Nashville

Nashville SC has enjoyed a historic and eventful few weeks, marking one of the most successful stretches in club history. The Coyotes claimed their first-ever trophy, defeating Austin FC 2-1 to win the 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Hany Mukhtar opened the scoring before Sam Surridge converted a second-half penalty to seal the victory. Goalkeeper Brian Schwake produced a standout performance, making seven saves, including one from the spot to preserve Nashville’s lead.

The club celebrated the milestone by bringing the trophy home to GEODIS Park, where fans were invited to take photos with it at the team store. The win not only etched Nashville’s name into U.S. soccer history but also fueled confidence ahead of the MLS postseason.

Currently sitting sixth in the Eastern Conference, the Coyotes earned a hard-fought 1-1 draw against CF Montréal last weekend, with Surridge again on target late. The result kept Nashville firmly in the playoff picture but just outside the coveted top four places that guarantee home-field advantage in the first round. This, coupled with the back-to-back defeats to Cincinnati and Orlando earlier in the season, has more than likely ruined their chances of earning home-field advantage in the postseason.

With Decision Day approaching on Oct. 18, Nashville will host Inter Miami CF in their final regular season match. They have already clinched their playoff berth, yet the stakes remain high: A win could lift them up the table and set the tone for another strong postseason push. Nashville would need to secure all three points against Inter Miami and help from both New York and Charlotte, who must lose on the final day.

Maisie Gold

The No. 17 Clemson men’s soccer team clinched its sixth win of the season and third in conference play with a 1-0 shutout of Elon on Oct. 4.

Neither team scored in the first half as both defenses held strong. With just eight seconds remaining, sophomore center back Lukas Magnason headed in the game-winning goal off a corner kick from sophomore midfielder Ransford Gyan.

Clemson goalkeeper Joseph Andema recorded six saves, while Elon goalkeeper Jackson Leavitt finished with five. Both teams tallied six shots on target, but Clemson generated far more chances overall, outshooting Elon 21-5 and holding 58% possession to Elon’s 42%.

Senior midfielder Nathan Richmond led the Tigers with five shots.

Clemson (6-2-2, 3-1 ACC) will travel to Raleigh to face No. 10 North Carolina State on Oct. 10 at 7 p.m., looking to extend its win streak to four.

Gianna Uvari

The N.C. State men’s soccer team lost their first game of the season to Virginia. On Oct. 5. The No. 2 Wolfpack failed to score a goal against the No. 16 Cavaliers at Dail Soccer Field.

Despite this loss, the Wolfpack remains one of the strongest teams in the nation. The United Soccer Coaches poll ranks N.C. State as the No. 10 team. The Wolfpack’s record is nine wins, one loss and one draw. They also have scored the third most goals in division one with 29 goals.

Senior forward and Georgia native Justin McLean slowed down his goal contributions over the past month. His last goal was against Stetson on Sept. 10. He tallied two assists with one against William & Mary and another at Boston College. He continues to start games for the Wolfpack with nine starts in twelve games.

The Wolfpack rebounded with a 1-0 win over Clemson on Friday. The first half remained scoreless, but NC State found its goal quickly in the second half. In the 53rd minute, Sophomore Frankie DeFrancesco scored the winning goal. This was his first goal of the season.

N.C. State has four more regular season games on its schedule with some strong competition ahead. They play No. 23 UNC Greensboro and No. 7 Duke. Duke holds the most goals scored in division one with 33. The Wolfpack defense has ten shutouts this year which will make this an interesting matchup.

The Wolfpack travel to South Bend, Ind., to play Notre Dame on Oct. 17 at 7pm.

Blake Caviness

Jordynn Dudley leads No. 5 Florida State women’s soccer (8-1-2, 4-1-1) in points and assists following a 4-2 loss to No. 2 Notre Dame (11-0-1, 6-0-0) on Thursday in South Bend, Ind.

The loss ended a 20-game consecutive win streak, dating back to a 3-2 loss against Virginia Tech on Oct. 6, 2024.

Dudley, a Cambridge High School alum, tacked on two assists for both goals scored by midfielder Taylor Suarez. Dudley has 9 assists on the year, leading the Seminoles. She had four shots and played all 90 minutes, but couldn’t score.

Dudley now has 17 points, surpassing Wrianna Hudson’s 16. She has a nine-game streak of earning points. In six of those games, Dudley secured multiple points.

Solai Washington, a Chamblee High School graduate, saw the back of the net for the second time this season against Miami, one game before. The sophomore forward has five points in five starts for the Noles.

The ACC All-Freshman Team award recipient has had much less field time this year. Last year, Washington started 16 of 17 games, finishing the season with six goals and two assists. She was fourth on the team in points with 14.

In 441 minutes thus far this season, Washington has two goals, both game winners, and one assist. The reason for not starting her is unclear, but it has not slowed down the Seminoles' success much.

The Seminoles have another top-five matchup next game on Oct. 16 against No. 3 Stanford. The game will be held at Seminole Soccer Complex at 7 p.m.

Wesley Webb

The No. 13 Wake Forest women’s soccer team remained undefeated at home after a 1-1 draw against Louisville on Oct. 9 at Spry Stadium. The Demon Deacons (9-2-3, 3-1-2 ACC) grabbed the lead in the 30th minute when freshman Allie Flanagan cleaned up a rebound for her fifth goal of the season. Wake controlled the tempo in the first half, holding 57% possession and limiting the Cardinals (10-3-1, 3-2-1 ACC) to just two shots.

Wake Forest looked poised to take all three points, but Louisville equalized in the 82nd minute, forcing the draw. Still, it was a strong night for redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Valentina Amaral, who made two key saves to bring her season total to a career-best 46. Junior defender Sammi Wiemann made her first career start and played the full 90 minutes in a solid defensive effort.

“We played an excellent first half, executed our game plan and played with control,” said head coach Tony da Lu in a news release. “Our second half lacked composure down the stretch, but to draw against a good Louisville team is a fair result.”

With the result, Wake Forest sits tied for fourth in the ACC with 11 points, and they’ll need another strong performance in their next test, a road trip to Clemson on Thursday.

Cortland Tollman

Emory women’s soccer is off to the best start in program history. After defeating Sewanee 1-0 on the road, the Eagles recorded their 10th straight win to open the season.

The decisive goal came in the 17th minute from Mikayla Camp, securing Emory’s 10th victory. With the streak, the Eagles climbed to No. 2 in the Division III rankings, trailing only Messiah University.

Emory’s run ended in its most recent match, a scoreless draw against No. 16 Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh. Despite multiple chances, the Eagles were unable to break through as the Tartans’ goalkeeper kept them off the scoreboard.

The Eagles face a challenging stretch ahead with ranked matchups against No. 8 Brandeis, No. 25 NYU and No. 6 Chicago. Emory has seven regular-season games remaining before turning its focus to the Division III women’s soccer championship playoffs.

Virginia Miller

The Georgia Gwinnett women’s soccer team will be without star forward Camila Madriz Figueroa as it travels to Kentucky for matches against Campbellsville and Lindsey Wilson, and no clear replacement has yet emerged.

Head coach Mike Giuliano described the Stetson transfer as a “star in the making” before her injury, but a torn ACL has derailed both her season and the Grizzlies’ momentum. GGC has rotated through several attacking options, though none have matched Madriz Figueroa’s impact. Her absence was evident in a 2-2 draw with Bethel, which entered the match with a 2-7 record.

With less than a month until the Continental Athletic Conference tournament and the NAIA selection show, GGC is looking to strengthen its postseason résumé. The Grizzlies have dropped to No. 20 in the NAIA coaches poll and must climb into the top 16 to secure hosting rights for the opening round of the NAIA tournament.

This week’s road trip to Kentucky offers the Grizzlies a chance to prove they are worthy of hosting if they can come away with two victories.

Jack Little

The Georgia Southern men’s soccer team suffered its first loss of the season on Oct. 4 against No. 4 West Virginia. The 2-0 loss was the first time Georgia Southern conceded more than one goal in a game this season, and also the first time they failed to score since its 0-0 draw against UNCW in nonconference play. The loss comes just days after the Eagles took down No. 17 Marshall 2-1, the current runner-up of the NCAA tournament.

Georgia Southern went undefeated in nonconference play, earning six wins and one draw. Ricky Louis is the current top goalscorer for the Eagles, with six goals so far. He was recently named to the Hermann Trophy Midseason Watch List as a contender for the player of the year. Goalkeeper Nate Martinez has played every minute of every game, registering 31 saves and a save percentage of 83.8% so far. Ryan Holmes, a forward from Milton Keynes, England, has only played five games so far but is the second top goal scorer with three goals. Georgia Southern’s strong defensive record of just six goals conceded in 10 games has helped it earn its current ranking of No. 11 in the country.

Ethan Wilcox

Georgia State women’s soccer has found momentum as the season progresses, highlighted by a 2-1 Sun Belt Conference win over Georgia Southern on Oct. 5. It was the Panthers’ first victory in the series after six meetings.

Sunniyah Tucker opened the scoring for Georgia State before Georgia Southern equalized in the 57th minute. Less than two minutes later, Aaliyah Faddoul restored the lead with a finish inside the box. Faddoul, the conference’s leading scorer, now has 14 goals this season.

The win moved Georgia State to 7-5-1 overall and 3-2 in Sun Belt play. Despite being outshot and losing the possession battle, the Panthers showed resilience under pressure to secure the result.

The Panthers entered conference play with confidence after a 4-2 win over Southern Miss in September, but back-to-back losses to Marshall and Texas State, along with a draw against Coastal Carolina, slowed their progress.

Looking ahead, Georgia State will travel to Troy on Oct. 12 for another key Sun Belt matchup. With postseason seeding on the line, the Panthers will need consistency and efficiency to climb the standings and make a strong tournament run.

Maisie Gold

Georgia State men’s soccer battled to a 1-1 draw against visiting James Madison on Oct. 10, improving to 3-3-5 overall and 1-1-2 in the Sun Belt Conference. It was the Panthers’ fifth draw of the season, underscoring both their resilience and the challenge of turning close matches into victories.

James Madison struck first when Manuel Lolas scored in the sixth minute, putting the Panthers on the defensive early. Georgia State answered in the 15th minute through leading scorer Samir Djeha, who fought through contact near the goal and fired home his sixth goal of the season. It marked his fourth straight match with a goal.

The rest of the contest was defined by strong defensive play. In the second half, each team managed only four shots. Georgia State held a slight edge overall, outshooting James Madison 10-6, including a 6-2 advantage in shots on target. Five Panthers played the full 90 minutes to anchor the defense.

While the draw extended Georgia State’s unbeaten streak, the Panthers will look to convert ties into wins as the season progresses. Their next match is a critical road test at Jacksonville on Oct. 14.

Cortland Tollman

Mercer women’s soccer began conference play following its four-match run at home with a win, two losses and two draws from its next five fixtures. The Bears began this stretch with a 2-2 draw away to Furman on Sept. 18. The hosts found themselves 2-0 up after just over 15 minutes before Mercer scored two quick goals of their own, Sydney Farr from the spot in the 32nd minute and Payton Nutzman’s sixth of the season in the 34th, to rescue a point. The Bears then returned to Macon with a 2-1 loss to Western Carolina on Sept. 21. Morganne Eikelbarner also tallied her sixth of the year to give Mercer the lead in the 16th minute, but the Catamounts responded with goals in the 50th and 69th minutes to take the win. Mercer next hosted East Tennessee State in a 1-1 draw on Sept. 26. Nutzman found the back of the net again in the 49th minute before ETSU broke Mercer hearts in the 88th minute.

Things only got worse for the Bears, as they followed that up with a 4-2 loss away at Chattanooga on Oct. 2. After a scoreless first half, the Mocs scored all four of their goals before the 70th minute before Mercer fought back with two quick consolation goals from Maria Karipidis in the 81st minute and Eikelbarner in the 82nd. The Bears finally ended their five-match winless run dating back to the Jacksonville State game with a 2-0 win away to bottom-of-the-table VMI on Oct. 5. Kelsie Henton opened the scoring in the 30th minute, and Peyton Kreul doubled the lead in the 78th.

Mercer will finish regular-season conference play with home matches against UNC Greensboro on Oct. 11 and Samford on Oct. 16, a visit to The Citadel on Oct. 19 and a return home to face Wofford on Oct. 26. The Bears will then begin the Southern Conference Championship with either a play-in match on Oct. 28 or a quarterfinal on Oct. 31.

Jake Branan

The Mercer men’s soccer team secured an impressive 1-1 draw against No. 7 Furman on Saturday, snapping a four-game losing streak. The match marked the Southern Conference opener for both teams.

Graduate senior Gavin Morgan put the Bears ahead in the 15th minute, scoring his first goal at Mercer. The play began with a corner kick from Fernando Arteaga, who connected with Will Taylor before Morgan finished the sequence. Morgan, a transfer from Grace College, has started all 11 matches this season.

Mercer limited Furman to six shots in the first half, but the Paladins pressed for an equalizer after the break. Defender Braden Dunham leveled the score in the 77th minute, finishing off a direct free kick from Connor Stout. Furman tallied 12 shots in the second half.

Despite conceding late, the Bears turned in a strong performance against a top opponent. It was not their first result against a ranked team this season — on Sept. 7, Mercer defeated then-No. 22 South Florida 2-1 at home with a goal in the 90th minute.

With six conference games remaining, Mercer (2-6-2, 0-0-1 SoCon) sits tied for third in the standings with one point. The Bears travel to face first-place Wofford on Oct. 11.

Blake Caviness

The University of North Georgia Nighthawks extended their unbeaten record to 10-0-1 on Wednesday, Oct. 8, following a 5-0 home win against Albany State. Ranked No. 2 in the Division II Southeast Region and No. 5 nationally in the Division II Coaches Poll, the Nighthawks now hold the program’s best record since 2011.

Five different players scored in the match, showcasing the team’s depth. Junior forward Grace McGill netted a goal off a rebound from a corner kick in the 23rd minute. Earlier this week, McGill was named Peach Belt Conference Defender of the Week after scoring in matches against Columbus State and Lander.

The Nighthawks scored four goals in a 10-minute span. Sophomore forward Chloe Diaz opened scoring in the 16th minute, followed seconds later by Nina Lopez. McGill added her goal in the 23rd minute, and freshman midfielder Adleigh Wheeler followed up in the 24th. Freshman Kamora Hall sealed the win with her first collegiate goal in the 50th minute.

North Georgia has outscored conference opponents 17-2 and boasts one of the strongest defenses in the Peach Belt. The Nighthawks will face Georgia Southwestern on Oct. 11 in Americus.

Gianna Uvari

United Futbol Academy Mountains have dominated the U14 Boys Champions League SCCL standings, winning all seven of their matches so far. They are the only team to have scored more than 20 goals and have conceded just seven.

Concorde Fire South have played six games, winning five and losing one. They boast the league’s best defense, allowing only five goals. A win in their next match would move them within three points of United Futbol Academy Mountains.

NASA Tophat, last year’s U13 Boys Champions League winners, have had an underwhelming season, sitting midtable with three wins and three losses. Despite their record, they have conceded only eight goals — fewer than four teams above them in the standings.

Newcomer Athens United is still searching for its first win, earning draws against Concorde Fire Alpharetta and United Futbol Academy Red. Gwinnett Soccer Academy South sits at the bottom of the table with five losses and one draw.

Ethan Wilcox