South County (Va.) made history last season, winning the first state championship in program history.

The Stallions had never made the state semifinals before then, but that didn’t stop them from going 17-0 and claiming the 6A title.

While South County returned plenty of experience from that championship team — eight of 11 starters — each year presents a new challenge. So far, the Stallions have passed this season’s challenges with flying colors. They have extended their unbeaten streak to 28 games, sandwiching a scoreless tie in between two runs of five consecutive wins, and have risen to No. 2 in this week’s JWS high school soccer rankings — up two spots from the last edition.

Talent is sprinkled all across the Stallions’ roster with defenders Brooke Birrell (Maryland commit) and Avril Silva (George Washington) marshaling the backline, seniors Abigail Colangelo (Duquesne) and Lauren Dupont (Northeastern) controlling the midfield, and forwards Jaidyn Curry (Dartmouth), Riley Brodrick (Ithaca College) and Tusca Mahmoudpour (Miami) leading the front line. That doesn’t even included injured defender Alyssa Cacace (Virginia Military Institute).

(Note that these rankings do not include teams from Georgia, Alabama and North Carolina, as their seasons are nearly done.)

Breaking news: your 2021 Girls Soccer State Champions 🥇@soco_gsoc @fcpsnews @Karen4Schools @soco_principal @LJ4fcps pic.twitter.com/Bm63MVykS0

— Brett M. Garner (he/him) (@GARNERyourGRIT) June 24, 2021

1. Valor Christian (Colo.), 12-0

The Eagles have not lost a regular season game in over three years and have outscored opponents 59-3 this season.

2. South County (Va.), 10-0-1

The Stallions are two wins away from a second consecutive undefeated regular season.

3. Bentonville (Ark.), 16-0-2

If the Tigers avoid defeat in their regular season finale, they will enter the playoffs undefeated.

4. Gretna (Neb.), 17-0

The Dragons opened postseason play Monday with a 16-1 victory.

5. Colonial Forge (Va.), 11-0

The Eagles just keep winning, and their season-opening win over Colgan looks better and better as the Sharks move up the rankings.

6. Valley (Iowa), 12-0

The Tigers have posted three consecutive shutouts and allowed just one goal in the last seven games.

7. St. Thomas Aquinas (Kan.), 12-0-1

The Saints earned a 1-0 double-overtime victory Tuesday over Blue Valley West, last season’s Class 6A state champions.

8. Colgan (Va.), 11-1-1

Led by junior forward Samantha DeGuzman, a Virginia Tech commit, the Sharks are averaging over four goals per game.

9. Broken Arrow (Okla.), 12-1

Broken Arrow cruised in its state playoff opener Monday and is now three wins from a state championship.

10. Legacy (Colo.), 13-1

The Lightning returned to the field Tuesday after six days off and cruised to a 10-0 win.

11. Yorktown (Va.), 10-1

Yorktown has reeled off 10 consecutive victories, nine by two goals or more.

12. Marian (Mich.), 7-0

The Mustangs scored the game-winning goal with less than two minutes left Tuesday, extending their perfect start under new head coach Reid Friedrichs.

Agatha Valka with a game winning goal for @MarianSoccer with 1:32 remaining to lift the Mustangs over @FGRathletics, 3-2!!! HUGE @CHSL1926 win! #MarianStrong #RoadWarriors pic.twitter.com/OOWh86vo0U

— Marian High School Athletics (@marianathletics) May 3, 2022

13. Fort Zumwalt South (Mo.), 18-1

The reigning Class 3A state champion Bulldogs have reeled off seven consecutive wins.

14. Triad (Ill.), 16-1

The Knights’ 41-game unbeaten streak ended with a 2-0 loss to Waterloo.

15. Pine Creek (Colo.), 14-0

The Eagles have scored 90 goals for an average of 6.4 per game.

16. Wade Hampton (S.C.), 18-1

The Generals appear to be peaking ahead of the state playoffs, having outscored opponents 12-1 in their last five games.

17. O’Fallon (Ill.), 14-1

Senior forward Avery Christopher spearheads the attack with 27 goals, over a third of the team’s scoring output.

18. Naperville Central (Ill.), 13-1-1

A rare goal against resulted in a 1-0 loss for the Redhawks.

19. Liberty North (Mo.), 15-0

The Eagles have already matched last year’s win total with two more regular-season games to go, and in doing so, make their first appearance in the rankings.

20. Wando (S.C.), 14-1

It’s not often that defending state champions in the highest classification fly under the radar. But the Warriors make their first appearance in the rankings on the back of a 14-game winning streak, including a 1-0 win over James Island on April 28.

21. Oregon (Wis.), 11-0

The Panthers’ dominance continued with a 6-0 win Wednesday. They have now outscored opponents 69-3 this season.

22. James Island (S.C.), 15-1-1

With a loss to Wando, James Island ended the regular season on a sour note, but now turns its attention to repeating as Class AAAA state champions.

23. Grandview (Colo.), 11-1-2

With over a week off, the Wolves will be well-rested when they face fellow 6A power Columbine in the regular-season finale.

24. St. Dominic (Mo.), 15-2

A 4-2 win Wednesday keeps the Crusaders on the right track.

25. Broomfield (Colo.), 11-2

With another 2-1 loss, the Eagles’ second in three games, Broomfield tumbled down the rankings.

Phillip Suitts is a contributing writer at Just Women’s Sports. He has worked at a variety of outlets, including The Palm Beach Post and Southeast Missourian, and done a little bit of everything from reporting to editing to running social media accounts. He was born in Atlanta but currently lives in wintry Philadelphia. Follow Phillip on Twitter @PhillipSuitts.

Australia and Manchester City forward Mary Fowler exited last Sunday’s FA Cup semifinal with a confirmed ACL injury, cutting short what had been a promising season for the young international star.

“Mary will remain under the care of the club’s medical team and start her rehabilitation,” City said after the team’s 2-0 loss to crosstown rivals Manchester United.

“It’s never easy when something like this happens, especially when you’ve been working so hard and feeling good,” Fowler added.

Fowler scored six goals in 17 WSL appearances for Manchester City this season, coupled with a league-leading seven assists. She joined City in 2022 from French side Montpellier, signing a four-year contract with the English team.

The news adds to City’s mounting injury tally, as the fourth-place team enters the UK league’s home stretch with Vivianne Miedema, Bunny Shaw, and Alex Greenwood on the sidelines. Additional unavailable players include Jill Roord, Laura Blindkilde-Brown, Aoba Fujino, Rebecca Knaak, and Lauren Hemp.

Fowler injury leaves 2026 Asian Cup fitness in question

Fowler's recent ACL tear has broader implications than club play.

Australia is set to host 2026 Asian Cup, with the 22-year-old striker expected to lead the Matildas' frontline at the tournament. However, with a lengthy rehabilitation process ahead, Fowler might not be available to represent her country when the Asian Cup kicks off next March.

“This is tough news for Mary and for all of us who know the dedication and passion she brings to her craft,” Matildas interim head coach Tom Sermanni said in a national team statement. “She’s an exceptional talent and a much-loved member of our team, and we know she’ll meet this challenge with the same courage she brings to the pitch.”

“Everyone in the Matildas and Football Australia family – players, coaches, and support staff – will be right behind Mary as she takes the first steps toward her comeback,” he continued.

Fowler debuted for Australia's national team in 2018. She went on to score 16 goals over 64 appearances.

NCAA conference realignment drastically altered this year's college sports landscape, affecting volleyball, basketball, and, now, softball, as former titans lose ground while others rise to the occasion.

After years dominating the Big 12, four-time reigning NCAA softball champions Oklahoma are now riding the ups and downs of the stacked SEC.

The Sooners recorded a loss to unranked Missouri and fell twice to then-No. 10 Tennessee last month, before dropping two of three games to then-No. 22 Alabama this week.

With the now-No. 17 Crimson Tide's victories, Oklahoma fell two spots to No. 4 in Tuesday's ESPN/USA Softball rankings update.

Similarly, after adding a pair of weekend losses to then-No. 5 Tennessee alongside earlier stumbles against ranked SEC foes Florida and Mississippi State, former Big 12 standout No. 1 Texas took a tumble, with the 2024 runners-up Longhorns sliding to No. 3 this week.

While those wins earned the Vols a boost to No. 2, a dark horse SEC squad took over the sport's No. 1 spot on Tuesday, when a 12-game winning streak lifted the Texas A&M Aggies atop both the SEC table and the national rankings for the first time in program history.

SEC solidifies itself as top NCAA softball conference

The fall of NCAA softball's recent giants from the sport's elite spots isn't due to a decline in Oklahoma's or Texas's play, but simply a result of the intense level of competition and talent in the SEC.

The conference now lays claim to all of NCAA softball’s top four teams — plus seven of the Top 10.

With the college softball postseason looming next month — not to mention the eight-team Women's College World Series beginning on May 29th — the SEC is proving itself the conference to beat in the 2025 title hunt.

How to watch SEC softball this weekend

While No. 1 Texas A&M will take the weekend off after closing out a three-game series against Missouri early Friday afternoon, both No. 3 Texas and No. 4 Oklahoma will be battling in SEC series.

The Longhorns hope to sweep No. 9 LSU after claiming a 7-3 series-opening win on Thursday. Friday's first pitch between the pair is at 5:30 PM ET on SECN+, with Saturday's final game beginning at 12 PM ET on ESPN2.

The Sooners will kick off their own three-game slate against No. 15 Mississippi State at 5 PM ET on Friday, streaming live on SoonerSports. The pair will close out the series with a Sunday doubleheader beginning at 3 PM ET, with both games airing on SECN+.

With a trio of old and new rivalries on deck, the 2025 NWSL season's fifth matchday promises budding top-table rivals, a bicoastal clash, and one of the league’s longest regional feuds.

Plus, with only two points separating the No. 5 and No. 12 teams in the standings, clubs will be focused on securing all three points as they strive to keep up with the season’s three remaining undefeated teams.

While the NWSL’s official Rivalry Week is still months away, this weekend’s key matchups provide some sneak-peek showdowns:

• Seattle Reign FC vs. Portland Thorns, Friday at 10 PM ET (Prime): In the first Cascadia Clash of the season, the Thorns — fresh off their first 2025 win — face a Seattle team trying to turn around a two-game losing streak.

• Angel City FC vs. Gotham FC, Friday at 10:30 PM ET (NWSL+): A classic East Coast vs. West Coast battle sees Gotham chasing Angel City up the table, as LA tries to keep their unbeaten streak alive against one of the league's more dangerous rosters.

• Orlando Pride vs. Washington Spirit, Saturday at 5:05 PM ET (ION): The Pride downed the Spirit at the 2024 NWSL Championship before Washington enacted revenge in the 2025 Challenge Cup, with both powerhouses now aiming for regular-season bragging rights.

As NWSL teams push for early-season positioning, this weekend’s action promises to up the stakes by tapping into rising tensions and rivalries — both old and new.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Just Women’s Sports (@justwomenssports)

Angel City hires new coach in Bundesliga's Alexander Straus

On Thursday, Angel City announced that the club officially filled its head coaching vacancy, hiring Frauen Bundesliga manager Alexander Straus to take over the LA team after his current season leading Bayern Munich ends on June 1st.

After more than a decade coaching in the club and youth national system of his home country Norway, Straus took charge of Bayern Munich in 2022, leading the German team to back-to-back league titles.

His 2024/25 squad is on track to claim a third straight Bundesliga trophy, and recently exited the competitive UEFA Champions League tournament in the quarterfinal round.

Following manager Becki Tweed's firing in December, ACFC tapped Sam Laity to serve as interim head coach as the club conducted an extensive global search for the permanent position.

"When we set out to hire our head coach, we looked for specific characteristics such as a dominant style of play, a proven winner at the highest level, a focus on player development, a collaborative mindset, and a leader in high performance," said ACFC sporting director Mark Parsons in a club statement. "Alex fits this profile at every measure."

Still undefeated entering the fifth matchday of the 2025 NWSL season, Angel City will continue under Laity until Straus's arrival.

The interim manager will then shift into an assistant coach capacity as Straus leads the 2022 expansion franchise as it hunts a second-ever postseason berth.

The 2024/25 UEFA Women's Champions League semifinals begin this weekend, as four powerhouse clubs familiar with the UWCL spotlight kick off their first matches of the two-leg round.

France's Olympique Lyonnais, Spain's Barcelona FC, and England's Arsenal and Chelsea will battle it out, with just two tickets to the winner-take-all May 24th final in Portugal on the line.

"The coolest thing about big tournaments and high-stake games is you might be expecting something, and you get something completely different," Olympique Lyonnais midfielder Lindsey Heaps told reporters this week. "That's when you see the best teams come out, and they're able to adjust."

Champions League semis pit WSL against European elite

Arguably topping the four-contender list are defending champs Barcelona, with the Spanish side hunting a fourth UWCL title in five years. First, however, they'll have to contend with a stacked Chelsea team hungry to lift a first-ever Champions League trophy — one that could clinch a historic quadruple.

Meanwhile, with both the men's and women's sides reaching this season's Champions League semifinals, Arsenal will square off against eight-time champions Lyon in a quest to claim their first UWCL title in over 18 years.

Both WSL titans are chasing history against their European opponents, with Arsenal still the only UK team to ever win Champions League.

The Gunners will kick off the round by hosting Lyon in their 60,000-capacity Emirates Stadium.

"Playing at the Emirates, and the hunger and the belief that we have as a team at the moment, we're going to go and play our game to the best we can," said Arsenal manager Renée Slegers.

With an estimated 40,000 tickets sold for the pivotal clash, Emirates provides an environment even Arsenal's opponents look forward to competing in.

"You always want these kind of crowds and this kind of atmosphere," Heaps said of the Saturday matchup. "Even if it's against you, it's the best thing in the world."

How to watch the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League semifinals

The first-leg matchups of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League semifinals kicks off on Saturday, when Arsenal hosts Lyon at 7:30 AM ET.

Then on Sunday, Chelsea will travel to Barcelona to take on the reigning champs at 12 PM ET.

Both matches will air live on DAZN.