The No. 4 seed Clemson Tigers lost 1-0 to the No. 13 seed Pittsburgh Panthers in the first round of the ACC tournament at Historic Riggs Field on Nov. 5. Coming off of a 3-3 tie against Virginia Tech to close out the season last week with an overall conference record now of 4-2-2, the Tigers were hoping to move forward in the ACC Tournament.

In this tight defensive match, the Tigers had the home-field advantage and dominated in multiple game stats. The Tigers dominated the possession, with the Panthers only controlling the ball for 44% of the game.

Clemson also had a total of 20 shots to the Panthers five, with four shots from freshman midfielder Abdou Mane.

Early on in the game, the Panthers scored a goal in the eighth minute through Lasse Dahl from an assist by Tomas Bedouret. This set the tone for most of the game, and while Clemson had great defense and a total of 13 shots in the second half, it was not able to equalize.

While the Tigers were eliminated from the ACC Tournament, they can still qualify for the NCAA College Cup playoffs given their strong overall record of 8-5-3. For now, the Tigers will have to sit tight for their fate to be revealed during the College Cup selection show on Nov. 17.

Gianna Uvari

The North Carolina Courage’s season has come to an end following a heartbreaking final day of NWSL play. The Courage won 3-2 over Gotham FC on Nov. 2, but it was not enough to earn a playoff spot as Racing Louisville’s 1-0 win over Bay FC sealed their fate.

Roswell, Ga., native Riley Jackson ends the season with 23 starts, two goals and one assist. Her equalizing goal against Racing Louisville was her shining moment in terms of goal contributions this season. She made two appearances off the bench as well.

North Carolina’s 3-1 loss to Racing Louisville seemed to be the final nail in the coffin for its playoff hopes, but there was still a statistical chance for the Courage, who picked up seven from a possible nine points in the last three games. Unfortunately for them, Racing Louisville held on to its lead and jumped Gotham FC on the final day to finish seventh in the NWSL for its first NWSL playoff appearance ever.

In an interesting turn of events for the Courage, North Carolina FC, the Courage’s USL counterpart, has paused operations, preparing to restart in 2028. This could mean more financial support for the Courage. It could also raise concerns over the financial viability of the club.

The NWSL will restart in March. Carolina will have a lot of work to do in the offseason to get ready for a playoff push next season.

Jack Little

Nashville SC kept its postseason alive on Saturday night with a crucial 2-1 victory over Inter Miami, forcing a decisive Game 3 in the first round of the MLS Eastern Conference playoffs. The win marked Nashville’s first playoff triumph since 2021 and showcased the team’s renewed intensity and discipline.

Sam Surridge opened the scoring in the ninth minute, converting a penalty kick in front of a sellout crowd of 30,000 at GEODIS Park. Defender Josh Bauer added a second goal just before halftime, becoming the first defender in club history to score in an MLS playoff match. His strike gave the Coyotes momentum heading into the second half.

Despite dominating possession with 61% and nearly doubling Nashville’s pass total, Miami struggled to convert its chances. Goalkeeper Joe Willis made a game-saving stop on Luis Suárez from close range, preserving the lead. Lionel Messi pulled one back for Miami in the 90th minute, but it proved too late.

As the top seed going into the postseason, Inter Miami will host the pivotal Game 3 at Chase Stadium on Saturday, November 8.  The winner advances to the semifinals of the Eastern Conference and gets closer to the MLS Cup.

With captain and Georgia native Walker Zimmerman anchoring a Nashville back line that has remained composed under pressure, the Coyotes will try to carry their defensive discipline and early scoring form into the decisive match. Miami’s high-powered attack, led by Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez, will test Nashville’s organization and resolve as they aim to capitalize on home-field advantage and advance deeper into the postseason.

Maisie Gold

No. 3 Columbus State women’s soccer will host USC Aiken in the Peach Belt Conference quarterfinals on Saturday at its home, the Walden Soccer Complex. The Cougars are aiming for their third consecutive conference title.

Columbus State finished 8-2 in conference play this season. It swept USC Aiken 9-1 in an earlier meeting at home and is looking to replicate similar dominance in postseason play. The team emphasized consistent play and team depth during the regular season, and those strengths will be critical in the knockout format of the tournament.

The Cougars racked up 51 goals this season, while conceding only 13 in conference play. They posted 308 total shots, 135 of these on target — figures that rank them among the most aggressive in the league. Defensively, Columbus State recorded 44 saves on the season, limiting opponents’ opportunities and maintaining a disciplined back line.

Saturday’s matchup kicks off what promises to be an exciting postseason run for Columbus State, which has become a true contender in the PBC. A win would advance the Cougars to the semifinal round and keep their hopes alive for another conference title. Home-field advantage could be a key factor in maintaining the team’s momentum.

Drew Renner

The Emory Women’s soccer team’s perfect season has finally come to an end. On senior night at home, the Eagles fell to the No. 2-ranked Washington University (St. Louis) Bears. This game snapped a 15-game win streak for the Eagles, which was their third-longest streak in program history. The teams played an even game, with the Bears narrowly winning with more shots on goal, 13-12, over the Eagles. WashU scored first in the game and held a 1-0 lead heading into the half; however, just 95 seconds into the second half, junior forward Kaitlyn Nimmer leveled the playing field to 1-1. In the 81st minute of the match, the Bears ended the tie with a final goal that forced the game to end with a 2-1 WashU victory.

Following this defeat, on Nov. 1, the Eagles bounced back with a 1-0 win on the road at No. 5-ranked Case Western Reserve in Cleveland, Ohio. The Eagles have only one regular-season game left in the 2025 season, heading to No.15 Rochester on Saturday, November 8. The team begins postseason play with the first rounds starting on November 15-16.

Virginia Miller

The Georgia Gwinnett women’s soccer team begins postseason play this weekend as the host of the Continental Athletic Conference tournament. The Grizzlies will face the winner of Florida National and Carolina at 11 a.m. on Sunday, two teams that they have already beaten handily.

Georgia Gwinnett (8-5-5) enters the tournament as the first seed following the selection committee’s decision. The CAC does not have a traditional conference schedule, so the selection committee decides on seeding. Bellevue from Nebraska, Hesston from Kansas, Florida National, Carolina and first-year program Dakota State make up the rest of the tournament field.

The Grizzlies are the defending CAC champions after defeating Bellevue on penalties. The Bruins are expected to be the stiffest competition for the Grizzlies and are favored to set up a rematch in the CAC conference championship.

Despite losing star forward Camila Madriz Figueroa earlier this season to an ACL injury, the Grizzlies have scored 25 goals in the past four games, including three goals in a 3-3 draw with then No. 12 Life University. Defender-turned-forward Christy Noble has stepped in as Madriz Figueroa’s replacement and has been paramount to the Grizzlies’ recent attacking prowess.

GGC is on the bubble for the NAIA national tournament. The Grizzlies sit fifth in strength of schedule and 22nd in RPI. The Grizzlies will secure a tournament berth with a conference title, but will submit themselves to the will of the committee with a loss.

Jack Little

The Georgia Southern women’s soccer team finished out its season with a 1-0 loss to rival Appalachian State on Oct. 29 in Boone, N.C. The Eagles had an underwhelming season, winning only two matches the entire fall, finishing 0-5-5 in the Sun Belt Conference. Despite the performance, they will only graduate three seniors, leaving them with lots of young talent in the seasons ahead.

The Eagles had a dry spell after their Aug. 14 win against Samford, not finishing with another win. Georgia Southern’s season comes to a close with no playoff berth.

Frankie Hennessy

Georgia State men’s soccer is preparing for the 2025 Sun Belt Conference Championship, which will take place from November 9 through 16 at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium in Morgantown, West Virginia.

The Panthers enter the tournament as the No. 6 seed and will face No. 3 Marshall in the quarterfinals on Sunday, November 9, at 7 p.m. EST. The matchup gives Georgia State a chance to redeem itself after falling 3-1 to the Thundering Herd earlier this season. Marshall has had the upper hand in this series, with Georgia State holding a 0-2-2 record all-time, but this will be the first time the two programs meet in the conference tournament. The winner will advance to the semifinals on Nov. 12 to face either West Virginia or Old Dominion.

What makes this contest particularly interesting is the contrast between the teams’ positions and styles. Marshall has been one of the Sun Belt’s strongest and most consistent programs, while Georgia State comes in as a hungry underdog looking to make a postseason run. The Panthers have shown steady improvement throughout the season, particularly in their defensive organization and ability to create scoring opportunities against higher-ranked opponents. With an NCAA Tournament berth on the line, this game is not only about advancing in the conference but also about proving Georgia State can compete at the national level. A win would mark one of the most significant moments in recent program history.

Full bracket and tournament details here.

Cortland Tollmann

Georgia State was eliminated from the playoffs after a 4-0 defeat against Old Dominion in the first round of the 2025 Sun Belt Women’s Soccer Championship on Nov. 3 in Foley, Ala.

The Panthers conceded four goals from four different Monarchs scorers. Georgia State All Sun Belt star Aaliyah Faddoul was unable to find the back of the net, and the rest of the Panthers’ attack struggled as well. Georgia State managed just six shots, with only two on target, compared to Old Dominion’s 16 total attempts. Conceding in the first 15 minutes made it for the Panthers from the offset, Yuliia Khrystiuk scored on their first corner of the game. Despite this, ODU head coach Angie Hind stated after the match that she believed, “initially Georgia State had a hold on the play.”

The Panthers secured a playoff berth as the No. 7 seed and faced a tough matchup against the No. 2 seed Old Dominion. The Monarchs entered the tournament with a 9-2-4 overall record and a 5-1-3 mark in conference play, while Georgia State held a 9-7-2 overall record and went 5-4-1 in divisional play.

As in their previous meeting on Oct. 29, Old Dominion defeated Georgia State 2-1 in the final match of the regular season. The teams met again on Nov. 3 for a chance to advance in the single-elimination tournament. The loss marked the end of Georgia State’s season.

Old Dominion will advance to face ULM in the semifinals on November 9 in Morgantown, West Virginia.

Maisie Gold

Often overused by journalists to refer to some significant accomplishment of a player or a team, but this time it's true: the North Georgia men’s soccer team has made history. For the first time since its founding, the team has claimed the Peach Belt Conference regular season title. Additionally, it secured the top seed in the 2025 PBC Tournament automatically. The Nighthawks beat their personal record thanks to a not-so-exciting but significant scoreless tie against No. 24 Flagler. Their season ended with a record of 9-4-5 overall, including an 8-2-2 conference record.

Head coach Anel Lilic has accomplished some of the most impressive personal results. He was the first coach in the program's history to be named the PBC Coach of the Year. Lilic has expressed immense satisfaction with his team this season in a press release.

“Winning the first regular-season championship in program history is a tremendous moment for our team and for the entire UNG community,” he said. “What has truly enabled this group to make history is their incredible togetherness and discipline.”

Because they ended as the top seed, North Georgia automatically obtained a bye in the PBC Tournament. This means it did not have to play in the quarterfinal and advanced directly to the semifinal. The Nighthawks will host Clayton State.

Considering how strong North Georgia has been at home this season, with a 5-0-3 record, the home-field advantage of playing the semifinals and the final at home may give them a promising edge at this moment. The home-field advantage means that North Georgia will be playing in familiar spaces, with their home crowd cheering them on, which can often boost a team's performance. Who knows that they may pull off another remarkable accomplishment to be remembered for years to come.

Massimo Bellew

The No. 8-ranked UNG Nighthawks women's soccer team closed out a perfect Peach Belt Conference record with a 3-0 win over Clayton State on Nov. 1. After this game at Laker field, the Nighthawks closed out the regular season with an undefeated record of 10-0-0 in the Peach Belt Conference play, and an overall record of 15-1-1.

The Nighthawks scored all 3 goals in the first half of the game. The first goal was made in the eighth minute by junior forward Grace McGill with an assist from sophomore midfielder Nina Lopez to set the tone. McGill was also named by the Nighthawks selection committee as Chick-fil-A’s Nighthawk of the Week with three goals this season, with two of the three being game-winners, including her goal against Clayton State.

In the 19th minute, senior forward Kyleigh Drew scored the second, followed by assisting Lopez with the third goal in the 27th minute.

Not only did the Nighthawks outscore the Lakers, but they outperformed the team by outstanding numbers. The Nighthawks had 22 shots to the Lakers' four, and 12 shots on goal to the Lakers' three.

This upcoming weekend, the Nighthawks will go head-to-head once again with Clayton State with a lot more on the line in the Peach Belt Conference Championship quarterfinals on Nov. 8. However, this time, the Nighthawks may have a home-field advantage as the No.1 seed.

Gianna Uvari

Mercer women’s soccer completed its regular-season slate and began the Southern Conference tournament last week.

The Bears rounded out their regular season with a scoreless draw at home to Wofford on Oct. 26. Despite the lack of scoring, the Bears completely overwhelmed the Terriers, especially in the second half. Mercer registered 28 shots, 17 of which were on target, to just nine total for Wofford. All those missed chances would come back to haunt Mercer, as the result dropped the Bears to sixth in the conference table.

That meant Mercer would kick off the tournament against East Tennessee State on Oct. 31. Maggie Rollins opened both the scoring in this match and her account on the season in the 23rd minute before ETSU’s Grace Eatz equalized in the 65th minute. However, Maria Karipidis played the hero for Mercer in the 83rd minute to give the Bears a 2-1 win.

The win set up a semifinal against Western Carolina on Nov. 2. The Catamounts proved to be an immediate step up in quality, as they outshot Mercer 7-2 in the first half and 10-4 overall in normal time. Despite this, the match was scoreless after one period of extra time. But just as she had all season, Morganne Eikelbarner came through when the Bears needed her most, converting a spot kick in the 109th minute to give Mercer a 1-0 win.

This is the Bears’ first appearance in the title game since 2015, and if they beat reigning champions Samford on Nov. 9, they will take home the crown for just the second time ever and first since 2014.

Jake Branan