NC, FSU, MD, UVA fighting for ACC title

We’re down to the wire and there are conference races galore. Here’s where we stand after another pivotal week:

Marquee match: One match to settle the regular season Big 12 title. That’s what Texas A&M(w) vs. Oklahoma State was Sunday when the No. 9 Aggies held on for a 1-0 victory to claim the crown. Rachel Shipley scored on a penalty kick in the first period and goalkeeper Kelly Dyer won her duel with Cowboys keeper Adrianna Franch, much to the delight of the College Station, Texas, home crowd.

Now all Texas A&M(w) has to do is rise to the top all over again at the Big 12 Conference Tournament.

Penn State's Hayley Brock

Conference race: Look no further than the ACC. With Florida State (6-1-1), North Carolina (6-2-0), Virginia (5-2-1) and Maryland (5-2-1) all bunched together it’ll be a fight down to the final match. The No. 5 Terrapins took down No. 3 North Carolina 2-1 on Sunday to further cloud the picture. It was the first win over the Tar Heels in the history of the Maryland women’s soccer program (see what Maryland's winning goal scorer Sade Ayinde and Head Coach Brian Pensky said about the victory).

Upset of the week: Penn State 2, Illinois 0. Considering Penn State has captured 12 straight Big Ten titles, this may not seem like much of an upset, but 2010 has been an aberration for the Nittany Lions. After a slow start, Penn State is making a run in the conference where they currently sit third, and their latest shutout of the No. 17 Fighting Illini could go a long way in completing the turnaround.

Tourney time: The Big East is set to launch its conference tournament Thursday. In one of the more competitive conferences in the country, No. 16 Marquette captured the regular season title in the American Division while No. 4 Notre Dame came away with the National portion. Both of those programs automatically advance to the quarterfinals which will be held Oct. 31. Let’s get ready to rumble.

Streaking: BYU has now won 17 straight regular season matches at home after their 1-0 victory over San Diego State on Saturday. Carlee Payne scored the game-winner in the 32nd minute of the game to lift the program. It was a key match for many reasons, and put the No. 20 Cougars in second place in the Mountain West with just two matches remaining.

Women’s Top 20 Action (SEE FULL SCOREBOARD)

1. Stanford def. Arizona State 3-0; def. Arizona 3-0
2. Portland def. San Diego 1-0; def. Santa Clara 1-0
3. North Carolina def. Clemson 5-1; lost to Maryland 2-1
4. Notre Dame def. Villanova 1-0; tied Georgetown 1-1
5. Maryland lost to Wake Forest 2-1; def. North Carolina 2-1
6. Florida def. LSU 2-0; def. Arkansas 3-1
7. Boston College lost to Duke 3-0; def. Wake Forest 2-1
8. Oregon State def. Washington State 1-0
9. Texas A&M(w) def. Oklahoma 2-1; def. Oklahoma State 1-0
10. Florida State tied Virginia 0-0; def. Virginia Tech 2-0
11. Virginia tied Florida State 0-0; def. Miami (FL) 4-1
12. South Carolina def. Arkansas 3-1; def. LSU 1-0
13. Oklahoma State lost to Texas 1-0; lost to Texas A&M(w) 1-0
14. Santa Clara def. Gonzaga 5-0; lost to Portland 1-0
15. UCF def. Tulsa 3-1; def. SMU 3-0
16. Marquette def. Syracuse 2-0; def. St. John’s(w) 2-0
17. Illinois def. Ohio State 2-1; lost to Penn State 2-0
18. Ohio State lost to Illinois 2-1; def. Purdue 2-1
19. USC def. UCLA 1-0
20. BYU tied UNLV 1-1; def. San Diego State 1-0