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Crowded At The Top - Nothing Was Able To Separate Texas A&M; & Oklahoma State on Sunday

Texas A&M; 0 – 0 Oklahoma State

A rough and tumble one hundred ten minutes led to both Texas A&M; and Oklahoma State getting a share of the spoils as the Big XII title race will go down to the last set of fixtures next week. OSU still controls their own destiny after a foul ridden, physical affair that saw both sides unable to capitalize on their chances in front of goal. The Cowgirls dominated in corner kicks, but otherwise, most of the other stats were close to even with the home side logging nineteen fouls and the visitors eighteen over one hundred and ten minutes of play. A&M; would actually have it in the back of the net early when Megan Majewski headed home from a free kick, but the goal would be disallowed due to a foul. In the middle of the first half, OSU would have a prime opportunity as Krista Lopez hit Megan Marchesano in stride but was denied in the end by freshman keeper Jordan Day. A&M; would come close to taking the lead themselves with about twenty minutes left in the second half when Merritt Mathias hammered a shot off the bar from ten yards. Day would come up big again in the second half and in extra time with stops on Lopez near the end of normal time and Sarah Brown to keep the score knotted at zero. Mathias would get one more good chance near the end of extra time but would send her shot just wide. All things considered, Oklahoma State will probably gladly take a draw out of a tough fixture in a place where they had never even scored a point before today. Their title fate is still in their hands, with the crown coming to Stillwater if they beat Texas Tech. The defense did very, very well to keep a dangerous A&M; offense off the board, while the offense showed flashes of quality in a difficult environment with fatigue playing a clear factor. As long as they do a professional job next Thursday, Oklahoma State should be solid favorites for the title against the Red Raiders in Stillwater.

The Aggies will be kicking themselves and likely wondering what could have been after this one, especially after Mathias drilled the crossbar. A&M; boss G. Guerrieri spoke of Kelley Monogue being a touch off today, though she still did manage to get off for shots for the home side. Mathias was more of a dangerous influence than she has been for most of the season and had seven shots, including the close shave with the bar. OSU did manage to stifle Annie Kunz though, the freshman not logging a shot all day. The home side did give up a lot of shots, but limited the number of clear cut chances the Cowgirls had with Day taking care of the tough stuff with aplomb. The freshman keeper’s form will likely be key to A&M;’s postseason aspirations, and keeping her consistent will be among the team’s top priorities heading into November. With OSU playing their last match a day before A&M;, the Aggies will know if they’ve still got a shot at the title on Friday. They’d best bring their A game regardless though, because Texas will be desperate for an RPI boost at their expense in Austin.

Michigan State 2 (Peterson 76′, Heyboer PK 77′) – 0 Ohio State

A pair of late goals gave Michigan State a valuable bubble win at home while plunging Ohio State into deeper problems heading into the last week of the regular season. After a painfully tepid first half-hour, the Spartans began to flex their offensive muscle, forcing Katie Baumgardner into three saves before the whistle blew for the half. By contrast, the sluggish OSU offense didn’t manage a shot on goal in the first frame. While the second half evened out a bit on the stat sheet, Michigan State would finally draw first blood with a quarter of an hour to play after a cross into the area by Megan Pines was inadequately headed out, letting Laura Heyboer cross across the face of goal to a waiting Hannah Peterson who made no mistake. Heyboer would be scythed down unceremoniously by Danielle Scoliere less than a minute later but would dust herself off and convert from the penalty spot for her eighteenth of the season to ice the match. Despite a rare off day for Olivia Stander up top, the Spartans still got a strong day from Heyboer and more importantly, the defense, which put the shackles on the Buckeyes for most of the match. MSU may be assured of a spot in the Big Ten Tournament, but they really need to beat Northwestern next weekend to keep the RPI momentum going, even though the woeful Wildcats are still likely to hurt their numbers. Getting this head-to-head win over the Buckeyes is still a boon for MSU’s bubble hopes though.

Ohio State’s season continues to circle the drain. The Buckeyes have now just won one of their last five and two of their last seven. It’s not as if any part of OSU has been especially horrid, but this group just looks devoid of confidence at the moment. On this afternoon, the offense just never clicked, and Michigan State just kept banging at the door until they got something in the form of Peterson’s game winning goal. This team has problems coming back from one goal deficits, but Heyboer’s penalty made it a foregone conclusion that they were going back to Columbus empty handed. Wins over West Virginia and Illinois may give OSU a bit of breathing space, but one wonders how much considering the team’s late season form. They aren’t even guaranteed of a spot in the postseason yet and have to beat Indiana to ensure themselves of a Big Ten Tournament berth. It’s a favorable matchup at home against an opponent with nothing to play for, but it’s hard to predict what these Buckeyes will do given the past few weeks.

Boston University 3 (Krebs 31′, Luscinski 77′, Minto 80′) – 0 Hartford

Boston University outclassed Hartford from whistle to whistle en route to another America East title. It was scarcely a contest as from the first kick, the Terriers used unyielding pressure to batter the Hartford goal and pound the visitors into submission. Hawks keeper Erin Quinlan would keep her side in it for the first half-hour, but eventually, the pressure told through Taylor Krebs. Brittany Heist sent a long ball forward from midfield for Krebs that sent Quinlan wildly off her line to try and cut the pass out. She misjudged the ball though, and Krebs headed it around her, sending it dribbling over the line for the eventual game winner. The lead was doubled in the seventy-seventh minute when Jessica Luscinski beat Quinlan to a cross from Brittany Heist around the six-yard box. Krista Minto would complete the rout a few minutes later with a rising blast that Quinlan could only parry into the back of her own net. This was a silly smashing performance from BU who are clearly a cut above the rest of their league rivals. The scoreline could have been much, much worse had Quinlan not been on hand to make fifteen saves, many of them vital. A healthy Luscinski makes a world of difference for these Terriers, and odds are, they’d be nursing an undefeated record had she been available all season. As is, they may be the biggest favorites of any team come Conference Tournament week and have the chance to make some noise in the NCAA Tournament, even if they do draw Boston College early.

Hartford hadn’t played anybody of BU’s calibre this season, and it showed in how they were clinically dissected. The Hawks have still had a nice season by small school standards, but can they really find a way to beat this Terrier juggernaut in a few weeks time? It’s quite the ask, and coach John Natale will be hoping to find the right solution. His team can’t be too shellshocked after this performance though, because they’ve still got a semi-final to navigate. In the match before this, Albany showed the Hawks weren’t so unstoppable in league play as well, meaning it’s not a guarantee we’ll see this fixture again in the AE Tournament final at any rate.

Florida State 4 (Cayman 2′, Huster 73′, Jaurena 76′, McCarty 88′) – 2 (Howarth PK 60′, Flinn 63′) Miami (FL)

Florida State fought back from 2-1 down in the second half to shoot down a brave Miami (FL) team and take a big step towards the ACC Tournament. Tiffany McCarty became the program’s all-time leading scorer in the process with the goal that finally iced the match in the eighty-eighth minute to cap off a comeback from being down 2-1 in the final twenty minutes. McCarty had helped give the Noles a very early lead after she got to the endline and threaded a pass across the box to Janice Cayman who was left an easy shot for the opener. The visitors would come out and shock their hosts after the break though, Kate Howarth converting from the spot to equalize before Ashley Flinn put the Canes ahead a few minutes later after her shot bounced off of FSU keeper Kelsey Wys and into the back of the net. The Noles responded with unceasing pressure and got their just reward when Tiana Brockway’s pass off a free kick was turned in by Tori Huster. The home side would reclaim the lead just a few minutes later after Ines Jaurena’s dogged effort after seeing her first shot saved saw her put home the loose ball. The Canes would nearly equalize again when Howarth hit the bar, but McCarty would pop up and volley home from Jamia Fields’ pass just seconds later. Wys would save from Tara Schwitter in the waning minutes to keep the final scoreline where it was. This was probably a more eventful match than FSU would’ve liked it to be, but in the end, they got the job done. On the day, they probably deserved the three points, and the offense most definitely clicked at a key time. Getting McCarty scoring consistently is going to be key for this team’s hopes for a deep postseason run, and she was in fine form on this afternoon. The experiment with Toni Pressley in attack seems to have ended as well, with the senior being listed in the stat sheet as having played in the back in this one along with the Noles’ defensive starting unit that they began the season with. FSU should be in a good spot for an ACC Tournament spot, but Virginia Tech in Blacksburg is still a tough nut to crack, and the Noles will have to display some of the consistency that has been missing at times this year.

Miami certainly fought valiantly, but their defense was always likely to have problems shutting down the potent Florida State attack if the home side as on top of their game. The Canes haven’t kept a clean sheet in ACC action and have just recorded three shutouts all year. That’s obviously a problem in the offense happy ACC, and one that ultimately may keep them out of the conference tournament. However, Tom Anagnost’s side looks to be cultivating a rather potent star of their own in junior Kate Howarth, who hit double digits after scoring from the spot in this one. While Howarth’s return next year should make the Canes just as dangerous, they still have a chance to make it into the ACC Tournament this year if they can upset Virginia on the road and get results elsewhere to swing their way. Even if they can’t, it’d be criminal if the Canes were left out of the NCAA Tournament with their resume.

Tennessee 2 (Harrison 3′, Hatcher 55′) – 0 (Cate SENT OFF 89′) Auburn

Ten man Auburn had few answers for Tennessee in Knoxville to cap off a disappointing two match series for the one time SEC title contenders. The Lady Vols would set the tone early when Caroline Brown redirected Emily Dowd’s cross in Amy Harrison’s direction. Harrison would rifle the ball home past keeper Amy Howard to give the home side the very early lead. Though the home side would have the run of play for much of the match, they’d have to wait until ten minutes into the second half to double their lead through Chelsea Hatcher. The senior stepped up towards the edge of the area and unleashed a rocket that gave Howard little chance as it threatened to rip a hole through the net on the way across the line. Auburn would apply a little late pressure with Katy Frierson hitting the woodwork before seeing a swerving free kick by the same player tipped over the bar by keeper Julie Eckel. The day would go from bad to worse for Auburn in the dying stages of the match when the team’s leading scorer, Ana Cate, was sent off, thus meaning she’ll be suspended for the Tigers’ big showdown with Alabama on Friday. This was a nice win for the Lady Vols after Thursday’s disappointing showing against Alabama. The offense had a very good day with Hatcher and Dowd in particular impressing, while the defense did a good job in looking the Auburn attack look very ordinary. In goal, Eckel made some nice stops and looks to be maturing into a creditable keeper for UT, even with such a lack of experience. Despite the win, Angela Kelly’s side is in a bit of limbo at the moment. They’re pretty much safely in the NCAA Tournament field but are out of the title race and probably are too far down the pecking order for a national seed. Considering some of the heavy, heavy minutes the starters have been getting in SEC play, it’ll be interesting how playing time is budgeted in the league finale at Georgia on Friday.

Different year, same old Auburn, much to the chagrin of Tiger fans. For what seems like the umpteenth season, Auburn has shown flashes of quality and notched a big win early in the year, only to see their inconsistencies doom them to mid-table once again. The reality of the situation is that the Tigers are 1-3-1 against the league’s upper crust this season, and it’s going to be very hard to trust this team to string together some consistent performances in the postseason to make a deep run in either Orange Beach or in the Big Dance itself. At the moment, Auburn’s on the fringes of a potential national seed, but having won just two of seven, you probably wouldn’t bet on them securing one. They’ve got a tricky tie ahead on Friday as well, traveling to a desperate Alabama for the always heated rivalry match with the Crimson Tide and won’t have Cate among their ranks either.

UCF 0 – 3 (Oduro 49′, 86′, Gomez-Junco 72′) Memphis

Memphis used an emphatic second half surge to pound C-USA rivals UCF and seal the league title for themselves in Orlando on Sunday. The home side actually had the ball in the back of the net early through Bianca Joswiak after a corner kick, but the goal was ruled out due to an offside call. The rest of the half was a relatively even affair and gave no hint as to the generally one-sided nature the second half would take. Christabel Oduro netted the eventual match winner not five minutes into the second frame when she was able to put back a rebound after the home side had cleared Kylie Davis’ initial effort off the line. Natalie Gomez-Junco would double the lead in the seventy-second minute after drawing Aline Reis out of the goal and rounding her to get a clean look at goal. Oduro would add her second from short range late on after Melissa Smith dished off to the Canadian. This was quite the emphatic statement from Memphis as they put quite the beating on their closest C-USA rivals in the second half to record one of the most lopsided victories in the history of this derby. After a fairly even opening period, Memphis comprehensively outplayed their rivals in the second half to record a big win. The Tigers have a budding star in Oduro who is shining brightest amongst the youngsters, while veteran keeper Elise Kuhar-Pitters did well to make the few big saves she was called upon to come up with. Barring something unexpected happening over the next few weeks, Memphis should be good for a national seed, and the Tigers have every opportunity to cause multiple upsets come November.

There aren’t too many positives to take out of this one for UCF. The second half performance was dire, and the offense, including star forward Tishia Jewell, struggled as a whole to create clear cut chances against the stout Memphis defense. Though Golden Knights’ fans probably don’t want to hear it, it’s looking increasingly like Amanda Cromwell’s team is going to have to live with playing second fiddle to their Tennessee rivals this season. There’s enough quality here to challenge top teams as shown by some of the team’s non-conference results. But the lack of consistency in non-conference play has been a departure from the usually steady UCF squads of recent years and may ultimately limit the upside these Golden Knights have come November.

Virginia Tech 1 (Conheeney 50′) – 0 North Carolina

Virginia Tech stunned North Carolina for the second straight meeting in Blacksburg, getting a huge goal from Kelly Conheeney to wrap up the upset over the Tar Heels. The Hokies’ midfield talisman would make her tenth of the season a special one as the early second half score held up to propel Tech to the victory over the ACC title contenders. The home side would knock on the door repeatedly in the first half but struggle to put a final ball on frame. UNC also struggled to create opportunities and saw their best first half chance saved by Dayle Colpitts, who denied Kealia Ohai from close range. Tech would break the deadlock early in the second half though as Jazmine Reeves made a run up the right sideline before cross for Conheeney who finished low and past Anna Sieloff in the Tar Heels’ goal. Colpitts would come up big a few more times in the second half, including on a shot from Maria Lubrano on a 1v1 opportunity with a quarter of an hour to play. Tech could have doubled their lead some five minutes from time, but Reeves was unlucky to hit the post, with Anne Lumpkin firing wide from the rebound. This was a great win for a side that had needed one after battling mainly overmatched opposition in non-conference play and losing to the top ACC sides in league play. It’s only fitting that Conheeney, the heart and soul of this team, would come through with the match winner for one of the program’s landmark wins. Reeves was also creator of problems for the UNC defense, while Colpitts was strong in net for the Hokies as well. Thanks to tiebreakers, Virginia Tech’s now guaranteed an ACC Tournament berth before getting to host Florida State on senior night. Their ultimate seeding will be determined by Thursday’s match, but you wouldn’t count them beating the Noles if they play as they did on Sunday.

It just never seemed to be on for North Carolina on the day as they struggled to maintain a foothold on the match and then had problems finishing what chances did fall their way. The Tar Heel rearguard, which had been so strong for much of the past few weeks, was finally breached early in the second half, and UNC had no response for it. While the defense has played well these past few weeks in ACC action, it’s also rather east to take note of the fact that the Tar Heel offense, which had been humming for much of the first half of the season, has scored just two goals in the last four matches. While the quality of opposition has clearly gone up these past few weeks, it’s no different than the type of team UNC will be facing if they advance deep into the postseason. If the offense doesn’t start to come alive against sterner opposition, missing out on the ACC title isn’t likely to be the only disappointment in Chapel Hill this season.

Duke 3 (Cobb 50′, DeCesare 54′, Pathman 65′) – 1 (Hastings 6′) Maryland

Duke recovered from an early 1-0 deficit to blast Maryland in the second half and seal at least a share of the ACC title. The home side got off to a bit of a rocky start when in the sixth minute, after a foul near the top of the box, Olivia Wagner blasted a free kick off the wall. The ball deflected through the box, creating an almighty scrum in the area, in which Lydia Hastings managed to come free with the ball and beat Emily Nahas at her near post to give the visitors an early lead. That was about as good as it got for the Terps on this day as Duke gradually began to fight their way back into it. Mollie Pathman would smash a ball off the bar later in the first half, while Yewande Balogun would be called to make a great diving save on Laura Weinberg right after the half-hour mark. The second half would bring a drastic shift in momentum as the home side outshot Maryland by a count of 12-0. Kelly Cobb would equalize early after Kaitlyn Kerr had restarted quickly after a foul. Cobb would power through Remi Kriz’s attempted tackle before tapping it by the onrushing Balogun for Duke’s first. It wouldn’t take long for the Blue Devils to take the lead as Pathman whipped in a cross to the far post where an unmarked Kim DeCesare headed across the face of goal to leave Balogun grasping for air. Duke would put it out of reach ten minutes later after Natasha Anasi’s long ball over the top saw Cobb clean through the defense where she unselfishly squared for Pathman who clinically finished Duke’s third. The Blue Devils look like fitting champions of the nation’s toughest conference and will lift the title all by themselves if they beat NC State on Thursday. After a rocky opening half, they absolutely shredded a good Maryland team in the second half. The offense was dynamic and scored three class goals while the defense recovered nicely after the odd first goal conceded to whitewash the Terp attack in the second half. If they can stay healthy and on form, this Blue Devil team has every chance to go a long, long way in the postseason.

In an ironic sort of way, Maryland was supposed to be the team that Duke’s become this year: an ACC title challenger with a deep and vibrant offense. Instead, the Terps aren’t even assured of ACC Tournament qualification entering into the final match of the regular season after two straight defeats on the road. Maryland’s just won one of their last four and two of their last seven to slide down the league table as the league campaign approaches its end. Looking at the raw numbers, it’s not hard to figure out the Terps’ woes with the team eighth in goals scored and seventh in goals allowed in ACC matches. The Terps should be fine for the NCAA Tournament even if disaster strikes on Thursday, but they won’t be sure of their status in the ACC Tournament unless they beat North Carolina at home, not an easy prospect, much less so now that the Heels are likely to be angry after their loss to Virginia Tech. Maryland loses the head-to-head tiebreaker to Miami (FL), so finishing level on points with the Hurricanes if they can draw with Virginia would do the Terps no good in the even of a loss to UNC.

Florida 0 – 1 (Boudreau 33′) LSU

Florida slumped to a shock defeat at home against an SEC foe for the first time since 2006 as LSU gave themselves a shot at a shared SEC title with the massive upset in Gainesville. The defeat was the Gators’ first ever loss to LSU and only the fourth time UF had been beaten in Gainesville by a league opponent in their history. The Tigers would get all the offense they’d need right after the half-hour mark when after controlling a pass from Natalie Martineau, fellow Canadian Taryn Boudreau let loose with a long range bomb that floated over the head of Gators keeper Brooke Chancey and into the back of the net to stun the home crowd. Florida would have chances to get on the board all throughout the first half but suffered from horrific finishing, putting balls wide, high, and right at LSU keeper Mo Isom. With the visitors devoting more players to defend the lead in the second half, Florida tried to break down the Tigers but failed to do so, only forcing Isom into one save in the second stanza. After Thursday’s debacle in Baton Rouge had seemingly closed the door on their title hopes, LSU more than redeemed themselves with this stunning upset. The odds are now pretty good for the Tigers to get a share of that title with only lowly Arkansas in their way, as long as the Gators can recover to beat South Carolina on Friday. This win also showed that, finally, LSU’s strong home form may be rubbing off on their travels as well. It’s fitting that Boudreau, who’s been a revelation for LSU this year, was the one to score the winning goal in one of the program’s biggest triumphs under Brian Lee. The Canadian WNT would do well to give a look to the senior, as well as fellow Canadian senior Allysha Chapman, who has excelled for quite some time now for the Bayou Bengals.

Everything seemed to be going fine for the Gators right up until that early goal conceded against Mississippi State a few matches back. Since, it’s been a wobbly fall from title favorites to having to fight for just a share of the crown they’ve worn for half a decade in the SEC. This team has now fallen behind in the first half in three straight matches and it’s bitten them twice, with the other time also a close shave against Arkansas, needing Erika Tymrak to bail them out. That’s been a common theme down the stretch, and when Tymrak’s individual brilliance hasn’t been enough, the team has often lacked the firepower to pull through. With McKenzie Barney and Tahnai Annis enduring rough seasons, it’s often been up to freshmen Havana Solaun and Annie Speese to carry the load up front. Naturally, as rookies, it’s been a hit or miss proposition for much of the time. This team clearly has the talent to be a lot better than they’ve shown over the past few weeks. Problem is, time’s running out to get back to that level, and if the Gators can’t right the ship, they don’t have too many more games in their future this season.

Oregon State 4 (Richardson 15′, Oljar 27′, 80′, Buckland 51′) – 1 (Martinez 66′) Washington

Oregon State capped off a big weekend for their bubble hopes with an emphatic win over a Washington side now surely out of the NCAA Tournament mix. The Beavers were paced by a brace from redshirt freshman Brittney Oljar, but it was Canadian Jenna Richardson that kicked off the scoring, knocking in a rebound after Jorde Lafontaine-Kussmann had saved her initial shot. Oljar would put Washington in a deeper hole right before the half-hour mark after another rebound off of Lafontaine-Kussmann let the OSU midfielder score her first of the season and her collegiate career. The home side had dominated the first half of action and would show that there’d be no let up following the break when Chelsea Buckland pounded home a free kick from just outside the area to give her side a commanding 3-0 lead. Sarah Martinez would grab a consolation for UW after heading in Lindsay Elston’s free kick in the sixty-sixth minute. But there was to be no comeback from the Huskies as Oljar completed the rout late after latching onto a ball from midfield and finishing from thirteen yards. Oh, the difference a week can make. This time last week, the Beavers looked like a potentially endangered species in the bubble picture. Now? That Stanford-OSU match in Corvallis looks a wee bit more interesting. The Beavers have climbed quietly to second in the league and could even apply the slightest of pressure to the Card if they can pull off the shocker on Friday. When Richardson and Buckland are on form, this is an entirely different team. If they stay on form, Oregon State could well make that long run in November that some (including yours truly) expected of them at the beginning of the season.

It looks grim for Washington. This one hurt, but the real damage was done on Friday against Oregon. They have to win all three of their remaining matches to even stand a chance, and that’s only likely if a lot of bubble teams around them implode down the stretch. In other words, it doesn’t look likely that these Huskies will have a chance to repeat the heroics of last season’s run to the Elite Eight.

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