By OkayGoal 
The NCAA College Soccer season is reaching its climax. Many teams across the country will play with a greater sense of urgency to improve their position for an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament or perhaps win a Conference Championship. These are five teams that aren’t talked about as much as the top-tier programs in college soccer. But they’re always looking to break through and become a blue-blood program. This is a post for those smaller programs that have built something tremendous and are on the cusp of getting over the hump. Here are five NCAA women’s soccer teams flying under the radar this season.
No. 8 Memphis Tigers (11-0-2)
It might sound crazy to put Memphis on here as they’re a Top 10 team in the nation, but they don’t get as much love because they play in the AAC. The Tigers have been among the country’s best under head coach Brooks Monaghan. What makes this team great is its ability to share the ball, with everyone contributing.
Ai Kitagawa of Japan is their star with six goals, but the team has seven players with at least three goals and seven players with at least two assists. They are a tough team to gameplan for when everyone is sharing the ball like this. Memphis is favored to win the conference and be a top 4 seed at the NCAA Tournament. Their depth is what will pose problems against a team from the ACC or the Big 10 come tournament time.
No. 11 Texas Tech (10-1-2)
Texas Tech is another Big 12 program that has been in the Top 25 rankings in recent years but hasn’t been able to take the next step in the NCAA Tournament. This year, they have a trio of stars who could help them do it now. Taylor Zdrojewski is their leading goal scorer with 10 goals. Macy Blackburn leads the team with an impressive nine assists. Peyton Parsons has shown the ability to contribute in both areas with six goals and three assists. This team is likely to have a strong finish in Big 12 play and reach the Top 10 by year’s end.
No. 14 Baylor Bears (10-1-2)
Baylor hasn’t been a traditionally strong program in the Big 12, but this is shaping up to be one of their best seasons in school history. The Bears are on a hot streak, having won five games in a row, outscoring teams 15-3 over that span. They’ve taken out BYU, Kansas, and Colorado, all teams that have been ranked in the Top 25 this season.
Baylor features a balanced attack led by Tyler Isgrig, who is leading her team in goals with seven and assists with eight. The Bears also have four players with at least three goals scored, meaning Isgrig has multiple options to get the ball to. Baylor is playing their best soccer at the right time; they are firmly in the mix for the Big 12 title.
No. 16 Georgetown Hoyas (10-2-2)
Georgetown is always one of the top programs in the Big East. While conference realignment has changed a lot for most schools, Georgetown hasn’t left the Big East, and it’s worked out for them. The Hoyas secured a massive win in the non-conference season over South Carolina, which is currently ranked No. 10 in the nation.
That win shows they have what it takes to beat the best in the country and have been dominating their conference. Georgetown is on a six-game winning streak, outscoring its opponents 19-2. The Hoyas feature four stars with a strong supporting cast. Maja Lardner is their go-to player up front; she has nine goals and two assists this season. Natalie Means is solid, giving her team six goals and six assists. Shay Montgomery, the South Carolina transfer, has eight assists, and Henley Tippins has also chipped in six goals. This team is dangerous, and they aren’t being talked about enough.
No. 20 Xavier Musketeers (10-2-2)
Xavier is right behind Georgetown in the Big East; they’re the second team that is sure to make the NCAA Tournament. The Musketeers lost their first two games of the season to Pittsburgh and Virginia. With Virginia firmly as the No. 1 team in the country right now, that loss doesn’t look as bad. Xavier hasn’t lost since that game, going 10-0-2 with a signature win over Michigan State in the Big 10.
Xavier has star power in Samantha Erbach and Elin Hansson. Erbach has an outstanding 10 goals and 11 assists, and Hansson has 11 goals to go with four assists. The Musketeers have managed to maintain balanced scoring despite having two star players; they have five other players with at least three goals scored. This is an excellent recipe for success come tournament time. Keep an eye on this team in November.
Featured image via @memphiswsoccer on Instagram
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