Over the weekend, 32 first round matches in the 2019 NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Championship. The following is a quick run-through of results for notable teams as well as noteworthy upsets. (Did I mention that there were 32 matches played over 3 days?)
Several USA youth internationals and players already with senior USWNT caps and/or call-ups had noteworthy offensive performances, including:
- Sophia Smith (Stanford, eligible for 2020 U-20 WWC): 3 goals, 2 assists versus Prairie View A&M
- 2018 U-20 USWNT’er Penelope Hocking (USC): 4 goals against Cal. State Fullerton
- UNC’s Emily Fox (USWNT capped) scored once against Belmont and had two assists
Two members of Canada’s 2016 Olympic Bronze Medal winning squad scored goals in the weekend’s matches:
- Senior Jessie Fleming, netted the opening goal for UCLA in their 4:1 victory over Lamar University
- Junior Deanne Rose scored a consolation goal in Florida’s 2:4 loss to South Florida (USF)
For full results of the first round matches, as well as box scores and replay video links (if available), check out (and bookmark) the official interactive bracket page at NCAA.com. Or, to see all the results for a specific day, NCAA.com also has a “Scores” section for women’s soccer that has a calendar navigation system.
The tournament continues next weekend, with second and third round matches. Most second round matches will be played on Friday, although there will be two earlier matches on Thursday, due to Brigham Young University (BYU) being one of the teams in their foursome. As a Church of the Latter-Day Saints institution, BYU follows Mormon religious practice of restricting activities on Sundays.
For those not familiar with American college soccer, the NCAA’s rules have some significant variances compared to IFAB’s Laws of the Game and normal league rules. Most notably:
- No added time, although the clock can be stopped for injuries and other delays.
- Additionally, the clock count downs from 45:00 each half, instead of counting up to 45:00 in the first half and then 90:00 in the second half.
- If a match is tied at the end of regulation, golden goal extra time is played, which consists of two 10 minute halves, instead of 15 minutes.
- Also, golden goal overtime is used for all regular season matches, not just tournament knock-out matches.
- No quota limits on substitutions, though there are restrictions on how many times a player can re-enter in a half.
- As in hockey, two players can earn an assist for each goal. This was also the case for the defunct American women’s soccer professional league, the WUSA.
Stanford 15, Prairie View A&M 0
This was one for the record book, as USWNT hopeful (#NaturalizeHerNow) Catarina Macario netted 4 goals and 5 assists, while U-20 USWNT’er Sophia Smith scored a traditional hat-trick and added two assists.
Macario now has 27 goals and 23 assists for the year, for a total of 77 points. This breaks the previous record for points in a year of 65, which was held by Kelley O’Hara. (Stanford’s write-up)
North Carolina 5, Belmont 0
The Tar Heels outclassed Belmont with five unanswered goals, including a brace from English youth international Alessia Russo, as well as a goal from USWNT-capped midfielder Emily Fox and USA youth international Bridgette Andrzejewski.
Virginia 3, Radford 0
All three goals for Virginia were scored and assisted by players with USA youth international experience. Sydney Zandi (2016 U-17 WWC) netted the game-winning goal, while Ashlynn Serepca (over 10 U-18 and U-16 camps) and Alissa Gorzak (several U-18 to U-20 camps) added insurance goals.
Assisting on those efforts were two players from the 2018 U-17 USWNT, forward Diana Ordonez (CONCACAF Women’s U-17 Championship roster) and defender Natalia “Talia” Staude (U-17 WWC roster), as well as dual-national Rebecca Jarrett.
Jarrett, who has attended two U-20 USWNT camps this cycle, has also been in an England U-19 camp this year. Ordonez, who has scored 14 goals so far in her debut season for the Cavaliers, and Staude are also eligible for the 2020 U-20 WWC.
Virginia is without USA youth international goalkeeper Laurel Ivory for the rest of the year due to an injury suffered during the ACC Tournament. (The Daily Progress)
Florida State 2, South Alabama 0
Although she did not get on the scoresheet, Venezuelan international Deyna Castellanos had a few entertaining attempts on goal, attempting a bicycle kick that went just wide left and a long chip over South Alabama’s goalkeeper that landed on top of the net.
However, the heroine of the match for Florida State was redshirt junior forward Kristen McFarland (2012 U-14 ID camp attendee) who scored both of the Seminoles’ goals in Saturday’s match.
UCLA 4, Lamar 1
Canadian international Jessie Fleming scored UCLA’s opening goal right at the 9-minute mark. A 90th minute goal by Lamar’s Lucy Ashworth spoiled the clean sheet for UCLA’s Australian international goalkeeper, Teagan Micah (2019 WWC roster). (UCLA write-up)
Southern California (USC) 5, Cal. State Fullerton 1
After a scoreless first half, sophomore forward Penelope Hocking, who was on the USA’s roster for the 2018 U-20 WWC, scored a true hat-trick in the first 20 minutes of the second half, and then added a fourth goal with eight minutes left. Hocking’s first three goals were all assisted by Alea Hyatt, who also has USA youth camp experience.
Hocking’s four-star performance tied a school record dating back to 1993 and set a post-season record for the USC Trojans. (USC write-up)
Penn State 3, Stony Brook 1
Penn State went into the halftime break down a goal and came out firing, scoring two goals within 50 seconds in the 50th minute (49:07, 49:57), both involving USA youth international Frankie Tagliaferri (2016 U-17 WWC), who scored the equalizer and then assisted on the go-ahead goal from U-23 USWNT’er Sam Coffey (also 2018 CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championship roster).
Redshirt freshman Ally Schlegel, who has netted 12 goals so far this year, assisted on Penn State’s first and second goal.* Born in 2000, Schlegel could see a U-20 camp call-up after the tournament, based on her offensive performance this year. Schlegel has attended over 15 USA youth camps, but has never made an official youth tournament roster, and has not attend a camp since February 2018.
Duke 4, Utah 0
Freshman Emmy Duerr opened up her scoring account for the Blue Devils, scoring her first two goals as the first two goals of the match.
Duke are missing the services of a trio of players with USA youth camp experience due to injuries: Freshman midfielder Sophie Jones (almost guaranteed to make an official U-20 tournament roster this cycle if healthy), Sophomore midfielder Sydney Simmons (one U-20 camp call-up this cycle), and senior Mia Gyau (2013 CONCACAF Women’s U-17 Championship).
Santa Clara 1, California 0 (a.e.t.)
Separated by just 40 miles, familiar foes Santa Clara and California (Berkeley) once again faced each other. In the first half, Cal was the more dangerous side, rattling the crossbar once and forcing senior goalkeeper Sophie Whitehouse to make a diving save on a hard-hit shot.
In the second half, host Santa Clara asserted itself offensively, but was unable to find a breakthrough. After a scoreless ninety minutes, Santa Clara kicked off to start the first overtime period and immediately pressed toward Cal’s goal. After being forced back, Santa Clara won the ball in midfield and junior Julie Doyle, who has attended over a dozen USA youth camps, dribbled furiously before unleashing a power shot from just outside the box.
(The onscreen clock did not start for at least 10-15 seconds after kickoff.)
South Florida 4, U. of Florida 2
Canadian national team hopeful Evelyne Viens continues to set school records, this time by netting her fourth career hat trick and breaking the single-season goal record, which she set last year. Viens now sits at 23 goals for the season and 73 goals in her four-year career at USF. (USF write-up)
Viens, who hails from Quebec, has never been called into a Canadian national team camp at any age level. (Tampa Bay Times profile on Viens)
UPSET: Rutgers 0, Central Connecticut State 1
With less than two minutes to go in normal time, CCSU’s Erica Bardes shocked #4 seed Rutgers when her long cross-shot from the left flank looped over the outstretched arms of Rutgers’ goalkeeper, Meagan McClelland (2016 U-17 USWNT member) and into the back of the net for the only score of the match. (CCSU write-up)
Given the spin of the ball, it is possible that the defender challenging Bardes deflected the cross.
Rutgers and CCSU were already familiar with each other, as they started their 2019 seasons playing each other in a non-conference match, which was also hosted at Yurcak Field. CCSU scored first, in the 12th minute, and held the lead for almost an hour, until Amirah Ali (several U-18 and U-19 USWNT camps) converted from the penalty spot. Ali then scored the golden goal game-winner six minutes into extra time. (Rutgers write-up for the regular season match).
UPSET: Virginia Tech 0, Xavier 1
It only took 77 seconds for Xavier, via the foot of Molly McLaughlin, to take a shock lead over ACC host Virginia Tech. The visiting Musketeers then went on to hold Virginia Tech scoreless for the next 88 minutes.
Notre Dame 1, Saint Louis 0
In the final match of the first round, freshman USA youth international Kalyssa “Kiki” Van Zanten (several U-17 camps during the 2018 cycle, 2016 CONCACAF Women’s U-15 Championship roster) knocked home the game-winner in a scramble off a craftily struck lofted corner kick that sailed over the hands of the opposing goalkeeper.
Kiki Van Zanten also has a younger sister, Amelia, who was called into a U-15 camp this year and is eligible for the 2022 U-17 WWC.
West Virginia 2, Georgetown 0
Hofstra 1, Loyola Chicago 0 (a.e.t.)
Hofstra wins in extra time, off a golden goal from Sabrina Bryan.
Women's Soccer Express 