The ACC had another characteristically strong showing last season, with ten teams reaching the NCAA tournament, more than any other conference, and two in the Final Four. With the 2023 season a week away, here is a preview of the best conference in women's college soccer.

2022 Regular Season Standings:

1. Florida State 8-2 (17-3-3) – NCAA Semifinalists

As co-winners of 2022 and two of the last three regular season titles, Florida State has maintained high-performance levels despite some shifting faces at the program. The 2022 season saw them win the ACC Regular Season and Tournament double, an impressive accomplishment for Coach Brian Pensky, who took over the program that April. And now, with a couple of the best players at Tennessee, his former program, transferring, coupled with the second-best recruiting class in the country, Florida State should be among the top five programs in the country again.

2. North Carolina 8-2 (20-5-1) – NCAA Finalist

Mere seconds away from winning a 22nd NCAA national championship and first in ten years, North Carolina conceded the game-tying goal in the 89th minute on a controversial no-call resulting from a corner kick. Importantly though, UNC returns most of their starters from that run and adds the best recruiting class in the country, led by three top ten players. And they will also have Maycee Bell back from a season ending injury in game one of last season, who when healthy is arguably the best centerback in college soccer.

3. Notre Dame 7-2-1 (17-3-3) – NCAA Quarterfinalists

Notre Dame had their best season since the core won the national championship in 2010, reaching the NCAA quarterfinals before falling to conference foe UNC. They were aided by Korbin Albert, one of the best players in college soccer, who signed a professional contract with PSG after her sophomore season. Replacing Albert will be no small task, along with Olivia Wingate and Brianna Martinez, who were drafted into the NWSL. But with most of the defensive core returning, led by ACC Defender of the Year Eva Gaetino, Notre Dame will know they have a chance to make another deep run.

4. Virginia 6-2-2 (16-4-3) – NCAA Quarterfinalists

There is no shame in your season ending at the hands of the eventual national champions, especially when it took an Overtime goal to pull it off. They will miss several stars from last season, most notable Lia Godfrey, a First-Team All-American who will miss the season with injury. Fortunately, the program brings in the fourth-ranked recruiting class in the country led by Yuna McCormack, an immediate ACC Freshman of the Year candidate.

5. Duke 6-2-2 (15-5-3) – NCAA Quarterfinalists

As another ACC team whose season ended in overtime, Duke had a special season led by Michelle Cooper, the MAC Hermann Trophy winner and eventual number two pick in the NWSL draft. The defense is elite, with highly touted goalkeeper Leah Freeman transferring into the program and incoming freshman Cameron Roller, the number one ranked defender in her class. The question is how Duke will replace the offensive output of Cooper, no easy task.

6. Pittsburgh 5-3-2 (14-5-3) – NCAA Round of 16

Ambrose Urbanic Field was a stronghold for Pitt last season, as they finished with an impressive 8-1-1 home record. The problem is the team did not travel as well as they would have liked, ultimately limiting how far they could advance in the tournament. With a handful of returners and several highly touted international recruits such as Deborah Ajibola Abiodun, who started at the World Cup with Nigeria, Pittsburgh could be even better this season.

7. Clemson 4-3-3 (8-5-5) – NCAA First Round

With more returners than most for next season, Clemson has a building point to return to the glory days of two seasons ago when they reached the Elite Eight. Coach Eddie Radwanski has a proven record as one of the best coaches in the ACC, meaning you can never count this team out of a surprise contention for an ACC regular or postseason title.

8. Virginia Tech 4-5-1 (10-7-2) – NCAA First Round

Led by a superb freshman class, Virginia Tech has an exciting future. Taylor Price was the fifth-ranked freshman by the end of the season, and Natalie Mitchell joined her on the TopDrawerSoccer Freshman All-American team. They supplement that class with a 2023 recruiting class ranked 12th in the country, as this is a team to watch not just this season but in the next few years.

9. Wake Forest 3-6-1 (9-7-3) – NCAA First Round

Wake Forest took a step back in the conference standings but still reached the NCAA tournament. A top 30 recruiting class in the country will help them return to their best, which is needed to gain valuable momentum heading into the NCAA tournament.

10. Louisville 3-7 (6-8-2)

Louisville is in a difficult position as they need improvements on the attacking side of the ball after suffering seven shutouts last season. You have to be able to score in the ACC, and Louisville will hope transfer Maya Anand can help do the job after scoring 12 at Binghamton last fall.

11. NC State 2-6-2 (7-7-6) – NCAA First Round

A few key results saw NC State squeeze into the NCAA Tournament as the last ACC team to qualify. A PK Shootout loss to UCF ended their season, but NC State will have every confidence in returning with more momentum as one of the younger teams in the conference last season.

12. Miami (FL) 2-7-1 (5-8-3)

It has been a long while since Miami has finished in the top half of the ACC, as year after year, the bulk of their wins comes from non-conference games. However, last season gave a building point as all five wins came at home. With a slight improvement to their winless away record, which is no small task in an ACC with some of the best home-field advantage in college soccer, Miami could scale the standings next season.

13. Syracuse 1-6-3 (8-7-3)

Life in the ACC comes at you fast, and after an impressive 7 and 1 start to their season, Syracuse came crashing back to earth in conference play. The key here is seven of their conference results were decided by a goal or less, including a 2-2 draw with #2 ranked Virginia away from home. The promise there is with tighter control of those matchups and more luck, Syracuse could have easily had three to four more wins, placing them firmly in NCAA tournament bid contention. Be on the lookout for a team much closer to the top half of the standings than their 2022 position suggests.

14. Boston College 1-7-2 (5-8-5)

Similar to Miami, the ACC has been rough on Boston College recently, with their last finish in the top half coming in 2018. The challenge for coach Jason Lowe is replacing some of the top talent lost to the portal while also trying to rebuild. Many say college soccer games are won months before the fall as teams battle for prized recruits, something Boston College will focus on to return to their best.

 

Top Freshmen to Watch:

Melina Rebimbas, North Carolina (#3 Ranked TDS Class of 2023)

The reigning Gatorade New Jersey Player of the Year leads one of the best recruiting classes North Carolina has ever had. In Rebimbas, UNC lands a versatile talent that could be the final piece on a championship roster as they can plug and play her wherever is needed.

Cameron Roller, Duke (#5 Ranked TDS Class of 2023)

The captain of the U.S. U17 national team heads to Duke to help bolster a backline that ranked third in the conference in goals allowed. As Duke adds to what is already a strength, they will need just a few timely goals to make a deep run in the NCAA tournament.

Yuna McCormack, Virginia (#6 Ranked TDS Class of 2023) 

There is no better time for Virginia to have signed McCormack as they look for immediate replacements for their talented senior class and three time All-American Lia Godfrey who misses the season with injury. In McCormack, the program lands a midfielder who can start and be a difference maker from day one. 

Jordynn Dudley, Florida State (#14 Ranked TDS Class of 2023)

An immediate candidate for ACC Freshman of the Year, Dudley is a forward whose height and ability to dribble at speed make it seem as if she is gliding through defenders. And with experience with the U.S. National Team at the U20 Concacaf tournament, the transition to college soccer will not be too big of a stage.

Valentina Amaral, Wake Forest (#19 Ranked TDS Class of 2023)

With no recognized starting goalkeeper on the roster, Amaral has every opportunity to win the Wake Forest job from day one. And if Amaral wins the job, she could have the type of season that sees her build on her U20 U.S. National team role.

Top Players to Watch:

Maycee Bell, North Carolina 

UNC will always wonder what could have been as they were without their All-American through their run to the NCAA final after she suffered an injury in game one of the season. But that is all in the past, and Bell has extra motivation to put together a championship final season and remind doubters why she has been considered one of the promising USWNT prospects.  

Leah Freeman, Duke 

Duke lands a tremendous addition through the transfer portal as Freeman comes over from Oregon, where she built a reputation as Pac-12 Goalkeeper of the Year and arguably the best in college soccer. In Freeman, Duke has the kind of keeper that can be the difference in an extended NCAA Tournament run. 

Lauren Flynn, Florida State

There are plenty of players you could choose from the team, as the defender is the latest elite Florida State product at the center-back position. They say defense wins championships, and in their All-American, Florida State knows they have a championship-level player.

Eva Gaetino, Notre Dame 

From one center-back to the next, the reigning ACC defender of the year is undoubtedly a player to watch in the conference. Notre Dame will believe they have everything it takes to accomplish a championship season thanks to the composure and stability Gaetino brings their back-3. 

Megan Bornkamp, Clemson 

As another defender in a conference filled with elite defensive prospects, Bornkamp gives Clemson a chance in every game. At her best, the senior defender frustrates opponents and limits what the Clemson offense has to accomplish to secure a win.