Top 5 Matches to Watch (All times EST)

St. John's (10-6-1, 6-1-1 Big East) at No. 11/13 DePaul (14-0-3, 6-0-2 Big East), Friday, Oct. 31, 4 p.m.

It’s a battle for first place on Friday as St. John’s travels to the Chicagoland area and try to end DePaul’s unbeaten season. The hosts need to simply tie in order to clinch the Big East regular season title and the top seed in the conference tournament. Forward Rachel Daly remains key to the hopes of an upset despite not scoring at quite the prodigious rate of a year ago. Georgina Kearney-Perry will look to slow down the DePaul attack that is led by the free-scoring Alexa Ben, Elise Wyatt and Abby Reed, who have combined to score 28 goals and add 18 assists this year. DePaul is certainly the favorite to clinch a title on home turf, but count out Daly and the Red Storm at your own risk.

Rachel Daly

No. 1 UCLA (15-0-2, 7-0-1 Pac-12) at No. 18 Washington State (10-2-3, 5-2-1 Pac-12), Friday, Oct. 31, 5 p.m. (Pac-12 Networks)

A Pacific Northwest double-dip is a huge test of UCLA’s unbeaten record and could prove decisive in the race for the Pac-12 conference title. The Bruins have yet to lose this season and head to Pullman racing towards another level. Over the past four games, the Bruins have scored 17 and conceded zero ahead of a Friday visit to Washington State and a trip to Washington. Sam Mewis has led the scoring charge and is putting together a strong Hermann Trophy resume with 13 goals and nine assists.

On the other side, the Cougars are going to be a tough out at home. Fresh off a two-game swing to Colorado and Utah, Washington State has won three straight in Pac-12 play, boast a strong RPI and can all but solidify a seed in the tournament with a win. Defense has been key as the Cougars have notched just 21 goals from 15 games while conceding ten. They’ll need to be in top form on Friday night to have a chance at pulling off the upset.

Harvard (9-3-2, 4-0-1 Ivy) at Dartmouth (6-4-4, 2-0-3 Ivy), Saturday, Nov. 1, 4:30 p.m. (Ivy League Digital Network)

The Ivy League title is on the line this Saturday in Hanover, New Hampshire, as the Crimson can pull away from the rest of the league and secure another conference crown and an NCAA tournament berth with a win or a draw. Margaret Purce has enjoyed another solid season as a sophomore, scoring six goals in 14 games and adding on two assists, while Meg Casscells and Emily Mosbacher have also contributed to the team thus far.

Standing in Harvard’s way is a Dartmouth side that’s also unbeaten in Ivy League play, only to have three draws and two wins. Down by four points in the standings, a win at home would be enough to keep the title race going down to the final day of league play next weekend. The Big Green has relied on timely scoring from forwards Lucielle Kozlov and Tasha Wilkins, who have four game winning goals from the team’s six wins. Dartmouth must keep it a low-scoring, tight affair because the Crimson has the fire power to win shootouts.

No. 15 Notre Dame (12-4-1, 7-2-0 ACC) at Boston College (10-8-0, 3-6-0 ACC), Saturday, Nov. 1, 7 p.m.

For long stretches of the season, the Eagles looked safe to land an at-large bid with a strong RPI at the start of the ACC slate. Five losses out of its last seven games make this a must-win home game against the Fighting Irish if they are to keep NCAA tournament hopes alive. An RPI of 53 puts them right on the bubble, with a strong likelihood of them not moving on to the tournament should they fail to win this game. The two-pronged attack of Hayley Dowd and Stephanie McCaffrey must deliver against a deep and talented Irish side.

At stake for Notre Dame is a shot at a seed in the tournament. Currently ranked at No. 15 in the RPI (with 16 teams seeded in the tournament), a victory here plus a semifinal win in the ACC championship would likely give them the boost needed to have the chance at a No. 3 seed come selection day.

Arizona State (9-4-4, 2-3-3 Pac-12) at Colorado (10-6-1, 3-4-1 Pac-12), Friday, Oct. 31, 5 p.m. (Pac-12 Networks)

While the battle for Pac-12 supremacy will be waged elsewhere, two sides will tussle in Boulder with both looking to put themselves on steady footing for the tournament. No conference tournament translates to three games remaining for Pac-12 programs, meaning that it isn’t last chance saloon for either team. Arizona State is relatively comfortable at No. 40 in the RPI, while the Buffaloes can push themselves up the rankings with a victory and solidify their standing.

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