Alex Morgan retired this weekend, so, as early in the season as it is, there's no better time to talk about the pure goalscoring talent across Division I women's college soccer. Morgan herself had 45 goals in her time at Cal, that number lower than it might have been if she hadn't split her final season with the USWNT.
One familiar name is FSU's Taylor Huff, who has six goals in six games. That puts her tied for 11th in terms of D1 goalscorers, but, what's important for FSU is that Huff scores in blowouts and tight matches with no discrimination. The senior is the only player to score for the Seminoles in the 1-1 draw with Georgia. In 2023, Huff had five goals in 17 games. Previously at Tennessee, Huff had 10 goals in freshman year before netting only five as a sophomore.
What has set Huff apart this year is how good she is at matching her feet to her runs. All six of Huff's goals this year have required her to be in the right place at the right time to receive the ball. It's not easy to time runs in front of the defense but behind the midfield, especially when the opposing team knows you're good. once Huff has the ball, her composure to take the extra touch allows her to keep her balance and keep her shot on frame. Huff's in-motion control makes her almost impossible to stop, especially if she can get a touch on the ball before there's pressure.
A revelation has been freshman Izzy Engle for Notre Dame with 10 goals in seven games. In reality, Engle has scored those 10 goals in five games because she didn't score against Michigan St. or Michigan (so far, Michigan does appear to be the Minnesota natives' only weakness.) The test is, of course, can Engle score that prolifically against a stacked ACC conference where the schedule is tougher and can Engle continue to score as teams are better able to scout her and game plan for her.
Engle's advantage is her precision. Watch any one of her ten goals and there's a good chance you're watching her shoot from the top of the box. Picking her corner, whether that's top bins or lower side netting, Engle makes her audacious shot more often than she misses. Her speed doesn't hurt either. And while the freshman might benefit from people giving her a little space, something tells me she won't have a problem making those same shots even when defenders start collapsing on her.
And, because time is a funny thing, currently leading the NCAA in scoring is Karlie Lema from, you guessed it, Cal. With 11 goals this year, Lema has emerged as a six-yard box merchant. Combine her preferred location with a spin move and Lema has a knack for making herself space in the box. Put the defender in the spin cycle, put your foot through the ball, and score. Rinse and repeat for Lema, game after game.
With the majority of current leading goal-scorers being seniors, there's something to be said for needing a season or three to develop that lethal finishing instinct that makes the difference in a season where the margins are razor thin. Take a glance at the leading goalscorers now and then check back in a few weeks of conference play, if the names are roughly the same, those are the programs primed to make a deep run. With everything, it's all about consistency.
Quick Notes
There were several interstate derbys this weekend. Duke beat UNC 1-0 to hand the Tarheels their first loss of the season. Colorado beat Denver 1-0. Texas A&M beat TCU 2-0. Utah St. beat Utah Valley 3-0. South Florida beat UCF 1-0. Xavier beat Cincinnati 1-0. Interestingly, all games featured a shutout.
Kentucky upset no. 9 UCLA in a 2-0 shutout win on Sunday. Undefeated on the season, UCLA is the toughest opponent that Kentucky has faced, making this a statement win. Goals came from a Makala Woods penalty kick and Catherine DeRosa's first goal of the season.
Utah St. continues their dominance with a 9-3 win over Pacific. Two remarkable stat lines: Utah St. had 41 shots with 29 being on goal and Pacific had five shots, four on goal, and three went in.
If you're looking for perfect, Auburn and Oklahoma St. are the only two teams that have won all of their games without conceding a goal. They're tied for 13th in the September 1 United Coaches Poll.
Texas A&M head coach G Guerrieri moved into the no. 4 spot for all-time NCAA Division I coaching wins
Michigan finally got their first win of the season and it was a big one: a 1-0 victory over no. 24 Alabama.
Conference play starts on Thursday for some conferences. Unlike previous years, teams have the option of adding in a non-conference matchup due to the season being extended an extra week.
What to Watch Week 5*
No. 9 Notre Dame v. Boston College, Sept. 12 @7:00pm EST, ACCN
If you haven't checked out freshman phenom Izzy Engle, then now's the time. The freshman has 10 goals on the season, a hattrick, and three braces. She's been a key part of why Notre Dame has roared into the top ten. ACC play is a different beast though, and the second reason you should check out this matchup is to see how a new look Boston College will do now that conference play has started. It's a good measuring stick game for the Eagles and it's a nice welcome to the ACC for Engle.
No. 15 Xavier v. No. 19 SLU, Sept. 12, 7:00pm EST, FloSports
Always a benefit when you can watch two ranked opponents square off. Xavier hasn't had their signature win yet, though they tied no.5 Michigan State 2-2. SLU hasn't had the season they wanted, having recently dropped points to Creighton in a 0-0 draw before coming alive in a 6-1 thrashing of SIUE. Xavier has had no problems finding offense, which has been SLU's problem this season. Both teams will need a win here to boost their NCAA tournament resume and move up in the rankings.
No. 13 Auburn v Old Dominion, Sept. 13, 7:30pm EST, SECN+
Auburn started the season with a dominating 4-0 win against Clemson and kept rolling. They have yet to concede a goal this season, going 7-0 and finishing the weekend with a 1-0 win against no.17 Ohio State, nothing to scoff at. Old Dominion is 5-2 with their losses coming against LSU and Liberty, meaning this isn't a cake walk for Auburn. A good match and a chance to watch Auburn continue something pretty incredible...it's worth your Friday night.
No. 22 Iowa v. Iowa State, Sept. 15, 1:00pm EST, ESPN+
Interstate action always heightens the energy around games. Iowa State just suffered a surprise loss to Northern Colorado and faces Kansas before taking on Iowa. On the other hand, Iowa just beat Wake Forest 2-0 and Baylor 3-0 before facing Nebraska and then Iowa State. A team (possibly) on the up and up against a team (possibly) looking desperately for a reset both narratives within state lines. There'll be energy in this one and a good indication of how consistent Iowa can be.
*Rankings are based on Sept. 1 United Coaches Poll as the article was written before it was updated
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