In the latest edition of our weekly review, we’ll take a look at a few of the key injuries across the country; analyze the top performers and intriguing programs in this still young season.

So with that said, let’s go.

Marquee Match: Boston College men vs. Maryland. It was a high profile ACC opener between our No. 5 and No. 8 ranked squads and it ended in a 1-1 draw. The Eagles drew first blood with a goal from Conor Fitzpatrick only to have Maryland’s Billy Cortes answer in the 60th minute. Stud Terrapins goalkeeper Zac MacMath performed well in a match that set the tone for an ultra competitive conference.

Too much to Bear: In case you haven’t noticed, California striker Alex Morgan is absolutely ripping it up. With nine goals and an assist in seven games, she leads the Pac-10 in goals and has the Golden Bears off to a 5-0-2 start. In her latest showing, she scored twice to lead a 6-0 stomping of Long Beach State. Keep an eye on Morgan, who could be racing toward a record-breaking campaign.

Minnesota is off to a great start, look out Big 10!

Off the radar: They have yet to crack our rankings - overshadowed instead by the perennial powers of the Big Ten - but don’t sleep on the Minnesota women. The Golden Gophers took a respectable 1-0 loss to Notre Dame in their opener but have since run off six wins and a tie to no losses.

The brothers: The Saad brothers have done it again. Sophomore midfielder Hamoody and freshman forward Soony pulled Michigan out of a 2-0 hole with consecutive goals, beginning in the 76th minute, to earn a 2-2 tie with Seattle. The dynamic brother combo, which also led a talented U.S. squad this summer during the Discover Europe Tour are proving entertaining, and Sunday marks the second game this season the Saads have scored in the same match.

The Norwegians: Freshman imports Hanna Haanes and Christina Moberg are forming a Norwegian connection that’s paying serious dividends for San Francisco. The two top scorers for the Dons have landed on our Top 100 Freshman ranking at No. 89 and No. 91 with a bullet.  

Get well: A little retroactive injury news on the women’s side – Wyoming player Nicole Rice will miss the season with a knee injury, while Cat Walker, of San Diego, is shelved due to an ACL. On the East Coast, promising Boston University midfielder Megan McGoldrick has yet to play due to an undisclosed ailment. We wish ’em all the best. Their programs just aren’t as exciting without them.

Call it a comeback: Sidelined from Central Connecticut State(w) for the first couple of games due to personal reasons, Beth Lloyd has returned and shown no signs of rust. The senior from England has five goals in just four starts, justifying her position as one of the top players in the Mountain West Conference.

Women’s Top 20 Action

1. North Carolina def. Cal Poly 1-0; def. San Diego State 1-0
2. Stanford def. Georgia 2-1; def. Pacific 4-0
3. Boston College def. Brown 4-1; def. Fairfield 2-0
4. Portland def. Rutgers 2-1; def. Penn State 4-2
5. Texas A&M(w) def. Indiana 5-2; def. Purdue 2-1
6. Virginia def. Texas 4-0; def. Boston University 3-0
7. Maryland def. Seton Hall 3-2; def. Delaware 4-1
8. Florida def. Florida State 2-1
9. UCLA def. Notre Dame 2-1; tied UC Santa Barbara 1-1
10. Notre Dame lost to UCLA 2-1; def. Loyola Marymount 1-0
11. Florida State lost to Florida 2-1; def. UCF 3-1
12. Oregon State def. Portland State 1-0
13. Oklahoma State def. SMU 2-1; def. TCU 4-0
14. Santa Clara def. Pacific 2-1; tied Georgia 1-1
15. Duke tied Florida International 0-0; def. Yale 1-0
16. South Carolina def. Clemson 2-0; def. Furman 1-0
17. Virginia Tech def. Villanova 4-1; def. Vanderbilt 2-1
18. USC def. Auburn 1-0; def. Northern Arizona 3-1
19. Ohio State def. Cleveland State 2-0
20. California def. Long Beach State 6-0

Men’s Top 20 Action

1. Akron def. Bowling Green 2-0
2. Tulsa def. Western Illinois 4-0; def. SIU-Edwardsville(m) 1-0
3. Virginia tied Duke 2-2
4. North Carolina def. NC State 1-0
5. Boston College def. Maryland 1-1
6. Ohio State def. Binghamton 1-0; Bucknell 2-1
7. Duke tied Virginia 2-2
8. Maryland tied Boston College 1-1
9. Wake Forest def. Clemson 2-1
10. UCLA def. UC Riverside 2-1; def. Davidson 2-0
11. Louisville def. Fordham 2-0; def. Appalachian State 5-0
12. Connecticut def. Manhattan 6-0; tied Harvard 1-1
13. UC Irvine def. Wisconsin 1-0; def. Oakland 2-0; def. Air Force 5-0
14. St. John’s(m) def. Fairleigh-Dickinson(m) 5-0; def. Boston University 2-1
15. Michigan State def. Providence 4-0; def. Niagara 4-1
16. Northwestern def. Cleveland State 4-0; def. Oregon State 4-1
17. Harvard def. Massachusetts 3-2; tied Connecticut 1-1
18. Portland tied Denver 3-3; def. New Mexico 2-1
19. UNC Wilmington def. def. UCF 1-0; def. Winthrop 1-0
20. Butler def. Houston Baptist(m) 5-0; def. Loyola Marymount 3-1