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(Stay tuned for Part II of the Second Round preview, coming Friday afternoon.)

(3) Baylor vs Georgetown – 4:00 PM

The old adage goes that styles make fights, and they also make compelling soccer matches, as Friday’s showdown in Chapel Hill shows. Physical and unapologetically direct, Baylor has continued to grow in stature as a team of some quality this year and will be looking to go at least one better in the NCAA Tournament after falling at this stage to North Carolina last year. Opponents Georgetown are likely more pleasing to the eye from an aesthetic standpoint, with much of their play going through the 5’2″ sophomore, Daphne Corboz, in the middle of the park. The Hoyas would be naive to think that Corboz isn’t going to come in for special attention from the Baylor defense and midfield, and how she and Georgetown responds could have an important say in how this one goes down.

The Bears would do well to remember that the Hoyas aren’t a one-woman team though. Georgetown proved that and more in their opening round win against Virginia Tech, with goals from the dangerous Colleen Dinn and Kaitlin Brenn. The Hoyas did a pretty good job of keeping Virginia Tech’s offense in check in their win over the Hokies, but they can’t expect to give up goals late in a half like they did in conceding twice to VT at the end of the first half and expect to come out on top.

Baylor got out to a fast start against Arizona State, putting the hammer down to defuse any notions of a letdown after some administrative oversights led to them being forced on the road in the first round. The Bears kept the hammer down in another sense, racking up nineteen fouls and four bookings, though to be fair, ASU weren’t exactly angelic in their approach either. Expecting much different in Baylor’s approach to this one would be a stretch, though it’ll be interesting to see how this one’s officiated, especially considering Georgetown comes into this one having won the Big East’s Fair Play award.

Whether they throw their weight around or not, Baylor’s got plenty of firepower to go to work with, having shown ASU what they could dow with their 3-1 win. The Bears were pretty efficient, putting eleven of fifteen shots on goal, and will probably need to be in this one two, especially if Georgetown’s offense is cranking. Baylor also did a pretty good job of keeping a dangerous ASU offense in check but will have their work cut out for them against a more diverse Georgetown attack. Regardless, I think their physical approach and experience will win out on the day in what is a game flying under the radar right now but which should be fascinating encounter in Chapel Hill.

Prediction: (3) Baylor 1 – 0 Georgetown

(3) Duke vs Miami (OH) – 4:00 PM

Having abruptly ended Tennessee’s season last weekend, Miami (OH) will try to pull off an even bigger shock on Friday when they travel to Charlottesville to take on ACC side Duke. The Redhawks were a live underdog with what looked to be a bad matchup last weekend in the first round, coming up against a formidable Lady Vols side. Miami (OH) would prove to be perfect opportunists though, equalizing one time right after Tennessee had just opened the scoring and then equalizing for a second time with a stunning lob right before the final whistle. The Redhawks proactively went for a winner in extra time and got it, setting up this unlikely matchup with the Blue Devils.

Duke endured a less stressful first round, brushing aside MAAC champions Loyola (MD) with minimal fuss. Kaitlyn Kerr scored the first of three goals in the tenth minute, and Duke were up by five at the break in a dominating performance. While undoubtedly being a cathartic experience after some of Duke’s struggles this year, the easy win probably didn’t answer many questions about the Blue Devils. Everyone knows they can score goals by the bucket, as evidenced by some of their blowout wins earlier in the season. It’s the defense which has proven to be the biggest stumbling block for much of the year, and nothing was answered about that rearguard considering Loyola (MD)’s feeble attacking power on the day.

While some may scoff at Miami (OH) challenging Duke’s defense, some likely thought the same about their chances of troubling Tennessee last week, which proved to be grossly underrated given their subsequent three goal assault in Knoxville. The Redhawks have an underrated attack with multiple dangerous weapons that should, at the very least, give Duke a lot to think about. But Duke, on the whole, looks to be a more well rounded team up and down the board and probably has a sharper edge in front of goal through Kerr, Laura Weinberg, Kim DeCesare, and others. This could be a game where the scoreline doesn’t necessarily reflect the balance of play, but it’s hard for me to see Miami (OH) not bending to Duke’s might eventually.

Prediction: (3) Duke 3 – 0 Miami (OH)

(3) Wake Forest vs Notre Dame – 4:30 PM

It’s a classic tale of youth and experience on Friday afternoon in Gainesville, as the veteran Demon Deacons of Wake Forest take on a young Notre Dame side for a spot in the Sweet Sixteen. It also represents a rare occasion in recent seasons when Notre Dame has come into an NCAA Tournament game as an underdog. The unseeded Irish could benefit from the pressure being all on the ACC side though, as an exit by Wake in the second round, given the amount of talent they had returning from last year’s College Cup side, would be seen as undeniably disappointing.

The Demon Deacons took a while to find a way through a stubborn Georgia Southern team last weekend but delivered goals by the barrel once they did make the breakthrough. Against a stronger opponent on Friday, Tony da Luz’s side well definitely want to get off to a quicker start than the one they endured against the SoCon side. Wake can at least take a little comfort from their big guns all scoring in the win, though the task will be much more difficult against Notre Dame and a stingy defense. Notre Dame didn’t really get out to a great start themselves last weekend, going down 1-0 on a penalty near the half-hour mark, though they equalized right before the half before a dominant second half sent them to a clear and deserved victory.

Randy Waldrum ended up making some interesting tweaks to the lineup before this one, with Lauren Bohaboy, Crystal Thomas, and Birttany Von Rueden all coming off the bench after starting the Big East Tournament defeat to Marquette. It looked to be an inspired decision, as Von Rueden delivered the corner for Naughton’s equalizer, while Bohaboy and Thomas both scored in the second half. It also raises some interesting questions for Waldrum, who has to decide if he’ll stick with the starting XI that served him well last time out or insert some or all of those three reserves back into the lineup from the start. The unpredictable Notre Dame attack has shown great potential at times this season but has also gone belly up at times as well, making Waldrum’s decision all the more harder going into this second round match.

The matchup that may ultimately determine this one will likely be between two unquestioned starters, though. Katie Naughton has already shown herself to be one of the nation’s best young defenders for the Irish this season, but she has perhaps the biggest test of her young career coming up in the form of Wake Forest’s Katie Stengel. Wake has other weapons besides Stengel, including their set piece proficiency, but their odds of winning would go down appreciably if their talisman gets marked out of the game. There’s no substitute for experience in this competition though, and I like the battle tested Demon Deacons to squeak one out in what promises to be an engaging and potentially cagey affair.

Prediction: (3) Wake Forest 1 – 0 Notre Dame

Texas A&M vs Oakland – 4:30 PM

Having achieved the unthinkable in round one, Oakland will try to double up on upsets against Texas A&M on Friday afternoon. The Golden Grizzlies had certainly shown they were no slouches in non-conference play, with some draws against Big Ten opposition, but Ohio State looked to be a bridge too far, as the Buckeyes came in after a second place finish in the league and a Big Ten Tournament title. But OSU’s finishing woes of NCAA Tournaments past reared their ugly head again, and an opportunistic Oakland side was able to ride a 1-1 draw into penalties, where they bounced the Buckeyes in shocking fashion.

Their next mission is to slow down a Texas A&M side that possesses a plethora of firepower themselves. The Aggies probably got a tougher draw than they were hoping for in the opening round, drawing state rivals Stephen F. Austin, a club that probably would’ve merited a home game had geographical concerns not been involved. A&M prevailed eventually, but the SEC side was given all it could handle by the mid-major side, especially during a frantic first quarter of an hour, where SFA put the Texas A&M goal under fairly heavy pressure.

The Aggies will be wary of another slow start, as Oakland was able to draw first blood against Ohio State in their encounter, and it seemingly set the tenor of the game while disrupting the Buckeyes to a certain extent. The Golden Grizzlies also rode a whole lot of luck in that upset though, as they came under ever-increasing pressure from a desperate OSU side. If they can’t buck that pressure in this one, odds are, the result won’t be as favorable this time out. The Aggies, generally, have a more diverse set of attackers and are far less dependent on one source of goals, meaning the Summit League champions are probably going to have to be on their toes to stymie the SEC side’s assault on goal. It’s difficult seeing them have enough in the tank to keep A&M at bay for ninety minutes though. They could follow last week’s plan, in scoring first and holding on for dear life for the final whistle or penalties.

But more than likely, the Aggies will find a goal, make Oakland chase, and wear them down in the end. Given A&M’s offensive inconsistencies though, the final scoreline might not reflect their potential domination on the pitch, but the job should still get done in the end.

Prediction: Texas A&M 2 – 0 Oakland

(4) Portland vs Michigan – 5:00 PM

One of those two programs is destined to return to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time in a generation in Michigan’s case and for the first time in what probably feels like a generation for Portland. In reality for the WCC side, it’s only been 2009 since they last traversed the last sixteen, but for a program accustomed to challenging for the big prize at the end for most of its existence, the recent struggles in the NCAA Tournament have likely been a bit hard to take.

Signs of a revival have certainly been evident for a good chunk of this season though, and the Pilots delivered another classic last weekend in their penalty shootout win over Washington State. Kendall Johnson delivered an electric performance at left-back, scoring the opener for the club before assisting on their second equalizer of the evening. Erin Dees would take over in the shootout though, making a string of critical saves to keep Portland’s season going while also sinking the club’s fifth penalty kick.

While nine of Portland’s players played over a hundred minutes, the club was boosted by the return of Micaela Capelle from injury, albeit for about a quarter of an hour. Expecting her to bounce back into the starting lineup anytime soon might be a stretch, but with another week of training under her belt, her role should be increased to a certain degree at the very least. Garrett Smith and co. will also be waiting on the health of Ellen Parker, who played in the regular season finale but did not see action against WSU. UP needs all the depth it can get with such a thin roster, so getting Parker back in any capacity would be another big boost going forward.

Opponents Michigan were also no strangers to drama in the opening round, needing a late equalizer against Central Michigan before using the shift of momentum to nab a winner early in extra time. That winner came off the foot of Nkem Ezurike, who figures to be the target of most of Portland’s defensive attentions on Friday afternoon. The Pilots are no stranger to big, burly Canadian scoring machines, but they probably are more used to them knocking in goals for their side instead of trying to put them to the sword.

Incredibly dependent on Ezurike for their scoring, Michigan doesn’t have anyone else on the team with more than four goals, meaning their odds for victory sink dramatically if the junior isn’t firing true. I’m not sure the Pilots will be able to totally silence Ezurike as the spearhead of this Michigan attack, but I think they’ll be able to slow her down just enough to tip the balance in their favor.

Going the other way, I think Portland’s got the more diverse attack and will be able to battle through Michigan’s physical defense to just edge this one. Don’t be shocked if extra frames are needed in this one too though, after both clubs couldn’t close it out in ninety minutes in the first round.

Prediction: (4) Portland 2 – 1 Michigan

(2) North Carolina vs Illinois – 6:30 PM

If North Carolina’s march to San Diego is to continue uninterrupted, they’ll have to get by an old friend on Friday evening in the form of Illinois head coach Janet Rayfield. A player with the Tar Heels in the late seventies to early eighties, Rayfield was a part of the UNC squad that brought home the first ever sanctioned NCAA title in the sport in 1982. Sentimentality will be left at the door on Friday at Fetzer Field though, as Rayfield tries to get her Illini back into the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2008.

After using a late surge to get into the Big Dance, Illinois made good on some of their potential by prevailing in a shootout after a 1-1 draw against Missouri. It wasn’t Vanessa DiBernardo, but rather Allie Osoba who provided Illinois’ goal in the first half, while the club would hold on in extra time despite conceding early in the second half and being put under a fair amount of pressure in extra time. Steph Panozzo was lights out in the shootout, making a pair of saves to help her side take a commanding win in spot kicks over the Tigers.

UNC advanced with a more sedate 2-0 win over Radford, though they were likely tearing their hair out after a scoreless half, despite forcing the Big South champs into a handful of saves. UNC would eventually bust through the Highlanders’ defenses, but it wasn’t exactly the most assuring display, considering they needed twenty-nine shots to pick up those two goals.

Carolina appears to have made a semi-permanent shift back into the 3-4-3 that has so typified the club for so long instead of the more defensively secure but generally reviled 4-2-3-1, that’s frustrated some of the club’s fanbase. The return of Caitlin Ball to the starting lineup has also allowed a reshuffle in the ranks, with Crystal Dunn, who had been moonlighting back in defense, moving onto the left flank as the club’s midfielder on that side of the pitch. Whether further tinkering is warranted after a relatively inefficient offensive performance will be a consideration for the Heels’ brass, with Dunn potentially moving into the attack to fill Maria Lubrano’s spot after she played just twenty-two minutes in the Radford win. A potential move up front for Dunn would open up a spot in the lineup for either Meg Morris or Kelly McFarlane as well, giving Dorrence more options.

Tinkering aside, it’s all likely to come down to how UNC handles DiBernardo defensively. Likely the responsibility of Amber Brooks for the evening, DiBernardo is critical to Illinois’ hopes, and if she can’t stamp her authority on the game, it’s tough to see Illinois emerging on top. I just think the Heels have too much depth, too many weapons, and the all-important home advantage for it to be a happy homecoming for Rayfield and her Illini.

Prediction: (2) North Carolina 2 – 0 Illinois

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