1-v-2 Headlines Weekend of Unexpectedly Interesting Matchups

It’s been clear since February that No. 1 Boston College and No. 2 North Carolina were the best two teams in Division I. 

The Tar Heels’ early wins over James Madison, Syracuse and Florida showed that a healthy UNC would be tough to beat — and no one has beat them yet. But ACC rival and defending conference and NCAA champion Boston College has raced out to a 13-0 start despite significant losses from last year’s title-winning roster.

Both teams have knocked off No. 3 Northwestern. Both sit Nos. 1 and 2 in the NCAA statistical rankings in scoring offense and defense (BC is No. 1 in offense, and UNC No. 1 in defense).

Since the teams play in the ACC, we don’t need to wait until May to see them clash. That will happen Saturday at 11 a.m. in Chapel Hill. Of course, no trophies will be collected. And we’re not going out on a limb when we say these teams appear to be on a collision course for a best-of-three series that includes the ACC and NCAA championship games. 

The winner on Saturday will become the early favorite to take both.

But while all eyes will be on Chapel Hill, the heavyweight bout between the Eagles and Tar Heels is hardly the only good game of the weekend. There are others worth your while, including a few unexpectedly interesting matchups between new-to-the-chat programs.

PICK FIVE

SOUTH FLORIDA AT CHARLOTTE 
6 P.M. EASTERN FRIDAY | WATCH: ESPN+

South Florida storyline to watch: Mindy McCord strikes again. McCord built Jacksonville into a perennial conference champion and NCAA tournament team and appears well on her way to doing the same at USF, though current favorite James Madison might like a word. The Bulls knocked off formidable Mercer 11-8, hung tight with No. 6 Florida in an 18-11 loss in February and have jetted out to a 3-0 start in the American Athletic Conference. Their scoring offense (16.36) and defense (8.55) rank among the top 10 nationally. Unlike previous first-year teams built on the backs of grad transfers, some key cogs are around for the long haul in South Florida, including leading scorer Sofia Chepenik (36G, 46A). If you haven’t watched the Bulls, watch them — the storyline is that they’re up and coming, probably not going anywhere, and likely to become a foil to James Madison.

Charlotte storyline to watch: Charlotte hasn’t fared as well as the Bulls in year one. However, don’t let the four-game losing streak and under-.500 mark fool you. The 49ers nearly upended Vanderbilt in a 15-14 loss and held a 7-5 lead on No. 11 James Madison at halftime. It’s a scrappy bunch (much like South Florida). Keep an eye on Kylie Gioia, a senior attacker who leads Charlotte and sits 20th in Division I in points per game (5.08).

NO. 1 BOSTON COLLEGE AT NO. 2 NORTH CAROLINA  
11 A.M. EASTERN SATURDAY | ESPNU

Boston College storyline to watch: From Elizabeth Miller in the late 2010s to Shea Baker today, BC has had no shortage of defensive All-Americans (whose achievements often get less attention than the offensive stars whose names you’ll likely never forget). While Boston College did lose some significant players on the defensive end from last year, including Hunter Roman and Sydney Scales, Baker (21 GB, 26CT), Lydia Colasante (21GB, 20CT) and formidable netminder Shea Dolce (.562SV%) have picked up any slack. So, it’s unsurprising to see the Eagles ranked second only to UNC in scoring defense at 6.54 goals allowed per game. They’ll have their hands full against a dynamic Heels offense led by Chloe (50G, 14A) and Ashley (19G, 46A) Humphrey. But the veterans on this team were part of the team that, after falling behind 6-0 in the national championship against a Northwestern team led by Izzy Scane, Erin Coykendall and Madison Taylor, bucked down for a 14-13 win. Can they show similar resilience? Will they need to?

North Carolina storyline to watch: Win or lose, the Tar Heels are back. Don’t expect a pre-final four exit out of this team. But they’re also on a mission to right last year’s wrongs — beating the teams that beat them. Boston College fits that bill, earning an 18-12 win in the lone 2024 matchup between the two teams. 

NO. 14 PENN AT HARVARD  
12 P.M. EASTERN SATURDAY | ESPN+

Penn storyline to watch: Penn has every reason to return to Ivy League play with confidence this weekend. A last-minute goal by Keeley Block and a career-high 13-save performance from rookie goalie Orly Sedransk lifted the Quakers to a 13-12 win over No. 7 Maryland on Monday, marking the second year in a row the Quakers have upended the Terps. What will they do for an encore? It matters. With initial favorite Yale down (but not out after a win over Syracuse on Wednesday) and long-time rival Princeton rising, every Ivy League game matters.

Harvard storyline to watch: It’s been a rollercoaster year for Harvard, which has wins over Navy and UConn and a close call against Notre Dame (an 8-6 loss). But losses to Princeton (20-6) and Brown (12-10) have the Crimson squarely on the bubble — the last place it would like to be after being one of the first four out of last year’s NCAA tournament field. And, as Jeremy Fallis mentioned in the latest Bracketology, the bubble is enormous this year. Beating a Penn team fresh off a win over Maryland could make a statement to the powers that be in a month. 

NO. 8 STANFORD AT NOTRE DAME 
1 P.M. EASTERN SATURDAY | ACCNX

Stanford storyline to watch: After a 9-1 start, the Cardinal have somewhat come back to Earth, dropping two of the last three games. One of those losses, to top-ranked Boston College, was unsurprising even with Stanford’s impressive wins over Virginia and Yale. But a loss to Army last week should give Stanford cause for pause — and a reminder to never sleep on a team.

Notre Dame storyline to watch: It’s senior day in South Bend, but the Irish are chock-full of young talent. Freshman Madison Rassas (29G, 33A) and Kristen Shanahan (22G, 10A) power the offense, while Rassas (33DC) and sophomore Meghan O'Hare (29DC) join senior Ava Kristynik (35DC) as leaders in the circle. Get to know the youth because they’ll likely point to 2025 as a learning experience in a year or two. The Irish might be temporarily down, but they won’t be out of the national discussion long-term. 

NO. 7 MARYLAND AT NO. 20 USC
4 P.M. EASTERN SATURDAY | BTN+

Maryland storyline to watch: Time to get off the mat. After a one-goal loss to Penn in a game in which the Terps were favored, Maryland has two business trips in three days against Arizona State (Thursday) and USC (Saturday). It’s unlikely that either of the former Pac-12 teams will hold ring-kissing ceremonies, but the conference matchup with USC is certainly one to watch. The Women of Troy played Michigan and Johns Hopkins close in losses and beat Ohio State. Like Penn, they’ll be a tough out.

USC storyline to watch: When Maddie Dora gets going, buckle up. Dora is 10th nationally in goals per game (4.0) and leads the Women of Troy with 48 goals. Having Isabelle Vitale (25G, 36A) as a wing woman certainly helps. 

SNEAKY GOOD WATCH

JACKSONVILLE AT LINDENWOOD 
12 P.M. EASTERN SATURDAY | WATCH: ESPN+

Jacksonville is the long-time toast of the ASUN, and Lidenwood can’t change that this year. The Lions are ineligible for the postseason during their Division I transition period. But watch out. At 9-1 and with an overtime win over Coastal Carolina last weekend, the Lions are ready to roar. A game against last year’s conference tournament runner-up (and the 2017-23 champions) will likely have a playoff feel in the Lindenwood locker room.