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PWHL Unveils All-New Uniforms Forward of 2024/25 Season

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November 9, 2024

PWHL Unveils All-New Uniforms Forward of 2024/25 Season

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After a record-setting season, the 2024 NWSL Playoffs have landed, with the expanded eight-team lineup kicking off the weekend’s do-or-die quarterfinals with a clean slate.

No. 1 Orlando, whose Shield-winning year ended in a skid, begins the postseason action on Friday, hosting a No. 8 Chicago side that just barely made the postseason cut. The Pride will notably do so without defender Rafaelle, who landed on the season-ending injury list with a partial quad tendon tear on Tuesday.

Adding another hurdle to Chicago’s gargantuan Orlando task is the fact that the Red Stars will be without some key firepower. Striker Ludmila, the club’s third-most prolific goal scorer on the season, is serving an extended red card suspension that will keep her sidelined through the semifinals, should the Red Stars advance.

After finishing last season second-to-last on the NWSL table, No. 4 Kansas City earned quarterfinal hosting rights this year. The Current, who scored a league-record 57 goals this season, haven’t lost since September 1st, when they fell to the No. 5 North Carolina Courage — the same team they’ll face on Saturday.

The biggest question-mark for the Current, however, is the status of 2024 Golden Boot winner Temwa Chawinga, who was sidelined last weekend after a knock to the knee.

“She’s progressing well,” KC coach Vlatko Andonovski said of Chawinga’s status on Wednesday. “Hopefully, we have more answers closer to the game.”

That said, Andonovski made it clear that expectations won’t change regardless of Chawinga’s availability. Pointed to KC’s 3-1 win over Chicago last Sunday, he noted that while “the success that this team has enjoyed this season is a team success, and it’s not just the 20 goals that Temwa scored.”

2023 champs Gotham will host Portland in the NWSL Playoffs’ last quarterfinal on Sunday. (Rich Barnes/Imagn Images)

Sunday doubleheader will finalize NWSL semis

This Sunday afternoon is all about the NWSL, beginning when No. 7 Bay FC, the winningest expansion team in league history, head to DC to play a No. 2 Spirit squad still bouncing back from injuries.

While Washington has star forward Trinity Rodman and defender Casey Krueger back on the pitch, they’ll be without midfielder Andi Sullivan, who suffered a season-ending ACL tear last month. Also missing will be forward Rosemonde Kouassi as she finishes serving her extended red card suspension.

To cap things off, defending champs No. 3 Gotham FC will host perennial contenders Portland. The Thorns snagged their lowest postseason seeding ever at No. 6 after a shaky season put their now eight-straight playoffs streak at risk.

Even so, Portland could be poised to surprise a Gotham side that boasts one of the best defenses in the league. The Thorns’ final regular-season match displayed their best attacking performance in NWSL play since May, with prolific scorers Christine Sinclair, Sophia Smith, and Morgan Weaver all finding the back of the net.

Despite missing the last third of the season, Spirit midfielder Croix Bethune is the likely Rookie of the Year. (Soobum Im/Getty Images)

NWSL MVP, Rookie of the Year awards come into focus

As the season ends, the NWSL’s individual award frontrunners are emerging — and none more so than KC’s Chawinga. The Kansas City striker is poised to run away with the league’s MVP honors thanks to her speed, technical skill, and record-breaking 20 goals on the season.

Though Orlando’s Barbra Banda made her MVP case by keeping pace with Chawinga in the season’s first half, she quieted after the Olympics while Chawinga upheld her unbelievable consistency, blasting eight more goals across nine post-break matches.

Instead, the Pride could likely see Coach of the Year honors after Seb Hines led the Shield-winners on a record-breaking 23-match unbeaten streak this season.

In the Rookie of the Year race, the NWSL’s 2024 class impressed, from Louisville ringer Emma Sears to KC defensive midfielder Claire Hutton to Washington’s absolutely stacked group of six debutants.

That said, Spirit midfielder Croix Bethune tops the competition with five goals and a record-tying 10 assists, despite playing in just 17 matches before a torn meniscus ended her season.

How to watch the 2024 NWSL Playoffs this weekend

Orlando and Chicago kick off at 8 PM ET on Friday, live on Prime, with KC battling NC on Saturday at 12 PM ET on CBS.

On Sunday, Washington hosts Bay FC at 12:30 PM ET before Portland visits Gotham at 3 PM ET, with live coverage on ABC.

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NCAA: Why isn’t Ashten Prechtel within the WNBA?

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November 8, 2024

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NCAA: Why isn’t Ashten Prechtel within the WNBA?

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6-foot-5 Philadelphia native Ashten Prechtel has overcome a lot of things in her career. (And during her chat with Swish Appeal, we had to overcome a power outage, hence the division into two parts.) Despite the gloomy weather, we talked about positive things, like Prechtel winning the 2021 NCAA national championship with Stanford and being selected No. 34 overall in the 2023 WNBA Draft by the Connecticut Sun.

We also discussed more details for her basketball journey so far, including her end goal of appearing in the WNBA. Highlights from the talk include:

On why, despite being one of the tallest players, she always worked on her dribbling and long-distance shooting:

I would say it was mostly from the fact that I didn’t like when coaches would see that I was tall and only let me play the post. So I was kind of like, in a sense, wanted to rebel against that. And so that’s why I started shooting. And then I also had a club coach who wanted us to be able to play all positions, and so he also really helped me work on my dribbling and my shooting and I think that’s where it started.

On why her minutes per game at Stanford were the highest in her freshman year:

I don’t really know. It wasn’t up to me. Obviously if it was, I would play as much as I could. I was really grateful for the opportunity my freshman year to get a lot of minutes just because some of the older players, they were dealing with injuries and stuff like that. And so as freshmen, we got a lot of experience early on and I think that really carried over into my sophomore year. So we ended up winning the national championship and then, after that I mean, it was never up to me, it was just a matter of the coach’s choices. We had 17 people on our roster my junior year. And so there’s a lot more rotations and stuff like that.

A special thank you to Jeanne McNulty-King of 2X Inc. for arranging the interview.

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Expanded eight-team NWSL Playoffs kick off in Orlando, Florida

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November 8, 2024

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Expanded eight-team NWSL Playoffs kick off in Orlando, Florida

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The GIST: The NWSL’s newly expanded eight-team playoffs is finally here, with quarter-final action kicking off tonight from Orlando. No time to waste — here’s what to expect from each match.

No. 8 seed Chicago Red Stars vs. No. 1 seed Orlando Pride — Tonight at 8 p.m. ET: Marta’s Pride were the team to beat all season long, conceding just two games and clinching the NWSL Shield (awarded to the best regular-season squad). But recent injuries have left this top-seed vulnerable. Can the recently struggling Red Stars pull off the ultimate upset?

No. 5 seed North Carolina Courage vs. No. 4 seed Kansas City Current — Tomorrow at 12 p.m. ET: CPKC Stadium, the world’s first soccer venue built exclusively for a pro women’s team, will host their first (but not last) playoff game tomorrow, bolstering the Current’s already soaring chances for a dub.

However, KC, who led the league in scoring this season, may be without their sharpest weapon: injured Golden Boot winner Temwa Chawinga. Plus, the Current’s last loss on September 1st came at the ~~hands~~ feet of the middling Courage. Spicy.

No. 7 seed Bay FC vs. No. 2 seed Washington Spirit — Sunday at 12:30 p.m. ET: Expansion team Bay FC threw down a statement win last week to earn their playoff berth and are riding some serious momentum thanks to forward Racheal Kundananji’s recent form.

No. 6 seed Portland Thorns vs. No. 3 seed NJ/NY Gotham FC — Sunday at 3 p.m. ET: Once an underdog and now a superteam, defending champs Gotham and leading goal-scorer Esther González are riding high, making this matchup against Christine Sinclair’s Thorns the quarter-final to watch. With her retirement imminent, every game could be Sincy’s last — pass the tissues and pop the corn.

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NCAAW: UConn totally dominant towards Boston College

Basketball

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November 8, 2024

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NCAAW: UConn totally dominant towards Boston College

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The result was never in question, but No. 2 UConn played against Boston University with a level of poise and focus that reminds us why they are national title contenders. On Thursday, they collected their first win of the year, beating BU 86-32.

Every Husky scored, with freshman Sarah Strong and redshirt freshman Jana El Alfy leading the way with 17 points each. Paige Bueckers was demonstrative in her 24 minutes of play, with 13 points, seven assists, five steals and one block.

How the Huskies dominated

The opening quarter began with an 11-0 run by UConn, which Sisi Bentley of BU ended with a layup. This was the closest the Terriers ever got to the Huskies. UConn went on a tear after that basket, at one point leading 26-2.

One of the biggest highlights during this stretch was a monster block by Bueckers, who led UConn in rejections last season.

After one quarter of play, UConn was up 31-6. The rest of the first half was more of the same. Head coach Geno Auriemma didn’t allow his starters to let up, as they began the second quarter on an 11-2 run.

Kaitlyn Chen, the graduate transfer from Princeton, had a solid debut. She distributed the ball well, had five assists and scored four points. The combination of her and Bueckers in the backcourt will be a headache for most teams.

At the break, UConn was up 60-13, and the contest was all but over. The Huskies did let go of the rope a bit in the third quarter, only winning the period 12-9, but rotations also started to go beyond the players who will typically play in competitive games.

The fourth was essentially garbage time, and most of the main players didn’t touch the floor. Due to the margin, this game felt more like a preseason game than a regular season one. El Alfy scored the game’s last points at the 1:02 mark, and the final 60 seconds was unserious basketball.

Closing thoughts

There is not much to learn from this one. UConn is better, and they showed it in the first half. You can just about throw away all the tape from the second half, as it indicates nothing about where this team is going and the weaknesses they might have. It’s a good start for Huskies, and while they likely want to foul less moving forward, everything else was as good as advertised and expected.

Next. UConn will take on South Florida on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. ET.

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Quarterfinals Preview and Methods to Watch

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November 8, 2024

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Quarterfinals Preview and Methods to Watch

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After a record-setting season, the 2024 NWSL Playoffs have landed, with the expanded eight-team lineup kicking off the weekend’s do-or-die quarterfinals with a clean slate.

No. 1 Orlando, whose Shield-winning year ended in a skid, begins the postseason action on Friday, hosting a No. 8 Chicago side that just barely made the postseason cut. The Pride will notably do so without defender Rafaelle, who landed on the season-ending injury list with a partial quad tendon tear on Tuesday.

Adding another hurdle to Chicago’s gargantuan Orlando task is the fact that the Red Stars will be without some key firepower. Striker Ludmila, the club’s third-most prolific goal scorer on the season, is serving an extended red card suspension that will keep her sidelined through the semifinals, should the Red Stars advance.

After finishing last season second-to-last on the NWSL table, No. 4 Kansas City earned quarterfinal hosting rights this year. The Current, who scored a league-record 57 goals this season, haven’t lost since September 1st, when they fell to the No. 5 North Carolina Courage — the same team they’ll face on Saturday.

The biggest question-mark for the Current, however, is the status of 2024 Golden Boot winner Temwa Chawinga, who was sidelined last weekend after a knock to the knee.

“She’s progressing well,” KC coach Vlatko Andonovski said of Chawinga’s status on Wednesday. “Hopefully, we have more answers closer to the game.”

That said, Andonovski made it clear that expectations won’t change regardless of Chawinga’s availability. Pointed to KC’s 3-1 win over Chicago last Sunday, he noted that while “the success that this team has enjoyed this season is a team success, and it’s not just the 20 goals that Temwa scored.”

2023 champs Gotham will host Portland in the NWSL Playoffs’ last quarterfinal on Sunday. (Rich Barnes/Imagn Images)

Sunday doubleheader will finalize NWSL semis

This Sunday afternoon is all about the NWSL, beginning when No. 7 Bay FC, the winningest expansion team in league history, head to DC to play a No. 2 Spirit squad still bouncing back from injuries.

While Washington has star forward Trinity Rodman and defender Casey Krueger back on the pitch, they’ll be without midfielder Andi Sullivan, who suffered a season-ending ACL tear last month. Also missing will be forward Rosemonde Kouassi as she finishes serving her extended red card suspension.

To cap things off, defending champs No. 3 Gotham FC will host perennial contenders Portland. The Thorns snagged their lowest postseason seeding ever at No. 6 after a shaky season put their now eight-straight playoffs streak at risk.

Even so, Portland could be poised to surprise a Gotham side that boasts one of the best defenses in the league. The Thorns’ final regular-season match displayed their best attacking performance in NWSL play since May, with prolific scorers Christine Sinclair, Sophia Smith, and Morgan Weaver all finding the back of the net.

Despite missing the last third of the season, Spirit midfielder Croix Bethune is the likely Rookie of the Year. (Soobum Im/Getty Images)

NWSL MVP, Rookie of the Year awards come into focus

As the season ends, the NWSL’s individual award frontrunners are emerging — and none more so than KC’s Chawinga. The Kansas City striker is poised to run away with the league’s MVP honors thanks to her speed, technical skill, and record-breaking 20 goals on the season.

Though Orlando’s Barbra Banda made her MVP case by keeping pace with Chawinga in the season’s first half, she quieted after the Olympics while Chawinga upheld her unbelievable consistency, blasting eight more goals across nine post-break matches.

Instead, the Pride could likely see Coach of the Year honors after Seb Hines led the Shield-winners on a record-breaking 23-match unbeaten streak this season.

In the Rookie of the Year race, the NWSL’s 2024 class impressed, from Louisville ringer Emma Sears to KC defensive midfielder Claire Hutton to Washington’s absolutely stacked group of six debutants.

That said, Spirit midfielder Croix Bethune tops the competition with five goals and a record-tying 10 assists, despite playing in just 17 matches before a torn meniscus ended her season.

How to watch the 2024 NWSL Playoffs this weekend

Orlando and Chicago kick off at 8 PM ET on Friday, live on Prime, with KC battling NC on Saturday at 12 PM ET on CBS.

On Sunday, Washington hosts Bay FC at 12:30 PM ET before Portland visits Gotham at 3 PM ET, with live coverage on ABC.

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NCAAW: Takeaways from Kentucky’s first win of the Kenny Brooks technology

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November 8, 2024

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NCAAW: Takeaways from Kentucky’s first win of the Kenny Brooks technology

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Kentucky’s Kenny Brooks era began on Monday with a dominant win against South Carolina Upstate. The final score was 98-43, and there were a few big takeaways that could be an indication of how this season will go for the Wildcats.

The Clara Towers could be a problem

Clara Silva and Clara Strack make up one of the tallest front courts in all of college basketball. At 6-foot-7 and 6-foot-5 respectively, both Claras absolutely had their way on the defensive end against SC Upstate. The sophomore Strack finished with a game-high 22 points on 7-for-11 shooting and 8-for-9 from the free throw line. Silva, a freshman, came off the bench and was 6-for-6 from the field and finished with six blocks. Their presence down low made any shot in the paint almost impossible for SC Upstate

As for offense, both Claras were a big part of the offense, Kentucky often threw the ball into them at the mid-post and let them go to work. Both Silva and Strack have good low-post footwork and were comfortable turning over their shoulder for fading jumpers. Perhaps the most important part of these possessions is the spacing the Wildcats were able to create, oftentimes having one of the guards clear out the strong side corner, giving them more space to operate.

Strack, like two-time First Team All-ACC selection Georgia Amoore, is a Virginia Tech transfer. It’s only one game, but it is looking like Strack could be the next Liz Kitley, operating as the frontcourt offensive centerpiece for Brooks. With Silva being one of the taller players in the conference, it’s possible she could lead the SEC in blocks this season.

Length is Key

It’s hard to gauge how effective players like Amoore and senior Cassidy Rowe can be this season, but it’s clear that the Wildcats are going to surround their smaller guards with ridiculous length at every position. What really stood out from their win against SC Upstate is how important versatile wings like Teonni Key, a junior who transferred from North Carolina, will be for this Wildcats’ defense. Key finished with a steal and three blocks in the game. Leaning on experienced players like redshirt senior Dazia Lawrence, who played four seasons for Charlotte, will be crucial as well. In the first half, Lawrence showed great defensive instincts, anticipating and jumping a pindown action to get a steal and easy points on the other end.

How will the offense look?

One of the most interesting developments of the Wildcats’ season opener was the difference in offensive efficiency when SC Upstate was in man versus zone. There was a stretch in the first half where the Wildcats went on a 17-2 run. The Spartans went zone and the Wildcats scored only four points in the final four minutes of the first half.

It’s important to emphasize that there will be growing pains in the first month of the season; however, this defensive change not only took away the Wildcats’ pick-and-roll because the Spartans were switching, but it also forced Strack to catch the ball further away from the basket. This Wildcats team lacks quality outside shooting, which could be a concern as they get closer to conference play. Crashing the glass and getting points inside will be crucial, while also unlocking Amoore’s playmaking.

There was a play during that four minute stretch where Kentucky missed the chance to run Amoore off a flare screen. Not only was the screen never set, but Amoore drifted away from the screen and closer to the action of the play, which killed the spacing. It’s only one play, but I wonder if the Wildcats will explore running Amoore off-ball to unlock some more creativity in their halfcourt offense.

Overall, the Wildcats had a very impressive showing on opening night, and if this game was any indication of what the Kenny Brooks era will look like in Kentucky, then the Wildcats are in for a good season

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Very best-of-five MLB Department Sequence ship down-to-the-wire thrillers

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November 8, 2024

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Very best-of-five MLB Department Sequence ship down-to-the-wire thrillers

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The GIST: Rally pumpkins at the ready — the best-of-five National League (NL) Division Series Game 2s are in the books, with the American League (AL) Game 2s on deck tonight. Nothing like October baseball.

NL No. 2 Philadelphia Phillies walk off the No. 6 NY Mets to even the series: Call an ambulance, but not for them — after the Mets used a five-run, eighth-inning outburst to win 6–2 on Saturday, the Phillies came out on top 7–6 in yesterday’s back-and-forth battle, lifted by a walk-off single from Nick Castellanos. No telling what could happen in tomorrow’s 5:08 p.m. ET Game 3.

NL No. 4 San Diego Padres blast franchise-record six home runs to tie series vs. No. 1 LA Dodgers: After Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani and Co. won Game 1 7–5, the Dads showed their strength last night, overcoming an unruly LA crowd to win Game 2 10–2. The bats are alive, and the blood is boiling — Game 3 goes down tomorrow at 9:08 p.m. ET.

AL No. 6 Detroit Tigers swinging to level series against No. 2 Cleveland Guardians: Fresh off a first-round bye, the Guards looked plenty rested in their explosive 7–0 Game 1 blanking of the Tigers on Saturday. Detroit will counter with ace and Cy Young favorite Tarik Skubal and his AL regular-season best 2.39 ERA today at 4:08 p.m. ET.

AL No. 5 Kansas City Royals and No. 1 NY Yankees meet again after tight Game 1: Aided by a controversial review call and some timely hitting, the Yanks claimed Game 1 6–5 on Saturday. Now it’ll be up to top KC hurler Cole Ragans to silence the Bronx Bombers’ bats in hopes of evening the series tonight at 7:38 p.m. ET. Easier said than done.

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NCAAW: Iowa kicks off post-Caitlin Clark generation with 91-73 win over NIU

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November 7, 2024

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NCAAW: Iowa kicks off post-Caitlin Clark generation with 91-73 win over NIU

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The Iowa Hawkeyes began the post-Caitlin Clark era with a 91-73 decisive win over the visiting Northern Illinois Huskies. The win also marked the first under the leadership of new head coach Jan Jensen.

After a sluggish first quarter and 15-14 lead, the Hawkeyes surged in the second quarter as they outscored the Huskies 30-20 thanks to uptempo play and sharp shooting. From there, they were on their way to victory. Even though they could have easily defeated the Huskies by 30 points, the signs were there of a team in search of an identity, with a lot of newcomers plus a few notable returners. Jensen said after the game:

We are really young. There are just six of them that are brand new to our system and eight returners, but really only seven returners and the key cog of our wheel is Syd Affolter. Syd steadies a lot of waters. When I am in the game and I’m thinking, “Wow we need to stretch it, it needs to be bigger.” Then, when I put my hat of improvement on, it is probably going to look like that at times.

Affolter was out due to her recovery from a knee injury, and her return date remains unknown. Among the returners, Kylie Feuerbach, Taylor McCabe, Hannah Stuelke and Addison O’Grady put up great numbers. Feuerbach finished with 14 points, nine rebounds, six steals and five assists. She made a career-high five 3-pointers. McCabe finished with 11 points, including three 3-pointers. Stuelke came back after an apparent injury at the end of the first quarter to notch 11 points and six rebounds. O’Grady shot 83 percent from the field as she scored 12 points and grabbed three rebounds. Freshman Teagan Mallegni finished with 14 points. The Hawkeyes converted on 70 percent of their field goals and 50 percent on 3-pointers.

The win was the first in an Iowa uniform for former Villianova standout Lucy Olsen. She finished with a game-high 19 points, seven assists and three rebounds. The energy from a big crowd was something she fed off of, a contrast from her days at Villanova. After the game, she noted:

The energy you can definitely feel it. It’s loud in there. I don’t think I’ll get used to running out of the tunnel. I’m looking around like, “Wow, there’s a lot of people here.” I’m trying to take it all in, the season goes so fast.

Iowa (1-0) will take on Virginia Tech (1-0) on Sunday, Nov. 10 at 5:30 p.m. ET.

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Coaches Say the Darndest Issues

Lacrosse

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November 7, 2024

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I’m 11 weeks into college football coverage. It’s a yearly refresher after seven months of college and PLL coverage. Full immersion in football has me watching film, press conferences, practices, walk-throughs and meeting with players and coaches on the road to game-day. My dad was a high school football coach on Long Island at Oceanside HS and I grew up on the sideline and then played, so I love the assignment. This week I’m covering Clemson at Virginia Tech on Saturday at 3:30pm on ESPN.

I’ve selected some nuggets and quotes from coaches and players that have a direct correlation to the sport of lacrosse. You’ll find a quote and my reaction / explanation when applicable. Some of the quotes are self-explanatory.

E + R = O

I’m not sure who said it. Although I’ve heard it more than once this fall. The equation maps out to mean (Event plus Response equals an Outcome). The only thing we can control is the response. The R. We don’t control the event. It’s your response that matters and determines the outcome.

Coach Prime – Colorado

I’ve been to Colorado three times this fall and six since Deion Sanders aka Coach Prime was hired.

“Don’t believe the hype.”

“Every game we play has big implications.”

I was never aligned with UVA coach Dom Starsia’s philosophy of “no big games”. Every game is a big game was my mindset. You get so few opportunities to compete for the massive amount of preparation that you invest. If you’re not excited to play every Saturday, regardless of who you are playing, you’re in the wrong line of work. Gameday is your day to shine – the excitement level should have nothing to do with who you are facing.

“We don’t talk about tomorrow – it’s about today.”

Coach Prime sounding like Apollo Creed from Rocky III in 1982. “There is no tomorrow!” I love that scene that begs Rocky to train harder right now.

Travis Hunter – Colorado WR & CB to his coach Buffalo OC Pat Shurmur

“Next time #17 covers me…throw me a slant.”

Player to coach in-game communication and trust are critical to team success. In game adjustments are best when mutually formulated and implemented. See something, say something. Use your timeouts and halftimes to discuss what you’re seeing, feeling and how you can better attack or defend. Talk about it.

Pat Shurmur – Colorado OC

“Try to simplify the complicated, and don’t over complicate the simple. Common sense football is Simplexity.”

Same goes for lacrosse.

Pat Shurmur – Colorado OC

“Offense is about 4 things: 1) matchup’s, 2) creating space, 3) taking advantage of leverage and, 4) creating a numbers advantage in an area.”

That’s identical to offensive lacrosse. PLL All-Pro Grant Ament joined me on the Quintessential Podcast a week ago and we spoke about his offensive mindset in this era of positionless lacrosse.

Brian Kelly – LSU HC

“One commodity you want is to be a closer.”

Train and practice to be a closer – a finisher – a player who thrives in the final 15 minutes or overtime.

Brad Glenn – Cincinnati OC

“You beat press coverage by breaking the tape. Exploding through or around the press corner with body lean like a sprinter breaking the tape at the end of a race.”

This is equivalent to being a dodger with the ball and defeating man-to-man defense. Body lean and posture are critical. Deception gives you an edge. Those that dance or stand upright or dodge upright have no chance.

Bobby Petrino – Arkansas OC

“Keep running it until they stop it.”

Travis Williams – Arkansas DC

“We refuse to throw in the towel.”

Defense will always be about relentless energy.

Pete Golding – Ole Miss DC

“The only thing a defense can control is getting off the field.”

Defense majors in the solutions business. Don’t waste time bemoaning your circumstances. Make the next stop. And then do it again.

Dawson Odums – Norfolk State HC

“Somebody gave you stars. I want stats, not stars.”

Recruiting hype is rat poison. Once on campus your high school recruiting stars are meaningless.

James Colzie – FAMU HC

“Nobody won our talent show. The players are spending too much time on Tik Tok.”

Put your phone down and participate in the real world. Find a hobby or beneficial diversion from academics and lacrosse. Social media is never the yellow brick road to positive mental health.

Steve Sarkisian – Texas HC

“Be enamored with us.”

Worry less about the opponent and more about yourself. Focus on your position group, your unit and your side of the ball. Don’t get in the comparison game with other players and teams.

“We are entitled to nothing.”

Sports are a meritocracy. In 2025, the D1 landscape has more parity than ever. You will receive what is earned, not given.

Mike Norvell – Florida State HC

“We have to execute in the moment.”

There’s a difference between executing during practice and then in games. There is a difference between the first and fourth quarters. Train physically and mentally to perform at crunch time. And then seize the moment with confidence.

“Belief is unchanged by circumstance. ”This is very important. Don’t let the scoreboard or your win-loss record be your belief barometer.

Lane Kiffin – Ole Miss HC

“Kids are changing, fewer truly love the game. They’re living on their phones and social media.”

The challenge for teachers and coaches and parents has never been more difficult. This generation of teens is clearly addicted to their devices. It’s impacting the athlete experience from all angles.

Cade Klubnik – Clemson QB

“It’s hard to be a leader in hard times. Do you want to fit in? Or stand out?”

True leaders could care less about popularity.

Taylen Green – Arkansas QB on leadership

“You must display strong actions before opening your mouth.”

Live it first. Then demand the identical standard from others.

Taylen on the portal: “ The transfer portal creates teams that resemble trail mix with different ingredients.”

While lacrosse isn’t as portal heavy as college football or basketball, there are high ranking teams that have to assimilate more than a half dozen new faces. Maryland and Duke are two squads to watch this spring as they welcome impact transfers.

Tim Polasek – North Dakota State HC

“How are you willing to lose?”

When developing game plans, coaches should ask themselves two fundamental questions. 1) How can we win this game? 2) How are you willing to lose it?

Jake Landry – NDSU OC

“Get brilliant at the basics.”

Virginia lacrosse used a similar mantra in recent seasons under coach Lars Tiffany. The Cavaliers use their Friday pregame practice to entirely work on fundamentals. It fundamental Friday in Charlottesville weekly.

Dabo Swinney – Clemson HC

“Good teams win at home, great teams win on the road.”

Dabo didn’t invent that saying. It goes way back and still rings true. Winning on the road is hard and it’s never been more difficult than it is right now at the D1 men’s level.

RJ Mickens – Clemson Safety

“Learn to trust the people that have trusted you.”

This one I like. Because I remember as a freshman college goalie being hesitant to make changes or adjustments to my fundamentals, playing style or training calendar based on selfish, and arrogant stubbornness. During my freshman fall ball at Johns Hopkins, the coaches asked me to tweek / change my stance and stick positioning. I struggled to immediately adapt and conform. Internally I fought it, instead of trusting my coaches and the professionals who were hired with one goal in mind – to improve athlete performance. A few months later, after I had made the subtle change, I realized they were unequivocally correct. The lesson was to trust those who have your back.

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Coco Gauff Stuns Iga Świątek at 2024 WTA Finals

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November 7, 2024

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Coco Gauff Stuns Iga Świątek at 2024 WTA Finals

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With college soccer’s regular season officially in the books, DI teams around the country are now competing for conference tournament titles and the NCAA championship bids they guarantee.

Each of Division I’s 30 conferences automatically send their tournament winner to the NCAA championship pool, with the rest of the 64-team national bracket decided by the governing body’s selection committee by Monday afternoon.

The toughest tickets to grab are in the Power Four conferences, which currently house 20 of the Top 25 ranked teams while fresh faces breathe new drama into some established title contests.

No. 1 Duke will face No. 8 UNC in Thurday’s ACC tournament semifinals. (Andy Mead/YCJ via Duke Athletics)

Duke soccer still dominating the ACC

With just one loss on the season, No. 1 Duke has dominated the college soccer field this year, outscoring opponents 53-10 to enter the postseason on a 15-match unbeaten streak.

Even more, the Blue Devils have done so in arguably the sport’s toughest conference. A full seven of the country’s Top-14 teams compete in the ACC.

Duke’s journey to a first-ever College Cup title begins with Thursday’s ACC tournament semifinals, where the Blue Devils will take on in-state rival and 21-time NCAA champs No. 8 UNC at 8 PM ET, with live coverage on ACCN.

If they can beat the Tar Heels for the third time this season, they’ll face either defending national champion No. 6 Florida State or No. 3 Wake Forest in Sunday’s tournament final.

No. 2 Mississippi State celebrates their historic college NCAA soccer season. — No. 2 Mississippi State has a chance to win their first-ever SEC tournament this week. (Mississippi State Athletics)

SEC sees newcomers stir the college soccer pot

Like Duke in the ACC, No. 2 Mississippi State put together a historic season, scoring their highest-ever program ranking by tearing through the SEC on their way to a one-loss regular-season finish.

While the SEC isn’t quite as strong as the ACC, the top teams are well matched. Mississippi State defeated all three of the other ranked teams still in the SEC tournament — No. 5 Arkansas, No. 14 South Carolina, and No. 21 Texas — though only by a single goal in each contest.

For the Bulldogs to book their first-ever conference tournament trophy, they’ll first have to beat Tennessee in Tuesday’s 5:30 PM ET quarterfinal, airing on the SEC Network.

Defenders Nicki Fraser and Ayo Oke celebrate UCLA's NCAA college soccer Big Ten tournament quarterfinal win. — 2022 national champions UCLA are bringing West Coast excellence to the Big Ten tournament. (Matt Krohn/UCLA Athletics)

Big-time turnovers rock Big Ten college soccer

Fresh faces are ruling the Big Ten tournament, where three of the four semifinalists — No. 4 USC, No. 9 UCLA, and Washington — are conference rookies.

The former Pac-12 trio showed out this season, eclipsing traditional Big Ten powerhouses like No. 22 Penn State and 2023 title-winner No. 16 Michigan State in the race to the tournament title.

The lone conference veteran still in the mix is Rutgers, who’ll take on the top-seeded Trojans for the first time this year in Thursday’s 2 PM ET semifinal, before the Bruins aim to hand the Huskies a second loss at 4:30 PM ET, both airing on the Big Ten Network.

BYU senior defender Tara Warner dribbles the ball at last season's College Cup NCAA college soccer final. — BYU will look to impress the NCAA committee in hopes of returning to the College Cup. (Grant Halverson/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

Pushing toward the NCAA championship bracket in the Big 12

The Big 12 is arguably NCAA soccer’s weakest Power conference with just two ranked teams, but that doesn’t mean the conference tournament is without teeth.

One of Wednesday’s four semifinalists — No. 7 TCU, No. 17 Texas Tech, 2023 College Cup semifinalist BYU, or Kansas — will emerge with the Big 12 trophy and a guaranteed spot in the NCAA tournament. The other three must wait until the selection committee decides their fate on Monday, making every minute left on the pitch a vital one.

How to watch this year’s NCAA soccer conference tournaments

All Power Four conference finals are set for this weekend, with the Big 12 kicking things off at 8 PM on Saturday, with live coverage on ESPN+.

Then on Sunday, the ACC and Big Ten finals begin at 12 PM ET, with the ACC airing on ESPNU and the Big Ten on the Big Ten Network.

Later, the SEC trophy will be on the line during the 2:30 PM ET final, broadcast by the SEC Network.

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