monday August 27 

Wyoming (Indianna Asimus, Annika Clayton, Jessie Gentle, Caitlin Pickett)

This week: v Northern Iowa – 8:30am, Saturday August 25