A quick round-up of the available highlights for the “Sweet Sixteen” Third Round matches in the 2019 NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Championship.
Matches are in chronological order:
- #2 BYU blanks NC State 3-nil
- #1 Florida State with a 2:1 comeback win over South Florida, Castellanos with the game-winner
- #1 North Carolina dominates Michigan 4-nil
- #2 South Carolina gets past Kansas 2-nil
- #1 Stanford scores twice on #4 Penn State, off Macario and Doms goals
- #2 Southern California slips past Santa Clara 1-nil
- Washington State defeats West Virginia 3-nil
- #2 UCLA takes out #3 Wisconsin; Fishel and Villacorta score
But first, a look ahead…
Next weekend’s Quarterfinal matches, to be played on November 29th (NCAA.com):
- QF1 – #1 Florida State vs. #2 UCLA – 2:00 p.m. EST
- QF2 – #1 Stanford vs. #2 BYU – 6:00 p.m. EST
- QF3– #1 North Carolina vs. #2 Southern California – 6:00 p.m. EST
- QF4 – #2 South Carolina vs. Washington State – 6:00 p.m. EST
The winners of these matches will advance to the College Cup. Semifinal matches will be played on Friday, December 6th. The semifinal match-ups will be QF1 winner vs. QF2 winner and QF3 winner vs. QF4 winner.
The Championship match is scheduled for Sunday, December 8th. (Though, it could be moved to Monday if BYU is one of the two finalists.)
#2 BYU 3, NC State 0
In Saturday’s lone game, BYU needed just 12 minutes to score the game-winner, thanks in part to a defensive error of NC State’s backline not managing the offside line. Cameron Tucker scored that game-winner off of a Mikayla Colohan header assist.
Twenty minutes later, Josie Guinn added an insurance goal from the left edge of the box. A few minutes into the second half, Tucker capped off her night by following up on a loose ball in the box, then calmly turning and sending a grounder into the net. (BYU recap)
Up next for BYU: #1 Stanford
#1 Florida State 2, South Florida 1
After being down a goal five minutes into the match, Florida State lives to fight another day on a goal from USA youth international Jaelin Howell in the final minute of the first half and a game-winning penalty kick in the second half by Venezuelan international Deyna Castellanos.
South Florida’s lone goal featured a highlight-worthy pass between multiple Florida State defenders by Katie Kitching and a confident conversion by Aubrey Megrath. Carolyne Viens was limited to just one shot, which was not on goal. (FSU recap)
Next up for Florida State: UCLA
#1 North Carolina 4, Michigan 0
Freshman Isabel Cox scored twice for UNC, with each goal coming about five minutes into each half. Both goals were on fast breaks, and both were assisted by English youth international Alessia Russo. In the first half, another England youth international, Lotte Wubben-Moy had a penalty kick saved, but Wubben-Moy converted on the rebound. USA youth international Zoe Redei added UNC’s final goal. USWNT-capped Emily Fox had secondary assists on UNC’s first and fourth goals. (UNC recap)
Next up for North Carolina: Southern California
#2 South Carolina 2, #3 Kansas 0
After a scoreless sixty-plus minutes, South Carolina took the lead on a Grace Chang free kick that was headed home by Grace Fisk.
Riley Tanner added a second goal, following a penetrating dribble where she into the six-yard box. Tanner’s shot trickled into the far post after Kansas ‘keeper Sarah Peters could only deflect Tanner’s shot.
Tanner has a goal in each of South Carolina’s NCAA tournament matches so far this year, including the game-winner is Friday’s 1:0 win over Notre Dame.
South Carolina’s Elexa Bahr also had a shot off the far post that rebounded straight to the goalkeeper. (South Carolina recap)
Next up for South Carolina: Washington State
#1 Stanford 2, #4 Penn State 0
After almost thirty scoreless minutes where Stanford had the majority of possession, USWNT hopeful Catarina Macario opened up the scoring with a curving blast from about 23 yards out.
In the second half, Stanford got an insurance goal from Maya Doms when her soft line drive from outside the box was deflected by a Penn State defender past a helpless Amanda Dennis. (Stanford recap)
Next up for Stanford: BYU
#2 Southern California 1, Santa Clara 0
The lone goal of the match was a stunner: A one-time volley – off a headed clearance from a corner kick – by USC defender Natalie Ward.
Ward is a graduate student ‘transfer’ from Notre Dame, where she played for three seasons with the Fighting Irish before sitting out her final year due to an injury. (USC recap)
Next up for Southern California: #1 North Carolina
Washington State 3, West Virginia 0
Fourteen minutes into the match, Makamae Gomera-Stevens pounced on a loose ball from a mishandled WVU pass and launched a hard shot to the right upper ninety. Morgan Weaver added a pair of insurance goals in the second half. (WSU recap)
Next up for Washington State: South Carolina
#2 UCLA 2, #3 Wisconsin 0
After a scoreless first half, freshman Mia Fishel fought off two Badgers to knock home the game’s opening goal, just a few minutes after the second half whistle. Less than five minutes later, 2018 U-20 USWNT’er Viviana Villacorta doubled UCLA’s lead with a hard-hit left-footed free kick (UCLA recap).
Next up for UCLA: #1 Florida State
Highlights from Previous Rounds:
Women's Soccer Express 