Stanford and USC tied at the top of Pac-12 women's soccer

SAN FRANCISCO - With just two weeks remaining in the regular season, the race for the Pac-12 title is all tied up at the top between STANFORD and USC at 21 points each. UCLA and COLORADO are not far behind with 18 points and 17 points, respectively, but each face critical Conference matchups this week.

Stanford and USC are also at the top of the national poll with Stanford at No. 1 and USC at No. 2 for a fifth-straight week. Altogether, four Pac-12 teams are nationally ranked, including three in the top 10, the most teams in the top 10 of any other conference.

The week starts off with a marquee game between No. 2 USC and No. 20 Colorado in Boulder on Thursday on Pac-12 Networks. Both of these one-loss squads have aggressive offensive fronts and stout defenses that have made them tough to beat. The Buffs and the Trojans are the best in the nation at finding the back of the net as Colorado ranks first in total goals with 46 and USC ranks second with 45. However, Colorado’s keeper Jalen Tompkins and USC’s Kaylie Collins have been two of the best goalies in the league this season. Tompkins ranks first in save percentage (.861) and second in saves (68) in the Conference, while Collins ranks first in shutouts with seven and second in goals-against average at .460.

Pac-12 Networks broadcasts eight league matches this week, including the battle between the Buffs and the Trojans, and Stanford traveling to WASHINGTON on Thursday. UCLA also makes the trip to Boulder to take on CU on Sunday, while USC visits UTAH and Stanford takes on WASHINGTON STATE.

IN THE RANKINGS:
• For the 17th-consecutive week, dating back to Oct. 10, 2017, Stanford has claimed the No. 1 spot in the nation. USC takes the No. 2 spot for the fifth-straight week, marking the eighth time this season the Conference has claimed the top-two spots in the nation. The Pac-12 is the only conference to occupy the top-two spots this season and is the only conference to have two teams ranked in the top-five every week.
• Rounding out the poll is UCLA which moves up a spot to No. 8, while Colorado lands at No. 20.
• Eight Pac-12 teams have RPI in the top-50, with Stanford possessing the best RPI in the nation. Four teams are ranked in the top-25, with USC at No. 7, UCLA at No. 18 and ARIZONA at No. 20. Nine of 12 Conference teams have an RPI in the top-100.

NOTABLES: 
• Stanford (14-0-1) is just one of two teams in the nation without a loss this season.
• Stanford's unbeaten streak of 37 games ranks seventh in NCAA history and is the longest since UCLA went 44 games unbeaten from 2013-14. During the streak, Stanford is outscoring opponents 122-13.
• Stanford has won 25-straight Pac-12 contests, a streak dating to Oct. 6, 2016. The streak ties for the 11th-longest conference win streak in NCAA history.
• Colorado's three goals in a win over Cal gave the team 46 on the season, setting the single-season record. Jorian Baucom has been essential to the Buffs’ record-setting season as she scored her 12th goal to become just the third Buff to tally 12 or more goals in a season. The Buffs also extended its program-record in assists to 50 on the season.
• CU keeper Jalen Tompkins earned her 37th win of her career, now tied for the most career wins by a Buffs goalkeeper.
• USC recorded its fifth-consecutive double-digit win season, all under head coach Keidane McAlpine.
• USC’s dominant defense notched its 11th shutout of the season, tied for second-most in the country, and have outscored opponents 45-7.
• Utah earned its first program win over Cal in a 2-1 road victory, previously holding an 0-7-3 all-time record against the Bears.

NATIONAL STATS LEADERS:
• Pac-12 teams have put some of the best offensive talent in the nation on the pitch this season. The Conference dominates the top of the scoring charts, with three teams ranked in the top five in goals per game, the most of any conference. USC is the second-best scoring offense in the nation with 2.81 goals per game, Stanford is third with 2.80 gpg and Colorado is fifth with 2.71 goals per game. UCLA also ranks 20th at 2.27 goals per game.
• Many of those goals have come from some of the best passers in the country as four student-athletes rank in the top 25 in assists per game. WSU’s Maddy Haro leads the nation at 0.79 and CU’s Taylor Kornieck is right behind with 0.77 assists per game. USC’s duo of Savannah DeMelo and Leah Pruitt also rank in the top 25 as DeMelo owns 0.60 assists per game for 11th best in the country and Pruitt has 0.50 apg for 23rd most.
• On the defensive end, Pac-12 keepers have been some of the toughest to score on. Three teams rank in the top 20 in shutout percentage with USC ranked fourth with .688, while Stanford and UCLA are tied at 17th with .600. Three teams also land in the top 25 for save percentage. Colorado ranks 21st at .857 and USC and Stanford are tied at 25th with a .848 save percentage.

MAC HERMANN WATCH LIST:
• Stanford’s Catarina Macario continues to find the back of the net, notching another two goals in the 7-0 win over Colorado for a team-leading nine goals and 23 points. Teammate Jaye Boissiere also scored vs. the Buffs for her first goal of the season.
• UCLA’s Ashley Sanchez had a big weekend on offense, scoring three goals and adding three assists in wins over Oregon and Oregon State. Sanchez was named to the Top Drawer Soccer Team of the Week for her dominant offensive performance. Senior Hailie Mace did not disappoint either on Senior Day against OSU. In her first game back after helping the U.S. Women's National Team win the Women's CONCACAF Championship, Mace scored two first-half goals, including the game-winner. Jesse Fleming also returned to Wallis Annenberg Stadium after helping Canada qualify for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup and notched an assist to help earn the win over the Beavers.
• Colorado’s Taylor Kornieck has been one of the nation’s best offensive players this season, contributing to all three of CU’s goals against Cal with two goals of her own and assisting on the other. She ranks second in the country in assists per game at 0.77 and fifth in points per game at 2.0.
• Savannah DeMelo of USC has been one of the Trojans best offensive assets this season. She scored her sixth goal of the season against Oregon and assisted on another two goals against OSU for a team-best nine assists on the season, 11th most in the county. On the defensive side, Ally Prisock continue to lead a USC backfield that notched its 10th and 11th shutouts this season, holding Oregon to just one shot on goal and OSU to just two shots on goal. 
• The Pac-12 has the most representatives on the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List with 12 student-athletes, the most from the Conference since eight were named in 2009. The MAC Hermann Trophy is the most prestigious individual award in college soccer, presented annually to one male and one female student-athlete. The watch list is headlined by last year’s MAC Hermann Trophy finalist Jessie Fleming of UCLA, and semifinalists Stanford’s Tierna Davidson and Catarina Macario, and UCLA’s Hailie Mace. Stanford leads the nation with five student-athletes on the 2018 watch list, including Davidson, Macario, Alana Cook, Tegan McGrady and Jaye Boissiere. The Conference is also represented by Taylor Korniek, Colorado; Savannah DeMelo and Ally Prisock, USC; Kaiya McCullough and Ashley Sanchez, UCLA.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK:
• USC earned its second-straight Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week honor behind a combined five goal performance from freshman Penelope Hocking against Oregon and Oregon State. Hocking’s first-career multi-goal game against the Beavers followed by her first-career hat trick against the Ducks also earned her a spot on the Top Drawer Soccer Team of the Week.
• Stanford’s Kiara Pickett helped the Cardinal notch two shutouts against Utah and Colorado to earn her second-career Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week honor. The sophomore contributed a goal and an assist in the big win over the Buffs to help extend Stanford’s unbeaten streak to 37 games, seventh-most in NCAA history.
• Arizona keeper Lainey Burdett allowed just one goal and made five saves in a shutout of Washington and a win over Washington State for her third-career Pac-12 Goalkeeper of the Week honor. The program leader in shutouts leads Pac-12 goalies in minutes played this season while posting the second-most shutouts (6) and fourth-most saves (58).

2017 IN REVIEW:
• Last season, seven Pac-12 teams made the NCAA Tournament with Stanford earning a No. 1 overall seed for the fourth-straight year and was joined in the field by No. 2-seeded UCLA, No. 3-seeded USC, Arizona, Colorado, California and Washington State. Six teams advanced to the second round and three made the round of 16. Stanford was crowned the 2017 NCAA Champion for the second time in program history in the first-ever-all-Pac-12 final against UCLA.

PROMISING FRESHMAN CLASS:
• The incoming Pac-12 freshman class had the most selections of any conference on the Top Drawer Soccer preseason Best XI Freshman team. Sophia Smith of Stanford, Summer Yates of Washington, Maricarmen Reyes of UCLA and Eva Van Deursen of ARIZONA STATE look to make their mark in their first season.

PAC-12 WOMEN’S SOCCER BROADCASTS:
• Pac- 12 Networks coverage on the pitch features a 66-game women’s soccer schedule. All Pac-12 universities appear on the Networks at least seven times in 2018.

CONFERENCE STANDINGS (Expanded standings)

UPCOMING SCHEDULE (Times local to site)

PAC-12 WOMEN'S SOCCER PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

THIS WEEK: 
Offensive: Penelope Hocking, USC
Defensive: Kiara Pickett, STAN
Goalkeeper: Lainey Burdett, ARIZ

ALSO NOMINATED THIS WEEK:
Offensive: Brynn Moga, ARIZ; Nicole Douglas, ASU; Abigail Kim, CAL; Taylor Kornieck, COLO; Sydney Studer, OSU; Abby Greubel, STAN; Ashley Sanchez, UCLA.
Defensive: Samantha Falasco, ARIZ; Jemma Purfield, ASU; Kayleigh Webb, COLO; Ashleigh Fonsen, OSU; Hailie Mace, UCLA; Julia Bingham, USC.
Goalkeeper: Nikki Panas, ASU; Jalen Tompkins, COLO; Lindsay Lamont, OSU; Alison Jahansouz, STAN; Lauren Brzykcy, UCLA; Kaylie Collins, USC.

NATIONAL HONORS

MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List
Alana Cook, Stanford; Tierna Davidson, Stanford; Tegan McGrady, Stanford; Jaye Boissiere, Stanford; Catarina Macario, Stanford; Hailie Mace, UCLA; Jessie Fleming, UCLA; Kaiya McCullough, UCLA; Ashley Sanchez, UCLA; Savannah DeMelo, USC; Ally Prisock, USC; Taylor Kornieck, Colorado

Top Drawer Soccer Player of the Week
Oct. 2: Sophia Smith, Stanford
Oct. 9: Jorian Baucom, Colorado

Top Drawer Soccer Team of the Week
Aug. 28: Teagan Micah, UCLA; Grace Hancock, Washington State; Savannah DeMelo, USC
Sept. 4: Ally Prisock, USC
Sept. 11: Emily Knous, Arizona; Catarina Macario, Stanford
Sept. 25: Mykiaa Minniss, Washington State
Oct. 2: Maddy Haro, Washington State; Sophia Smith, Stanford
Oct. 9: Tegan McGrady, Stanford; Viviana Villacorta, UCLA; Jorian Baucom, Colorado
Oct. 16: Leah Pruitt, USC
Oct. 23: Ashley Sanchez, UCLA; Penelope Hocking, USC

Senior CLASS Award Finalists
Alana Cook, Stanford
Hailie Mace, UCLA