Game of the Week

Saturday’s Emerald City Derby doubles as a vital six-pointer in the battle for the Northwest Conference crown. Defending conference champion Seattle Sounders Women currently finds itself level with crosstown rivals PacNW-OSA FC after defeating ISC Gunners FC 5-2 on Wednesday. Whichever club emerges victorious from this skirmish at Starfire Sports Stadium will have a clear upper hand entering the final match week of the regular season.

Player on fire

Australian youth international Remy Siemsen claimed the pole position in the WPSL golden boot race with a hat trick against MVLA Wolves last weekend. That scoring outburst gives the 18-year-old an incredible eight goals in her first seven league matches. Siemsen will need to stay hot in the California Storm’s regular season finale against Marin FC Alliance — and hope for other results around the Bay Area Conference to break their way — in order to keep her 2018 season alive.

Clinch watch

Utah Red Devils kick off the weekend action in the West Region on Friday night, and they just need one point out of their match against Players SC to make it all but a certainty that they will win the Mountain Conference. Technically, the Red Devils need two points from their last three matches to ensure that Utah Arrows SC can’t tie them on points, but the Devils’ advantage in goal difference is so massive (+14) that they are extremely unlikely to be caught if they can muster just one result from their final three matches. Then again, given how dominant Utah has been so far this year — undefeated, with just one goal allowed in five matches — it probably won’t come down to that.

It’s the final match weekend in the Bay Area Conference, and there are three teams with a chance to win. San Francisco Nighthawks begin play at the top of the table, but their's is just a slender one-point advantage over California Storm and Fresno FC Ladies. Despite entering the weekend in second, it’s Fresno that truly has the upper hand here, with two matches and six possible points still up for grabs, compared to just one and three for the other two challengers.