Category: College Soccer Reporter

Top-ranked USC fell to Portland, 1-0, on Monday when Canadian Olympian Sophie Schmidt scored on an golden goal in the 97th minute. ALSO: Rachael Rapinoe injury scare and big UCLA win.

LSU freshman Mo Isom, who scored on a 90-yard free kick, is the Soccer America Women’s Player of the Week. For all the Women’s Team of the Week selections for games played Aug. 25-31 …

Fans can watch free internet broadcasts of Big West sports this week — including a pair of Cal State Fullerton men’s and women’s soccer.

Santa Clara, projected to be the top men’s team on the West Coast, left Chicago Monday with its second straight loss of the 2008 season. After its 2-1 loss to Loyola (Ill.) on Saturday, the Broncos fell to UIC, 4-3, in front of a packed house at Flames Field on Monday night. ALSO: Boston College lost to Providence again.

California’s Andrew Wiedeman is the Soccer America Men’s Player of the Week after leading the Bears to wins over UC Riverside and Maryland on the opening weekend of the season. For all the Men’s Team of the Week selections for games played Aug. 29-31 …

High-scoring Wake Forest begins the defense of its NCAA Division I men’s title when it faces Virginia Commonwealth in the Carolina Nike Classic in Chapel Hill. The Deacons return their top seven scorers, including Preseason All-Americans Marcus Tracy and Cody Arnoux

This should have been Yannick Reyering‘s fourth season on the Virginia men’s soccer team, but because of his participation with German club VfL Osnabrueck the NCAA took away one year of eligibility. Instead, he joined the Virginia football team, for which he should debut as its placekicker on Saturday against USC at sold-out Scott Stadium.

[UPDATES] The NCAA Division I men’s season began Friday with 20 teams in the Soccer America Top 25 in action. A late rally gave No. 4 Maryland a 2-1 win over No. 11 UCLA at the Home Depot Center, while No. 10 Notre Dame fell to No. 12 Akron, 3-0, at the adidas/IU Credit Union Classic. Three Top 25 teams have lost to unranked teams. No. 5 Sabta Clara lost at Loyola (Ill.), 2-1, on Saturday. No. 15 UMass fell to Holy Cross, 1-0, while No. 18 Virginia fell to St. John’s by the same score on Friday. For all the Top 25 schedules and results ….

The Big Ten Network will kick off its 2008 men’s soccer coverage on Sunday when Indiana hosts Akron at the adidas/IU Credit Union Classic. Ten regular-season games will be broadcast this fall.

Texas Longhorn defenders Stephanie Logterman and Kasey Moore are firing on all cylinders. AND: Young Aggies take on familiar foe.

There is a full slate of action over Labor Day weekend, including nine matchups involving Top 25 teams. For this week’s Soccer American Women’s Top 25 results and schedules …

Six minutes into UC Santa Barbara’s exhibition against Westmont, senior defender Kyle Kaveny fractured his left ankle, and last week junior midfielder C.J. Cintas broke his left foot during practice. Both are lost for the season. AND: ODU’s injury loss and colleges take on pros.

NCAA Division I men’s conference polls are out. For the preseason conference ranking of your favorite D1 program …

Fox Soccer Channel will again air men’s college action in conjunction with the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. The 12-game schedule begins with Friday’s match between No. 11 UCLA and No. 4 Maryland from the Home Depot Center.

Favorites Franklin Pierce (NCAA Division II) must overcome heavy losses, Middlebury (NCAA Division III) will again be led by goalie Brian Bush (623 scoreless minutes and counting), and Azusa Pacific (NAIA) must overcome the loss of Steven Lenhart, now with MLS’s Columbus Crew. For a look at the top five teams in each of the three small college divisions …

For the second time in less than a week, Wisconsin-Milwaukee beat a Big Ten opponent. Nicole Sperl scored on a penalty kick in the 88th minute to give the Panthers a 4-3 win over Ohio State in a wild game in Milwaukee. AND: Hawaii-LBSU barnburner and new Virginia keeper.

Fox Soccer Channel will broadcast the Women’s College Game of the Week in conjunction with the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. The eight games will all be broadcast on Thursdays, beginning with the Sept. 11 match between West Virginia and Kentucky.

Connecticut’s O’Brian White, the 2007 Soccer America Men’s Player of the Year, heads the 2008 Soccer America Men’s Preseason All-Americans. White is one of four 2007 Soccer America MVP first-team selections named Preseason All-Americans. For all the first- and second-team selections …

Southern Illinois-Edwardsville takes its first baby steps in the move back to Division I men’s soccer when it travels to Des Moines, Iowa, this weekend to face Missouri State and Drake. SIUE has an illustrious past, having captured the NCAA Division I title in 1979, but the Cougars won’t be playing in the NCAA Tournament any time soon. ALSO: Motivation for Penn State.

Freshman forward Sydney Leroux, who has represented the USA and Canada internationally, saved No. 3 UCLA in its opening game. ALSO: Purdue comeback, new Niagara stadium and third-generation Bavasi makes college soccer debut.

[VIDEO] LSU goalkeeper Mo Isom‘s goal on a 90-yard free kick made ESPN’s “SportsCenter,” cracking the top-five plays of the day at No. 4 on the countdown originally aired during the 10 p.m. broadcast.

Defending national champion Wake Forest is ranked No. 1 in the Soccer America Men’s Preseason Top 25 rankings. Connecticut, Indiana, Maryland and Santa Clara round out of the top five. The road to Frisco begins on Friday when the 2008 men’s college season kicks off. For all the Top 25 preseason rankings.

[PRESEASON NO. 1] Wake Forest won its first NCAA championship thanks to a spectacular Men’s College Cup by Marcus Tracy, who returns for his senior season.

[PRESEASON NO. 2] The theme for Connecticut is “unfinished business” — the phrase emblazoned on bracelets players, coaches and staff members have been wearing since March.

Soccer contacts are requested to e-mail releases and Team of the Week nominations to Editor in Chief Paul Kennedy at: paul@socceramerica.com Soccer America’s Top 25s will appear in each Monday’s College Soccer Reporter and at the College Soccer Reporter section at socceramerica.com Soccer America’s Players of the Week and Teams of the Week will appear […]