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Samantha Baker and Georgetown Had Plenty To Celebrate After a 3-2 Win Over Notre Dame

Notre Dame 2 (Henderson 14′, Barg 33′) – 3 (Baker 2′, OWN GOAL 10′, 77′) Georgetown

A slow starting and sloppy Notre Dame team gave up two early goals in the first two minutes and were then undone by a second own goal late in the second half as they crashed to a 3-2 defeat to Georgetown. Samantha Baker was the heroine for the Hoyas as she essentially had an unofficial hat trick for Georgetown scoring the opener on a flicked header from Ingrid Wells’ corner before forcing both own goals. The first came less than ten minutes after her goal when one of her patented long throws soared into the box before being deflected in by an Irish player. A first half rally that saw Melissa Henderson head home from Adriana Leon’s cross before she created the equalizer with a cutback at the endline before crossing to Courtney Barg for a tap-in. Georgetown would survive Notre Dame’s furious effort to grab a go-ahead goal and stunned the crowd after a cross from Baker was headed into the Irish goal by a Notre Dame player. The Hoyas would come away unscathed from the unrelenting pressure in the last quarter of an hour to take home a famous victory and a big boost for their NCAA Tournament hopes. Baker’s been an inconsistent force in her time in D.C., but when she’s in good form, she’s a big asset with her long throws and presence around the goal. If she can get on a great run of form, the Hoyas could well prosper in November. There’s no bones about it for the Hoyas. They simply must beat DePaul and Villanova to close out the regular season. Do that and Georgetown might be able to survive an early loss in the Big East Tournament. Might be able to.

Notre Dame continue to be a real puzzle, although their penchant for giving up early goals has stuck with them through much of the season. Going down 2-0 on home turf is not going to lead to too many wins and is a death sentence come postseason play, which means the Irish are running out of time to solve these glaring issues. While there aren’t many with throw-ins like Baker’s, the fact that the Irish couldn’t deal with them effectively has to be gnawing at Randy Waldrum. Getting Courtney Barg back in the lineup for major minutes makes this team a lot more dangerous, but the inconsistencies in both offense and defense are just brutalizing Notre Dame right now. In the end, they’ll probably be fine as far as selection to the NCAA Tournament goes, but they still have to take care of business in the regular season. DePaul in the finale should be a breeze with the Blue Demons having nothing to play for, but Villanova visits on Sunday and still has their postseason lives to fight for, meaning there can’t be any lingering effects from this loss hanging over the Irish if they want to claim all three points.

Washington State 0 – 0 UCLA

Washington State gave a big boost to their NCAA Tournament hopes by holding firm to deny UCLA, marking the Bruins third straight match without a win and all but ending their Pac-12 title hopes. The Cougars came into the match very much on the bubble and needing a result to boost their profile, one which they got with the hard fought draw against UCLA. WSU faced everything but the kitchen sink on Friday but limited UCLA’s clear cut chances. The Bruins may have had twenty-nine shots, but only five were on goal, not counting Sydney Leroux shaking the woodwork in extra time. The home side were only able to generate limited offense, as exhibited by their single shot on goal, but the safe hands of Gurveen Clair ensured WSU walked away with a point. The Cougars’ offense may still be a little touch and go, but it’s clear the defense can stifle most anyone. They’ll have a week off after Friday’s hard effort before facing a desperate Oregon State team in Corvallis next Friday night.

UCLA appears to have hit their first bumpy stretch at a somewhat inopportune time, though their league title hopes were truly cooked in all likelihood after the loss to Stanford. For all their young attacking talent and even with great offensive threats like Sydney Leroux and Zakiya Bywaters, this team has the tendency to go cold at times which has no doubt been exacerbated by the tougher defenses of the Pac-12. Twenty-nine shots may sound nice, but when you only put five of those on goal, results like this evening’s are going to happen. The good news seems to be that the defense is still solid as a rock when facing non-Stanford opponents and should give UCLA at least a fighting chance in most matches. Though a league title is likely out of the question, the Bruins can still claim a #1 seed if they finish strong, which they should with the schedule ahead of them a bit easier than the first half of league play.

Kentucky 1 (Horner 106′) – 0 Tennessee [aet]

Kentucky knocked on the door for most of the night but would need extra frames to break it down as Natalie Horner’s golden goal gave the Wildcats a big win against Tennessee. The Wildcats rebounded from a somewhat shaky start to the match to begin to assert a bit of control near the end of the first half before outshooting their opponents 12-4 in the second frame. As the second half unfolded, Kentucky kept creating chances but would be denied by saves off the line, the crossbar, and Tennessee keeper Julie Eckel. The match would not be settled until late in the second half of extra time as Natalie Horner finished off a one-two setup by the team’s offensive talisman, Kelsey Hunyadi. Hunyadi had an excellent game with six shots, two on goal, and the game winning assist. When she’s on top of her game, Kentucky’s an entirely different team as was exhibited tonight. The question is whether the short bench and the grueling extra time affair will take a toll with another tough opponent in Georgia, who had a relatively easy time with Vanderbilt, coming in on Sunday afternoon.

Tennessee started brightly but was mostly second best as the game evolved. The Lady Vols were without Chelsea Hatcher (illness), and it showed, as besides Caroline Brown, UT had some problems getting revved up going forward. Emily Dowd only had one off-target shot, while Alexis Owens was a complete bust, with no shots at all. Tennessee might have fancied their chances in a long slog with Kentucky using a short bench, but the Lady Vols were just as hampered by a lack of available depth, using only two subs of their own. Like their opponents, Tennessee will be wary of a Sunday opponent who’s typically caused them problems in the form of Vanderbilt in Nashville. It’s a game Tennessee needs to win though if they want to stay alive in the race for a national seed.

Ohio State 0 – 1 Iowa (Melin 56′)

Iowa revived their at-large bid hopes with a smash and grab win in Columbus, plunging their opponents, Ohio State, into renewed bubble trouble. After a first half in which they had looked to be second best, the Hawkeyes responded brilliantly, with Alex Melin heading home from Morgan Showalter’s corner early in the second half. Though the Buckeyes would put pressure on late for an equalizer, Iowa held firm to pick up the three points and get themselves back in the postseason picture. This was a very important win obviously for Iowa who was teetering a bit coming into tonight but who should be in renewed spirits after another big road win. Iowa’s offense wasn’t totally clicking, though Cloe Lacasse was far from being just a passenger. The Hawkeyes made the most out of one of their set piece opportunities though, often a key in winning on the road, and did enough to keep the clean sheet. The win was nice, but Iowa still needs more to get themselves back on the right side of the bubble. A result at Penn State on Sunday probably isn’t expected, but if Iowa can get anything, it’d be a huge boost before a season defining run against Nebraska and Northwestern.

Ohio State continues to be a team plagued by a lack of a consistent cutting edge in front of goal. While the team’s move of Lauren Granberg up to forward from the backline has helped in some sense, the Buckeyes are still not scoring enough goals, especially when it counts. Only putting four shots on goal against a team they theoretically should be comfortable favorites against just isn’t going to cut it, and you’ve gotta wonder if there isn’t going to be more shuffling with OSU’s bubble fate looking more perilous as the weeks tick off. The Buckeyes defense did a decent job of keeping Iowa at bay for much of the evening, but the misfiring attack made sure it was all for nought. Nebraska and Michigan are next up and are must wins for this Buckeye team if they want to stay in the hunt for an at-large bid. Considering this offensive display, getting into a shootout with the Huskers would not be well advised.

Baylor 3 (Gilmore 2′, Larsen 10′, 55′) – 1 (Nottingham 51′) Missouri

Baylor struck fast against Missouri, getting a brace from Dana Larsen to move closer to an NCAA Tournament spot. The Bears looked like the team with the vaunted offense at full-time having doubled up the Tigers in the shot count while winning comfortably in the end. Hanna Gilmore’s second minute strike set the tone, while Larsen’s goal from short range in the tenth minute left the visitors shellshocked. While Missouri was able to halve the lead after Danielle Nottingham scored directly from a corner kick, they’d throw it all away just a few minutes later when Larsen scored her eighth of the year. Larsen was a cut above on the evening with two goals and an assist, while the defense did a solid job of slowing the Tiger attack. When you take Nottingham’s goal out of the equation, Missouri only had a pair of other shots on goal. Baylor stretched their unbeaten run to seven matches, and the Bears’ season looks even more impressive at the moment when you consider their two losses were to Kentucky and Texas A&M; by just a single goal. The rather curious (or foolhardy) decision to schedule SWAC side Jackson State for Sunday could take a big bite out of Baylor’s RPI though, so they may still need to beat Oklahoma in the season finale to cover their bases. Getting anything against Oklahoma State in Waco would just be icing on the cake.

Missouri came out and laid an egg in a match that was crucially important to their bubble hopes. Being down two goals after ten minutes is simply inexcusable for a team gunning for an at-large bid, and the Tigers were never really in it for much of the match. With little opportunity for great movement upward in the rest of the regular season, Missouri almost certainly has to sweep the rest of their regular season matches to give themselves a chance. Even then, they’ll probably need to win at least one game in San Antonio in the Big XII Tournament.

Rice 0 – 1 (Jewell 71′) UCF

UCF kept their national seed hopes alive with a 1-0 win against a brave Rice side who’s nonetheless fading from the at-large picture. After a hard fought encounter, the Golden Knights would break the deadlock a little under twenty minutes from time when Andrea Rodrigues took advantage of a Rice defensive breakdown and slotted in Tishia Jewell who was left a simple finish. It was Jewell’s only shot on goal of the night, but she made it count as her side maintained their slim hopes for a conference title. After just two wins in six, UCF seems to have righted the ship a bit with two straight shutout victories heading into a crucial stretch of the season. They came out and shut down a spirited opponent with a lot to play for while also doing just enough offensively to emerge with the three points. Amanda Cromwell’s side now just has to keep consistent and take care of business against Houston and UAB before next Sunday’s huge clash at home against fierce rivals Memphis.

The Owls may be hitting the wall at an inopportune time. They’ve now won just two of six and are continuing to slide down the RPI rankings. They’ve got a home win over LSU and a draw on the road against BYU, but will that be enough if they’re on the bubble come November? Frustratingly, Rice has been painfully close against both Memphis and UCF, only to fall to close 1-0 defeats. On this night, Jessica Howard impressed with six shots, including a pair on goal, but she just couldn’t find a way past Aline Reis in the Golden Knights’ goal. Nothing on the rest of the regular season schedule is too terribly imposing, which means Rice needs to get back some momentum before the Conference USA Tournament starts. They’ll be hoping for another chance to topple either Memphis or UCF and solidify their resume before Selection Monday.

Vanderbilt 0 – 2 (Newfield 29′, Gibbons 42′) Georgia

Georgia eased past a disappointing Vanderbilt in the first half before doing just enough to close out a tepid second half in Nashville. Alexa Newfield scored the eventual game winner right before the half-hour mark when the Vanderbilt defense preposterously let her dribble from the middle of the field all the way to the edge of the area where she lofted a shot over Jessica Amlaw and into the back of the net. Amlaw then should have done much better when Meghan Gibbons’ savable effort from Madison Meyers’ cross evaded her and trickled over the line. It was hardly a scintillating performance from the visitors, but it was a professional and efficient one. The defense rendered Vanderbilt’s offense ineffectual for the first half and did enough to ensure that the margin of victory was comfortable at the final whistle. The Bulldogs would seem to be on the right side of the bubble for the moment, but a win over Kentucky in Lexington on Sunday afternoon would go a long way in keeping them there.

Vandy interim head coach Derek Greene was understandably displeased with his side’s performance as the Dores all but capitulated in the first half, conceding two horrendous goals to dig themselves into a massive hole. Vanderbilt’s glaring weakness has been a lack of a true quality finisher up front, and when the Dores engage in such suicidal defending, they’ve truly got no chance at victory against the upper half of the SEC. While this team may still theoretically be alive for the NCAA Tournament, they’ve really got to finish strong down the stretch to even make the SEC Tournament. Getting anything against Tennessee on Sunday would be a big boost to those hopes.

Auburn 3 (Cate 26′, Ball 62′, Frierson 80′) – 1 (Martineau 76′) LSU

Auburn snapped a three match losing streak in style, downing SEC rivals LSU to revive their hopes of a national seed. One of the league’s breakout players this season, junior Ana Cate, was the architect of much of the home side’s success. Cate took advantage of some hard work by Tatiana Coleman as the forward got to the endline before dragging a cross back through the area where Cate was on hand to finish. Amy Howard would keep the league intact with a leaping save on Taryne Boudreau right out of the break. Cate would then assist on the match winner with a far post cross being turned in by an unmarked Tori Ball. LSU cut the lead in half with a quarter of an hour to play as Natalie Martineau latched onto Kaley Blades’ splitting pass and finished coolly. But Katy Frierson iced the match a few minutes later to give Auburn an important three points. Karen Hoppa’s side are a much better team on The Plains than they are on the road and showed it on this night with a solid win over their Tiger rivals. The defense still isn’t any great shakes, but the offense is more than enough to deal with most SEC clubs if they’re firing true. Now that Auburn’s snapped their losing streak, they need to take care of business against Arkansas on Sunday before a huge week against Georgia and Tennessee.

7-0-1 at home, 3-5-0 on the road. It doesn’t exactly take a rocket scientist to figure out what’s been ailing the Bayou Bengals this season. It also may not be the best of omens considering three of LSU’s final four in the regular season are on the road. Two of those are eminently winnable though, against Alabama and Arkansas. That means that LSU could still well be crowned champions if they can knock off South Carolina at home and then somehow do the unthinkable in Gainesville against Florida next Sunday. That’s still down the road though, and LSU must still take care of business over the next two matches. Addie Eggleston and Carlie Banks combined for one off-target shot against Auburn, and the Bayou Bengals have to get better production from their forwards if they want to make a serious run at honors this year. Alabama on Sunday is more than beatable for these Tigers, but if this year has shown us anything, it’s that LSU on the road is never a sure bet.

Texas Tech 1 (McCall 81′) – 3 (Berry 31′, Grow 61′, Fletcher 87′) Kansas

Kansas edged closer to bubble safety after a quality performance on the road against a Texas Tech side who desperately needed the three points. It looked like the points would be staying in Lubbock early on after the home side came out roaring, forcing Kaitlyn Stroud into six saves in the first quarter of an hour to keep the teams on level terms. But Kansas weathered the storm and would turn the tide after a handball in the box saw Whitney Berry deposit a penalty in the back of the net, giving the Jayhawks the lead. The Red Raiders would the shoot themselves in the foot in brutal fashion as after conceding a foul at midfield, Amy Grow’s long range effort bounced over everyone in the box and left keeper Victoria Esson rooted to the spot as the ball bounced off the inside of the right post and across the line. Casey McCall would pull one back for Tech late, but Jamie Fletcher wrapped up the points after beating Esson at the near post following Liana Salazar’s beautiful cross into the box. Naturally, this was a big, and much needed, win for Kansas after having dropped three of their first four league matches, a run that pushed them back towards the bubble. Besides breaking the team’s winless run in the league, it also damaged a bubble rival in the process. The Jayhawks should lock up an NCAA Tournament bid if they can sweep the rest of the regular season, with the toughest test likely to come against Missouri next weekend in Columbia.

The Red Raiders can certainly have few complaints on the night. They had more than enough chances to get on the board in the first half only to be stopped by Stroud’s goalkeeping and some poor finishing. The damage was really done though by the second goal which was the equivalent of hitting the self-destruct button. Tech can’t concede those types of goals and expect to win, especially if the offense is misfiring as it was for much of the night on Friday. After a seven match unbeaten run had placed them back in contention for an at-large bid, the team’s now dropped two straight in the league and are very much on the bubble. With few quality wins of note on the schedule, this Red Raider team needs to put something together down the stretch. Texas and Iowa State are obviously must wins at this point, but the team may still need more, meaning they might have to get something against Oklahoma State or win a match or two in the Big XII Tournament.

Portland 1 (Capelle 61′) – 2 (Ochs 37′, Butera 59′) San Diego

San Diego plunged Portland’s season into further turmoil with a battling win over the Pilots at Merlo on Friday night. Though USD would be on the back foot for much of the night, they would go into the half with a 1-0 lead thanks to a blistering arrow from Stephanie Ochs that zoomed into the upper-left corner of the goal for the San Diego star’s eighth goal of the season. Ochs would be at it again near the hour mark as she crossed to Mariah Butera, who made no mistake from fifteen yards out. Portland would strike back immediately as Micaela Capelle headed home a Michelle Cruz cross to set up a grandstand finish. But the home side would come up empty with Danielle Foxhoven missing a great opportunity wide before seeing Toreros keeper Courtney Parsons come up big with another match saving stop. Seemingly on the ropes after five straight losses, San Diego is back at .500 after two wins in league play and should be a good bet for the Big Dance if they can win three of their last five. With BYU and Santa Clara to finish though, this squad would best take care of business early, starting with St. Mary’s next weekend. The Toreros are an entirely different animal with Ochs and Parsons on form, as was exhibited on this night. If the USD offensive and defensive talismans are on form, the Toreros could round into a real sleeper team to watch come November.

Portland’s season is looking increasingly in danger of ending without a trip to the postseason, as the Pilots are now two games under .500 with just six matches remaining. Though UP had been horrifically bad on the road up to this point, they had still only lost to Stanford at home coming into this one. But Portland’s home form failed them here despite controlling much of the match. The Pilots have been beaten down with injuries and inconsistency on a squad that wasn’t too terribly deep to begin with coming into 2011. While Hailee DeYoung has stabilized the goalkeeping situation to some degree, the club is just deficient in numbers having lost Kassi McCluskie for the season in all likelihood while Halley Kreminski was sidelined with a head injury suffered in the first half of this match. The frustrating part for Portland is that they’ll likely be selected to the Big Dance if they’re on the bubble and eligible with wins over Florida State, Washington State, and Oregon State. But that means being at at least .500, and that’s a very shaky proposition right now. St. Mary’s comes calling on Sunday afternoon, and that match is pretty much a must win game. If this club goes down to three games under .500 with five to play, it could well all be over for the Pilots.

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