Weekly roundup of women’s college soccer news you might have missed. Includes the past week’s crucial games, injury reports, news of note, upcoming games to watch, and general observations about the world of women’s college soccer.
So That Happened
Results from key games.
Duke 0 – Penn State 0
Duke has started the season off well, but questions about the team’s youth were answered after the Blue Devils faced their first real test on the road in Happy Valley. The Blue Devils responded well, holding off the Nittany Lions’ 11 shots on goal and earning what could be a big draw for them down the line.
Florida 3 – Florida State 2
In one of our first battles between top-five teams, the University of Florida earned a 3-2 victory against the defending champions. The Seminoles did make a lively comeback in the second half to make things interesting but the Gators have found something to build on as they head toward conference play.
Clemson 2 – South Carolina 1
This was a rematch of last year’s NCAA tournament first-round contest in which the Gamecocks won in a shootout. After three goals were scored in the first 16 minutes of the game, it had all the makings of a high-scoring affair. Clemson, however, dug down deep at home and grinded out a result over their in-state rivals.
UCLA 2 – Wisconsin 1
The UCLA Bruins have rebounded nicely after their season opening loss to Long Beach State with a pair of victories, including this result over fellow Top 25 team Wisconsin. Gabbi Miranda’s long distance strike in the first half is an early candidate for the college goal of the year and the Bruins will need to carry this momentum into next week against Virgina and Texas.
Virginia Tech 1 – Tennessee 1
All signs pointed to a rough road trip loss for the Volunteers when they visited the Hokies, but they were able to nearly pull off what would’ve been one of the season’s biggest upsets. Offense is still a problem for Tennessee, but they Volunteers have shown that their defense can keep them in games.
What to Watch
Find a screen to watch these games.
Nike Duke Classic
One of two Nike Classics that headline a jam-packed week as North Carolina, USC, and California all head to Durham, North Carolina. All four matchups will pit ACC versus Pac-12 teams and results could come at a premium as there isn’t much to separate the teams in the early stages.
Virginia at UCLA
Many of the featured players have departed since these two teams last met in Los Angeles in the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament. But there will be plenty to play for as the Cavaliers fly across the country to take on the Bruins, who are coming off of a strong result against Wisconsin. This will also be the first major test for the Cavaliers after defeating UNC-Wilmington, Cal-Poly, and Delaware by a combined score of 16-1 in three matches.
BYU at Stanford
BYU has gotten off the blocks nicely in 2015 (and maybe a little bit under the radar as well). Wins against California, Colorado, and Nebraska have set the table for the Cougars coming into this weekend. This match was originally supposed to be played on August 24th as part of a tournament in Hawai’i but was cancelled due to weather. In a rare instance when a nonconference match gets made up, this will be one to keep an eye on.
Texas A&M at Florida State
The Seminoles’ comeback fell short against Florida last weekend, and they’ll have another SEC foe to face this weekend as the Aggies come to town. Florida State’s defense looked a bit suspect against its in-state rival, which will be a major problem if it continues to underperform. The biggest challenge for Texas A&M so far has been a trip to Rice, so this game provides a big-time opportunity for the Aggies to prove themselves against a top-ranked foe. It will also be interesting to see how the much-changed side from last year’s College Cup team can measure up against top competition.
Top Performers
The players who made a difference this past week.
Sarah Troccoli, Florida
Troccoli is part of the 15-person freshman class for the Florida Gators but her star shone the brightest this past week. She scored her first collegiate goal against Miami last Thursday, which also happened to be the game-winning goal in a 4-2 victory. Then, in Florida’s 3-2 win over Florida State, she assisted on one goal and scored on another to give her five points on the weekend.
Jannelle Flaws, Illinois
The senior for the Fighting Illini scored five goals over two matches this past week and wrote her name in the record books in the process. After her first-half hat-trick against Saint Louis, Flaws tallied her 50th career goal and became the Illinois all-time leading goal scorer in the process. She picked up her third career Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week for her effort as well.
You Might Have Missed
News from women’s college soccer you might have missed.
2015 NCAA Woman of the Year
The NCAA recently announced the 30 finalists across all three divisions for the 2015 NCAA Woman of the Year award, which recognizes excellence in athletics, academics, community service, and leadership. There were five women’s soccer players named to the list, including Seattle University alum and now Boston Breaker Stephanie Verdoia. The full list of nominees is here.
2015 Senior CLASS Award
The women’s soccer candidates have been announced for the 2015 Senior CLASS Award, a sport-specific award honoring NCAA Division I athletes in their senior seasons for excellence in the community, classroom, character, and competition. The 2014 Senior CLASS Award winner in women’s soccer, Stephanie Verdoia, is currently a finalist for the 2015 NCAA Woman of the Year award. See the full list of this year’s Senior CLASS candidates and learn about their accomplishments on and off the field.
[divider]Contributors[/divider]
Rachael Caldwell will be graduating from the University of Arkansas in 2015 with a degree in Broadcast Journalism and minors in Spanish and Business Management. Rachael played soccer from when she was three until her senior year of high school, where she was the captain of her state championship winning team. Rachael looks forward to writing more for Our Game Magazine and also writes about women’s soccer on her blog, rachaelfc.wordpress.com.
JJ Duke graduated from Rider University in New Jersey with a degree in Digital Media Studies. Although his playing days may have ended back in high school, he still prides himself on being a decent shot-stopper and an all-around fanatic of the beautiful game (fervent supporter of Manchester United and the founder of a Rider supporters group, the 206 Ultras).
Ruth Moore serves Our Game Magazine as a College Editor and the magazine’s Design Editor. She holds a degree in Professional Writing from Kutztown University, freelances in communication design, and loves coffee.