Conference races heat up in the second weekend of October. These five games are worth watching from Friday-Sunday (all kickoff times listed EST).

Saturday, October 9

St. John's(m) (7-3-1) at Villanova(m) (8-2), 1 p.m. (Flo Sports)

A string of three 1-0 wins has the Wildcats off to a 4-0 start in Big East play, currently first despite Providence and Georgetown lurking. Coming away with yet another win here would keep the pressure on the chasing sides. Expect to see another low-scoring matchup here, as the Red Storm are a quality team with impressive defenders like Lucas Bartlett and Brandon Knapp anchoring the back line. Villanova doesn’t score a great deal, with just 12 goals in 10 games. But they’ve found enough goals through either Lyam MacKinnon

No. 5 Marshall(m) (6-1-3) at Florida Atlantic(m) (7-0-2), 7 p.m. (conferenceusa.com)

Each week in the Conference USA will prove to be decisive in the regular season race. Marshall heads to Florida, looking to beat an FAU outfit that has an identical league record to the spring champs: 1-0-2. The Owls will be kicking themselves for failing to beat South Carolina last time out, and can really through the regular season title race on its head with a win here. Freshman Filip Jauk’s ability to crack Marshall’s tough back line will be a big part of this. If FAU can ramp up the pressure and disrupt Marshall’s ability to control the game, it will limit Vitor Dias’ chances of scoring crucial goals, as he does so often.

No. 6 Duke(m) (9-1) at No. 22 Pittsburgh(m) (7-3), 7 p.m. (ACC Network Extra)

Parity is one word that aptly describes the ACC this fall, with a handful of teams staking a claim as best in the league. Duke has a huge chance of making a statement, particularly nationally, if they can bottle up Jay Vidovich’s side. One of the best defensive records in the country, the Blue Devils have conceded just three times in 10 games. Thorleifur Ulfarsson’s scoring splurge over the past couple of weeks means that the Pitt defense will have to be on the lookout. The Panthers can turn to the usual suspects in the attack, whether that’s Valentin Noel, Bertin Jacquesson or Veljko Petkovic. But if Duke presses them well, the likes of Ulfarsson or Scotty Taylor could certainly take turnovers and cause problems for Pitt GK Nico Campuzano.

No. 14 Saint Louis(m) (8-0-3) at VCU(m) (7-3-1), 7 p.m. (ESPN+)

While it’s not quite a title-decider in Richmond, a road win for SLU here would bring the Billikens closer to a regular season crown. SLU has been one of the best teams in country outside the power conferences, with a strong spine from Kipp Keller, Patrick Schulte, to John Klein and Simon Becher leading the attack. A big focus for the visitors is to shut down Celio Pompeu, as he is a focal point for VCU in the final third. Regardless, this should be a game with plenty of goals in it.

Sunday, October 10

Florida International(m) (7-1-1) at Kentucky(m) (7-0-2), 5 p.m. (ESPN+)

Continuing the important matchups in Conference USA, FIU makes the trip north for a critical matchup against Kentucky. The Florida side is the lone team to have secured two conference wins, at least as of publication, and look a dangerous outfit. Both of UK’s draws have been against conference foes, including stalemates against Marshall and Coastal Carolina. Strength at the back is a big part of Kentucky’s success, conceding just four goals in nine games. Jan Hoffelner’s addition on transfer has been a big reason for the accomplishment, as he brought plenty of experience to Kentucky. Stephen Afrifa and Bernardo dos Santos lead FIU with five goals apiece; one or both need a big game here.

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