NCAA Week 7: Players to Watch

F – Summer Clarke (LSU, Freshman) – The Canadian rookie forward had only scored three goals coming into this week. But Clarke scored a hat trick in LSU’s 5-3 win over Arkansas on Friday, the first Tiger to score a hat trick in almost four seasons. Clarke capped off the weekend with two goals in the 2-1 overtime win over Alabama, bringing her goal total to five on the weekend and eight on the season.

F – Maddy Williams (Purdue, Freshman) – Purdue picked up two 1-0 wins over Big 10 rivals Illinois and Northwestern this week. Both goals were scored by the Freshman striker, marking the first time a Purdue player scored consecutive game winning goals since 2001. Williams has nine goals on the season, currently leading the team in that category.

F – Stephanie McCaffrey (Boston College, Junior) – After a tough loss for Boston College in the mid-week to Florida State, the Junior forward rose to the occasion on the weekend. In a 4-1 victory over Duke on Sunday, McCaffrey scored a hat trick to pace the offense. That three-goal game now gives her seven goals on the season to go along with her team-high seven assists.

M – Daphne Corboz (Georgetown, Junior) – The Hoyas picked up two victories this week and the ever-present Corboz was solid in both matches. The Junior midfielder had an assist via a corner kick in a 3-0 win over Butler and then picked up her fifth goal of the season in a 2-1 win over Providence a couple days later.

M – McKenzie Meehan (Boston College, Sophomore) – Boston College is a team that has scored a lot of goals in 2013 and Meehan has accounted for 13 goals on her own. The midfielder scored two goals in a near upset at Florida State in the mid-week and chipped in a goal and an assist in a 4-1 win over Duke. Meehan has a goal or an assist in BC’s last eight matches.

M – Shea Groom (Texas A&M, Junior) – The Aggies are still in the thick of things in the SEC, currently sitting 4-1-0 in conference play. Groom, usually is the team’s go-to goal scorer, assisted on three goals in Texas A&M’s two wins, while going the full 90 in both matches. Groom has eight goals and three assists on the season and leads the team on points with 19.

M – Kaitlin Fitzpatrick (California, Senior) – The Cal Bears needed two wins to stay near the top of the Pac-12 standings. The weekend was kick started from the Senior midfielder who scored both of Cal’s goals in a 2-1 win over Arizona State, including slotting home a penalty kick in the last four minutes of that match. Fitzpatrick currently is tied for second on the team with six goals scored and leads the team with four assists.

D – Rachel Pitman (DePaul, Junior) – The English International anchored a DePaul defense that did not give up a goal in two matches. And for a defender who coming into this week with only one goal in her career, Pitman picked up the game-winning goal in a 1-0 win against Seton Hall in overtime and the insurance goal in the 2-0 win against Villanova.

D – Taylor Leach (South Carolina, Junior) – In a weekend where South Carolina traveled to both Florida and Tennessee, the Junior defender featured in both matches and helped the defense to only allow one goal on the road trip. Leach had an impact on the offensive front as well, as she scored the game winning goal in the double overtime win against Florida on Friday night, her second goal of her career.

D – Megan Campbell (Florida State, Junior) – Florida State came out on top in a 4-3 victory over Boston College and the Irish international was a standout on the flanks for the Seminoles. Campbell had an assist on Florida State’s first goal in the game and caused a BC own goal from her trademark long throw in.

G – Chandler Morris (Arizona State, Sophomore) – It was a tough weekend bill for Arizona State, playing on the road against California and Stanford, but the Sophomore goalkeeper was top notch in both matches. In a stunning upset at Stanford, Morris produced seven saves against the Cardinal, many of them were point blank stops and allowed the Sun Devils to hang on for the 1-0 win.