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Adelaide Gay & North Carolina Will Try To Keep Rolling on Sunday

(7) North Carolina vs (11) Wake Forest – 1:00 PM

These two may have opened up the season with ambitions of an ACC title, but it’s far more likely that North Carolina and Wake Forest will be aiming for a Top Four place in the league with a victory on Sunday afternoon. Both are currently tied for fourth in points in the league table, with North Carolina up on goal differential going into Sunday’s key clash. The home side come into this one in excellent form, having won their past four matches and five of their last six. The offense is purring, with thirteen goals in those four wins, while the defense has shutout its past three opponents. Most impressive was the Heels’ last win, a 2-0 triumph at rivals Duke, as Carolina made the Blue Devils look amazingly average throughout, limiting the home side to just three shots on goal all game. Strikes from Meg Morris and Kealia Ohai proved toe the difference in the scoreline, and the UNC faithful will be hoping for more of the same on Sunday. Carolina also finds itself in a battle for a high national seed, with the Heels still not out of it in their quest for a potential #1 seed with a strong finish. One of their rivals for such a seed will be Sunday’s opponents. The Demon Deacons come into this showdown on the back of a five game unbeaten streak, though a 4-2 win over NC State on Thursday did break a streak of two draws, with the 1-1 result against Duke all but ending their league title hopes. It’s been a case of good news, bad news for Wake as of late on the stat sheet. The club has scored in their past seven games, last being shutout by Florida State’s stingy defense. At the same time though, the Demon Deacons’ usually stout defense has sprung a few leaks as of late, with the club having conceded in their past four matches. That’s not a welcome trend, especially with an on-form North Carolina offense opposing them Sunday. Wake’s not one of the hot favorites for a Top Two national seed as of right now, but they’re far from out of it and could be just one big result from getting right back in the mix. It’s safe to say knocking off a red hot UNC team in Chapel Hill could be just the ticket for Tony da Luz’s Demon Deacons in their quest to move up the RPI ladder.

(18) Boston College vs (58) Miami (FL) – 1:00 PM

Miami (FL) made the headlines for all the wrong reasons Thursday night, but the end result was all that mattered in the end, as the Hurricanes got the win they needed to haul themselves back into bubble contention and back in the frame for the ACC Tournament to boot. The Hurricanes’ mastery of the dark arts came with a price, of course, meaning Tom Anagnost’s side will find themselves without starters Kate Howarth and Maddie Sims for at least this match on Sunday afternoon. Considering Sims was one of three players to start every game this season for the Canes, and Howarth was ostensibly one of the club’s top offensive threats, the double loss could prove problematic for the visitors. The Canes really need all the firepower they can get, after a rather anemic display in league play thus far. Miami (FL)’s scored just a goal a game in ACC action through Thursday, with the top scorer in the league being top reserve Ava Ambrose, who’s missed two league games and scored just two goals, making her the only Cane with multiple goals in conference play. With those less than desirable numbers in mind, it might be up to the club’s defense to win the day, though that doesn’t promise to be an easy task against a BC side that likely enters Sunday flying on cloud nine. The Eagles shocked previously perfect Florida State, 3-2, on Thursday, scoring as many goals in their meeting as FSU had conceded in every one of their games combined up to that point. Off two assists from Victoria DiMartino and a gorgeous game winner from Kristen Mewis, the Eagles may have redefined their season in a flash, turning around a campaign that had seemingly been losing a little steam as of late. After four straight losses, BC’s now won two in a row and will be looking to keep the momentum going in their final two matches as they try and chase down a national seed. They’ll be aware of Miami (FL)’s bite though. The Hurricanes still have their backs to the wall in many regards but will still prove a formidable threat despite missing a pair of starters through suspension.

(31) Maryland vs (2) Florida State – 1:00 PM

Florida State lost their perfect record on Thursday night but kept pole position in the ACC title race by virtue of Maryland being upset by Miami (FL) on the same night. The Noles go into their final two games knowing they need just a single point to be crowned ACC champions, though they would like more than that to not have to share the crown with anyone else. Head coach Mark Krikorian will be hoping his defense isn’t too shell-shocked after giving up three goals in their defeat to Boston College on Thursday. Previously, FSU had given up three goals on the entire season. It was a jarring turnaround for a Seminoles team that looked so dominant and assured through much of ACC play. While the Noles took an early lead through Kristin Grubka getting on the end of a set piece, they were then hit with three unanswered goals, only able to pull one back before full-time. It certainly appeared that the ACC title favorites were missing Dagny Brynjarsdottir, with the Icelandic midfielder on international duty for UEFA Euro 2013 qualifiers. FSU will hope they can cope a little better on Sunday, knowing their opponents will be shorthanded as well. The Terps’ Fight Night on Thursday against Miami (FL) will cost them the services of forward Hayley Brock, who is serving a one match ban for a red card received at the end of regulation and who may receive more games for a violent conduct ban depending on how the ACC views the fracas against the Hurricanes. Maryland could also be without defender Domenica Hodak, who was carried off at the end of the match on Thursday after a collision had left her injured. Hodak has been immense in the back this season, and it’d be a serious blow if she can’t go. Hodak is listed among the probable starters though, so the injury may not be as serious as initially feared. Despite their status near the top of the ACC table, Maryland still languishes in the RPI right now, and the Terps may be fighting to just host a game in the first round of the Big Dance. A youthful Maryland side will need to, again, play beyond their years on Sunday if they want to stand a chance of delaying Florida State’s title celebrations. A win for the Terps could also be fuel for a last ditch effort to rise into a national seed before Selection Monday.

(4) Penn State vs (22) Michigan – 1:00 PM

This one lost a bit of its luster on Thursday, as Ohio State brought Michigan back to Earth with a thud, dealing the Wolverines their first league loss of the year. It almost erased what hopes Michigan did have of a shock Big Ten title after Greg Ryan’s side had done so well for much of the 2012 campaign. Still, the Wolverines will be eager for an upset here to try and move towards locking up second in the league, while also remaining in the hunt for a national seed. Poor set piece defense and criminal finishing sent Michigan home a loser on Thursday night against the Buckeyes. The Wolverines would take an early lead, ironically off a corner, but then conceded three unanswered, including two on set pieces themselves. In between was some utterly woeful finishing, with Ryan’s side spurning way too many chances for a club so high up in the league table. They’ll need to take advantage of every chance on Sunday if they want to stand a chance of prevailing against a deadly Penn State side. A point will get PSU yet another Big Ten title, and the Nittany Lions look like a club capable of doing it in dominant fashion. Erica Walsh’s side simply steamrolled Michigan State on Friday, winning 5-1 to extend their winning streak to ten games. PSU hasn’t been shut out all season, and the only club to keep them from scoring multiple goals has been BYU. It really was business as usual in the win over MSU on Friday, as the club got goals from the usual suspects: Christine Nairn, Maya Hayes, and Mallory Weber, to put the Spartans to the sword. Whether they can do the same against the league’s stingiest defense will be an intriguing question. PSU’s defense hasn’t inspired much confidence themselves lately though. The club has conceded in five of their last six and will be eager to stop leaking goals before the business end of the season begins in a few weeks. Now’s as good a time as any to stop that flow of goals and pick up some more silverware while they’re doing it.

(55) Ole Miss vs (13) Tennessee – 2:00 PM

It’s do or die time for Ole Miss’ NCAA Tournament hopes, as the Rebels look to make up some ground against high-flying Tennessee on Sunday in Oxford. These two clubs were likely polar opposites in emotions after Friday’s results. The Rebels looked to be well on their way to extending a three match win streak after racing out to a 2-0 lead against LSU. Instead, they capitulated and lost, 3-2, reminding everyone how fragile the defense has been at times in the league this year. The Rebels lurched backward in the RPI after the loss, not comforting news considering their resume doesn’t compare very well with their bubble rivals’ at the moment. Ole Miss knows they need a big scalp, and they need it soon, lest they be left on the outside looking in on Selection Monday. Fail to take something from this encounter with Tennessee, and the Rebels may well need to pull an upset in Orange Beach to get in the Big Dance. Then again, Ole Miss fans probably just want to get a result here to seal their spot in the SEC Tournament. The past two years have brought last day heartbreak, a fate the Rebels won’t want to repeat after a season that’s brought solid growth so far. They’ll be facing a team soaring in confidence in Tennessee. The Lady Vols came into College Station and upset the odds on Friday, topping Texas A&M in a big upset on a night full of them. UT’s now beaten two of the league’s top three clubs and stands an outside chance of perhaps moving up in the rankings with two wins and a little help elsewhere. The Lady Vols used an early strike from Hannah Wilkinson and then got a great goalkeeping performance from Julie Eckel to seal a famous 1-0 win. Besides the league ramifications, the win also got UT in a great position to snag a national seed for the second year running. Given their track record this year though, nobody will be arguing they don’t belong in the seeded group should they land there. Doing so will require the Lady Vols to not lose focus and suffer a letdown. Against a hungry and desperate opponent on Sunday, such a letdown could prove costly.

(29) Kentucky vs (49) Auburn – 2:30 PM

In a day of big SEC showdowns, Lexington will play host to one of the biggest, as Kentucky tries to cap off a perfect weekend by shooting down Auburn. The Wildcats have lurched up and down the RPI with some up and down runs thus far in the league. The club won three of four to open up SEC play to look like contenders for an outside shot at the title but then went four without a win to slide back down the rankings. Before they could get into real bubble trouble though, UK won three straight games by a 1-0 count, including Friday’s triumph over South Carolina in a rather dull slog in less than ideal conditions. Now close to a lock for the NCAA Tournament, Kentucky will be looking to continue to build momentum ahead of the SEC Tournament. That means putting a further dent in Auburn’s NCAA Tournament hopes on Sunday. The Tigers are probably on the outside of the Big Dance looking in at this point, thanks to some inconsistent play in the league as of late. Though Auburn started out by losing three of four in the league, they then won three in a row to steady the ship. Karen Hoppa’s side has alternated wins and losses over the last five games though, which hasn’t exactly helped their cause. Most damaging was an away loss to Arkansas last Sunday that likely dealt Auburn’s hopes a severe blow. With a resume that would be kindly described as ‘middling’, the Tigers know they need to finish strong, which probably includes a win or two in the SEC Tournament as well. Of course, Auburn could make life a lot easier on themselves with two wins in the club’s final SEC games. There was no hangover from the Arkansas loss on Friday, as the Tigers pounded Vanderbilt, 4-1, getting goals from four different scorers. Most impressively, Auburn did it without star forward Tatiana Coleman netting a point. Sometimes criticized for being too reliant on Coleman for offense, Auburn allayed those concerns for one night at least and will be looking for an equally robust offense on Sunday. Against a club who’s conceded no goals in their last three games though, Auburn will probably take goals any way they can get them in this key SEC clash.

(25) Cal vs (44) Washington State – 3:00 PM

The preeminent pests of the Pac-12, Washington State will try to cause problems for another of the league’s top teams when they travel to play Cal on Sunday. Wazzu, a side that drew with UCLA in their Pac-12 opener, gave Stanford fits for a while on Thursday, erasing a two goal lead for the defending national champs before eventual falling, 3-2. The Cougars haven’t been quite bulletproof against the best sides, getting blown out by Duke and Santa Clara, but they’ve managed to make it close, even in defeat, against all of their league rivals. They’ll be looking to do more than just make it close on Sunday though, knowing they need results to keep pace in the chase for an NCAA Tournament spot. While WSU looks to be in good shape thanks to that draw against UCLA earlier in the year, they also know that hanging around on the bubble isn’t good for anyone’s nerves, and they’d like to avoid such a fate if given the chance. The Cougars will likely be looking for offensive contributions from star attacker Micaela Castain, who hit double digits on Thursday, netting WSU’s first goal. The visitors will be wary going the other way though, as they gave up three goals from set pieces against the Card and know that Cal will be trying to exploit that weakness in any way they can if it hasn’t been remedied. The Golden Bears are hanging around the Pac-12 title picture for the moment, having won their last six in the league after dropping the conference opener to Arizona. The Golden Bears have been the picture of consistency offensively, with multiple goals in those six league wins. In fact, Cal has only been shutout once this season, early in the year to Santa Clara. Midfield sparkplug Betsy Hassett was the heroine on Friday, netting both goals in the 2-1 win over Washington. Defensively, Cal has run hot and cold at times this season, but they’ve been good enough to get it done on most occasions. Neil McGuire’s side is probably on the outside looking in for a national seed right now, but that could change emphatically in the final few weeks of the season. For now though, Cal will likely look to extend their winning streak and keep themselves in the Pac-12 title race in the process before matches against UCLA and Stanford down the stretch.

(3) UCLA vs (40) Utah – 4:00 PM

UCLA’s quest to break Stanford’s death grip on the Pac-12 title continues on Sunday afternoon, as the Bruins host Utah in Westwood. With Florida State’s loss on Thursday, UCLA is, quietly, the last undefeated team in the nation. B.J. Snow’s group has been doing things in a calm, workmanlike fashion for much of the season. The Bruins have won six straight in the league since drawing their Pac-12 opener against Washington State to keep pace with Stanford at the top of the table. Four of those wins have come by a single goal, a fray cry from the club’s early season form, where they were blowing many a talented side out of the water. Still, consistency has been the name of the game for UCLA thus far, and it’s a great virtue at this point for a side that is still boasting a lot of youth within their ranks. One of the club’s veterans, offensive talisman Zakiya Bywaters, was curiously limited in Friday’s win over Colorado, playing just over a quarter of an hour off the bench. With Bywaters’ minutes steadily decreasing as of late, one has to wonder if the UCLA dynamo isn’t struggling with injury right now. If she is limited, the Bruins still have a diverse cache of weapons to threaten with though, and in any event, the defense is more than good enough to stifle most opponents. The Bruins know that one slip could mean the end of their Pac-12 title challenge though, so the pressure will certainly be on on Sunday. Utah themselves will be hoping to hit back after a rather rough patch of form as of late. The Utes have lost three of four to slide down the RPI, though with Stanford and Cal as two of their opponents in that span, some of the struggles are understandable. A 1-0 loss to USC on the road on Friday wasn’t a great omen though, and Utah may want to avoid too many RPI hits like that in the final weeks of the season. The club is still in decent shape for the NCAA Tournament right now, but a protracted losing run could put them in jeopardy. First and foremost on Sunday, Utah will probably want to tighten up on defense. The Utes have kept just a single clean sheet in league play thus far, that coming in late September against Washington. Even if UCLA’s without Bywaters in an extended capacity, they’ve still got plenty to punish Utah with if Rich Manning’s side isn’t on their game defensively.

(27) Virginia Tech vs (14) Virginia – 5:00 PM

Up on Miami (FL) for the last spot in the ACC Tournament on goal differential alone, you’d forgive Virginia Tech for being less than enthused with the prospect of entertaining state rivals Virginia on Sunday. The last few years when these two have met, it’s often ended brutally for the Hokies, with the home side having been beaten down in their last three meetings by many a goal. The Cavs toyed with their rivals in two meetings last year, including in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament, where UVA powered past Tech to reach the Elite Eight. Neither of these sides are probably being tipped for a run that deep into the Big Dance this year, though both have shown themselves to be strong campaigners in November previously. The home side raced out to a quick start against some dubious non-conference competition but has come back to the pack recently, with their win over Clemson on Thursday being the club’s first against a league foe in four games. The stuttering league form has kept the club on the outside looking in in the quest for a national seed, while also keeping supporters on pins and needles as far as the club’s ACC Tournament fate is concerned. Hokie fans will be hoping the Thursday win over Clemson, punctuated by Ashley Meier’s seventh goal of the season, will be the start of a late push up the RPI for the club. They’ll be hoping to catch Virginia on a bad day, as the Cavs have not exactly been the model of consistency in the league so far. UVA hasn’t strung together two of the same result in the league all season long and come in off a shocking 1-0 defeat in extra time to Florida State last weekend. The defeat only underlined some of the problems Steve Swanson’s side has had in closing the deal against the league’s best. The 1-0 win over Duke on September 30 is the only win the club has notched against the league’s perceived elite in five tries this year. A talented team on paper, all the pieces haven’t quite gelled yet for the Cavs, who still have work to do to seal a national seed for the NCAA Tournament. With VT and Boston College to close out the regular season though, the Cavs certainly won’t be lacking for opportunities to improve their profile for Selection Monday. Whether they can be consistent enough to take advantage of those opportunities remains to be seen.

(1) Stanford vs (26) Washington – 8:30 PM

The merciless march of Stanford continues on on Sunday evening, as the defending national champs continue their challenging run to end the regular season with their final home game before NCAA Tournament play. The Card have won eleven in a row and are unbeaten in twelve, while also continuing their absurd Pac-12 winning streak. Stanford extended their unbeaten run at home to sixty-two matches and their Pac-12 winning streak to thirty-eight matches on Thursday in a deceptively tough match against Washington State. Card faithful likely sat stunned as their side blew a two goal lead before recovering with their third set piece goal to hold on for a 3-2 win. The home side got yet another header from their midfield ace, Mariah Nogueira, to put a game on ice, the senior’s seventh of the season. Stanford didn’t go very deep on their bench in the WSU match, with Hannah Farr the lone reserve to see more than five minutes of action in Thursday’s contest, with eight of the club’s ten field players going the distance. Though you wouldn’t expect heavy legs to be a factor given the extra day of rest, it’ll still be something worth watching against a physical opponent in Washington. Illusions of a finish near the top of the Pac-12 table for UW have been wiped away by a disappointing start to the league season for the Huskies. Two wins in seven have not made for pleasurable viewing of the league table, with the Huskies languishing in a tie for eighth at the moment. UW’s all but in the NCAA Tournament at this point though thanks to their earlier win over Notre Dame and their still solid RPI, but hopes of a national seed seem to have faded. The Huskies had a great chance to make up some ground on multiple fronts on Friday against Cal but came out slow and paid the price, falling 2-1 at full-time. With a day less of rest, the Huskies could be up against it against the home side if this one turns into a battle of attrition. Washington’s heart can never be doubted though, and the Huskies have grown into a habit of defying the odds on many occasions over the past few years. They’ll need to defy them again on Sunday if they’re to stand a chance of snapping a few of the nation’s longest running winning and unbeaten streaks.

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