W-League Feature
Thursday, September 5, 2013
The NCAA Women’s Division I season continues this weekend with a number of intriguing non-conference contests highlighting the schedule, with a big clash between No. 4 Stanford and No. 16 Maryland leading the way on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on the Pac-12 Network. Among those set to play a key role are a number of W-League standouts, who will feature throughout this weekend’s television schedule.
The Cardinal have started the season 2-0-1, and have been boosted in part by the Pali Blues’ Chioma Ubogagu. After helping her side claim the 2013 W-League Championship, Ubogagu has recorded a pair of assists in Stanford’s opening three games, while the Ottawa Fury’s Taylor Uhl and Washington Spirit Reserves’ Alex Doll are among the four players to find the back of the net so far.
Stanford opens the weekend with a clash against Loyola Marymount (Pac-12 Network, 9 p.m. ET), but it is their matchup with the Terrapins that will draw most attention as Doll will go up against her Spirit Reserves teammate Ashley Spivey, who already has three goals and two assists in four games for the Terps. Shannon Collins has also transitioned well from the Spirit Reserves to the Terrapins, with the defender having recorded five assists to lead the team.
Another player who was at the W-League Championship, the Carolina Elite Cobras’ Tabitha Padgett, will lead Clemson against its in-state rival South Carolina on Friday evening at 5:30 p.m. on ESPN3. Padgett, who appeared in every game for the Cobras, has appeared in all three games for the Tigers this fall as they have opened the season with a 1-0-2 record. Also featuring for the Tigers is goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan, who has picked up where she left off with the Toronto Lady Lynx this summer with two shutouts in three games.
The Gamecocks are also undefeated, thanks in part to the Atlanta Silverbacks’ Danielle Au. The senior forward scored one of South Carolina’s goals in a 3-0 victory against Northeastern on Sunday as the Gamecocks moved to 4-0-1 this season, and picked up an SEC Offensive Player of the Week award after scoring game-winners against then No. 7 Duke and UNC-Wilmington earlier in the season. Also featuring for South Carolina is Sheridan’s predecessor with the Toronto Lady Lynx, Sabrina D’Angelo, who earned TopDrawerSoccer Team of the Week honors for the opening week of the season.
Other big matchups this weekend include No. 10 Florida’s game against Oklahoma State on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. ET, which can be seen on Sun Sports. The Gators have been led this season by Atlanta Silverbacks All-League selection Savannah Jordan, who has scored five goals in three games in her freshman season.
Elsewhere, Jordan and Au’s teammate with the Silverbacks, Ryann Davie, will try to help Oregon get past Hawaii on Friday night at 7 p.m. ET on the Pac-12 Network, while Oregon State and the Seattle Sounders’ Jenna Richardson will face the Rainbow Wahine on Sunday at 5 p.m. ET, also on the Pac-12 Network.