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(Check back on Thursday afternoon for the BYU-Pepperdine preview.)

(7) Virginia Tech vs (9) Wake Forest – 7:00 PM

How Wake Forest moves forward without their scoring dynamo Katie Stengel will be one of the ACC’s storylines to watch after the forward was likely ruled out for the rest of the season following a diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis. Losing Stengel is another blow to an offense which had previously lost injury hit Rachel Nuzzolese, leaving plenty of questions as to where the offense is going to come from for this club in the waning weeks of the league season. In the club’s first game without Stengel, the offense struggled to create much, though considering #1 Virginia was the opponent, it wasn’t perhaps a fair barometer of the Demon Deacons’ fortunes going forward. Of course, the ACC shows no mercy in the scheduling department, and a trip to red hot Virginia Tech on Thursday isn’t going to be easy at all. Truthfully, the Demon Deacons had already been slipping form-wise before Stengel’s absence, having won just one of four, with that win coming against league strugglers Syracuse. Against Virginia, the Demon Deacons held their own defensively for half an hour but were hit by goals from two of UVA’s reserves late in the first half, with the Cavs’ depth showing. UVA flexed their muscle in the second half, with Wake finishing with just one shot on goal total. The likes of Riley Ridgik and Caroline Wootten figure to be vital to the offense down the stretch, but Wake may have to play pragmatically with plenty behind the ball and taking advantage of set pieces, as the club isn’t going to be able to make up too many multiple goal deficits. While the club is in no danger of missing the NCAA Tournament, they may need an upset or two to assure itself of a vital seed in the Big Dance.

This might be a classic trap game for the Hokies, who have been catching national headlines after their 1-0 win against Notre Dame last Sunday. Virginia Tech had, of course, been excelling beforehand, but the value of a win over a name brand program like the Irish opened the eyes of the masses who perhaps didn’t notice the 5-0-1 league record the club came into that game with. VT’s non-conference schedule perhaps wasn’t the most testing, but the Hokies have certainly made amends since, having gone unbeaten in seven ACC matches, conceding just two during that streak. The win against Notre Dame was a tight and tense showdown settled by a pair of reserves hooking up with less than five minutes to play, as Ellie Zoepfl made her first goal of the season a memorable one. The Hokies’ depth has helped them roll towards the top of the league, with the ability to bring the likes of Mayrose and Ashley Meier off the bench a frightening prospect for the opposition. In particular, Mayrose’s return from injury could be what pushes the Hokies towards a challenge for the College Cup, as the dangerous forward was a revelation off the bench against Notre Dame and has the potential to be a difference maker down the stretch. Sticklers might point out that the club hasn’t scored multiple goals in four of five, but there’s also the little matter of the club having not been shutout once this year. Many eyes will look towards next Thursday’s showdown with Florida State, but the Hokies will want to keep their eye on the ball as they try and build up a resume worthy of a high national seed.

(6) Georgetown vs (55) Saint John’s (NY) – 3:00 PM

Really, it all comes down to Thursday for Saint John’s (NY). The Red Storm are currently hanging out on the bubble but without much in the way of quality results on their resume. They had a big chance earlier in the league season to fix that but ended up dropping a 3-1 result to high flying Marquette, as the club began to sink into a four game winless streak. The club has now won just one of seven since a blazing start and will see their NCAA Tournament hopes diminish considerably if they fall to defeat in the nation’s capital on Thursday. The last time out, Saint John’s looked to just have the better of Villanova in a testy affair, seeing goalscoring talisman Rachel Daly net her fifteenth of the season from short range shortly into the second half. The Red Storm couldn’t make it stick though, conceding less than a minute later on a free kick. Despite Daly again looking to be the pick of the litter on the pitch, the Red Storm couldn’t find a breakthrough for the rest of the match as they left more points on the table in league play. The defense, solid as a rock for much of the season, has shown signs of cracking as of late, with six goals conceded in their last three, not a great omen with a likely angry Georgetown coming in. It’s going to have to excel here if the Johnnies are to stand a chance of an upset though, with the club knowing opportunities for big wins now are scarce.

Georgetown come into this one seeing red in all likelihood after their humiliation at the hands of league leaders Marquette last Sunday. The Hoyas went into Milwaukee unbeaten and with real hopes of a #1 seed come season’s end, but they were sent back to the nation’s capital with their tail between their legs after getting spanked by the Golden Eagles, 4-0. An offense which had rolled right over just about everyone they had faced before fell well short, being shutout by the Marquette defense, while the Hoyas’ own rearguard was reduced to rubble in the blowout loss. Truthfully, Georgetown wasn’t really blitzed, but Marquette were absolutely ruthless in taking advantage of their opportunities, putting four of their seven shots on goal in the back of the net. All the damage was done in a little over fifty-five minutes, so there’s no telling how bad things could have gotten if Marquette had kept their foot on the gas the whole way through. On paper, the schedule left is very pliable, with this game likely the hardest one left on the docket. Despite the Hoyas’ glittering W-L-T record though, they probably need to run the table or come close to it to stay in consideration for a #1 seed come Selection Monday. They should be comfortable favorites going into this one, but it remains to be seen how the Hoyas respond to the battering they took last weekend.

(4) Penn State vs (48) Ohio State – 3:00 PM

Penn State’s reign at the top of the Big Ten may be in more danger than ever, as the Nittany Lions find themselves with two losses in the league at the halfway point of the conference season and in third in the standings ahead of a big game against the rival Buckeyes. The Nittany Lions looked to be cruising near the top of the RPI up until a few weeks ago. Erica Walsh’s side had strung together nine straight wins after their 5-1 defeat to Virginia and against looked like a club that was going to haul home Big Ten silverware come season’s end. But the offense has looked shockingly fragile the past two times out, getting shutout by both Minnesota and Michigan in back-to-back 1-0 defeats. Supporters had to have hoped that the shock defeat to Minnesota had been a one-off, but instead, the club again stumbled, this time against a title rival in the form of the Wolverines. PSU certainly didn’t lack for opportunities against the Wolverines, putting up twenty-one shots but with only a third of those hitting the target. No player had more than one shot on goal, and the team’s defensive effort in mostly keeping Michigan at bay all day went to waste in the end. Walsh really shortened up the bench, with only Tani Costa seeing major minutes in reserve for PSU, an interesting note to follow in case it becomes a trend. The defending champs might be out of mulligans as far as retaining their crown is concerned, but they’ll be wary going forward, as their next three opponents will see PSU as their golden ticket into the NCAA Tournament.

The bad news for Ohio State is that they’re very much in bubble trouble at the moment, with their best result being an away draw against Minnesota. The good news? RPI big fish PSU, Nebraska, and Michigan are all still on the schedule, meaning OSU should have plenty of chances to get the one marquee win it needs to breathe a little easier on Selection Monday. The Buckeyes certainly have to be feeling a tad more confident coming into Thursday after snapping a three game stretch without a win by dispatching Michigan State last weekend. As was the case with Thursday’s opponent, OSU put seven of twenty-one shots on goal against their last foe, but unlike PSU, the Buckeyes made those efforts count. Ellyn Gruber gave the club a 1-0 lead late in the first half before strikes from Nichelle Prince and Michela Paradiso helped bust it open in the final twenty minutes. The club will be disappointed to have failed to keep a clean sheet for the fifth time in six league games, but they’ll also likely be quite relieved to have scored for the first time in four games. The attack still has a lot of youthful pieces, but they’ve shown repeatedly that they’ve got the potential to be something special if everything comes together. Head coach Lori Walker and co. will be hoping said offense has a good day on Thursday as they push towards another NCAA Tournament.

(43) Clemson vs (31) Duke – 7:00 PM

Call it a potential “Loser Leaves Town” match in terms of the NCAA Tournament. Duke are arguably in more dire straits at a game under .500, though they’re in a lot less trouble than they would’ve been had they lost to Maryland last Sunday. The Blue Devils entered that match on the back of an atrocious six game winless streak in the league and very much with their backs against the wall, knowing defeat would push them three games under .500 with five to play. Duke would keep their heads though, getting goals late in the first and early in the second half from Toni Payne and Kelly Cobb before holding off a furious rally attempt by Maryland in the second half. Duke would conceded once but held their ground the rest of the way to walk away with three priceless points on the road. The offense, which was a big worry early, now has multiple goals in three of five and may be coming together a bit after promising much and delivering inconsistently early in the season. The defense continues to be an issue though, as the Blue Devils gave up a whopping ten shots on goal and were bailed out by a strong performance in goal from Meghan Thomas, who was reinstalled as the club’s starting keeper following Ali Kershner being shelled against Boston College. Though Duke didn’t concede multiple goals, they still have conceded in seven straight against powerful ACC attacks. Clemson’s attack isn’t one of the league’s best, but the Tigers are at home and still have enough weapons to cause problems if Duke can’t pull it together. A win gets Duke back to .500, where you figure they’ll stay with NC State and Pittsburgh still to come. A loss puts them two games under .500, where they also would figure to stay with Notre Dame and North Carolina also still to come. Duke’s ACC Tournament fate also hangs in the balance, and three points may be necessary for those hopes not to dim considerably.

Clemson are walking a tightrope right now, but they got a huge win on the road last Sunday against NC State, a match the club absolutely had to have if they wanted to avoid a very tough task to stay at .500 down the line. The Tigers’ task looks a wee bit more doable given current events in the league, with Duke’s defense still creaking, Wake Forest being ravaged by offensive injuries, and Notre Dame slumping, with all three coming to Riggs Field. Whether such a young team can keep it together down the stretch as the pressure mounts remains to be seen, but it’s not like the Tigers haven’t been opening up eyes all season long, especially in the league. 5-2-1 at home thus far, Clemson has looked to turn Riggs Field into a fortress, and that reputation will be boosted further with some wins in the final weeks of the league season. The offense had been in need of a pick-me-up after being shutout twice in succession at Virginia Tech and Virginia and did break that streak against NC State, albeit from the spot through Tabitha Padgett. The club put just six of nineteen shots on goal, a ratio that probably needs to improve if the Tigers are to tame Duke on Thursday. While Clemson should be able to have their chances against a less than airtight Duke defense, they also aren’t going to have the firepower to keep up in all likelihood if this turns into a shootout. Looking back a few weeks ago, most probably had Duke installed as comfortable favorites. But with home advantage and renewed confidence given some of their ACC successes, Clemson will surely be looking to keep the three points at home and take another step towards the postseason.

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