Top 5 Goals: NWSL Matchday 16 & NCAA Soccer Week 2

This edition of Top 5 Goals is an all-California affair with all five players playing for a team based out of the Golden State. Thanks to NWSL expansion, we now have soccer in California, and college soccer will allow us to enjoy a couple more years of true PAC-12 soccer between USC and UCLA, leaving the conference in 2024. Whether teams are coming or going, it’s impossible to talk about women’s soccer without mentioning how important California is at all levels of the game. So let’s take a closer look at the best women’s soccer goals from the NWSL Matchday 16 and Week two of NCAA women’s soccer action. 

5. Sunshine Fontes – UCLA

🚨 GOLAZO ALERT 🚨@sunshinefontes hits the spot to give UCLA a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute!

📺: @Pac12Network
📲: https://t.co/A1ymGUZH7t #GoBruins pic.twitter.com/PQw8fvQgQE

— UCLA Women's Soccer (@UCLAWSoccer) August 25, 2022

When big-name stars leave, others will always be there to take their place. UCLA has a new star that everyone needs to know about, and her name is Sunshine Fontes. After starting in just five games last year, she’s already making a huge splash this season.

The forward netted a hat-trick against Cal State Northridge with three incredible goals; this was the first. Fontes took on the entire defense, beating four defenders on her way to firing the ball into the top corner. Nothing was going to stop her from scoring, and Northridge just couldn’t stop her in this matchup. 

4. Claire Emslie – Angel City FC

An absolute beaut from @emslie22 😍@weareangelcity | #AngelCityFC pic.twitter.com/EVirbVJcQc

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) August 28, 2022

Angel City had yet to really have a multi-goal performance where they dominated another team until they beat up on Gotham over the weekend. After going up 2-0 in the first half, it seemed like Angel City could’ve let up and gotten complacent.

Claire Emslie had other ideas with this beautiful strike from long distance. The Scottish international did well to get onto her left foot and create space for the shot. Michelle Betos will be called into question for her positioning but take nothing away from Emslie, who had enough pace and bend on the shot to beat Betos handily. The former Everton and Orlando Pride player has been a huge signing for Angel City and figures to have a huge role in attack the rest of the way.

3. Sunshine Fontes – UCLA

.@sunshinefontes with the hat trick ‼️

#NCAASoccer x 🎥 @UCLAWSoccer pic.twitter.com/8eNC1EodFA

— NCAA Soccer (@NCAASoccer) August 26, 2022

The aforementioned Sunshine Fontes showed off her skills in a variety of ways. The time spent during and after practice is clear with a free kick like this. Fontes knew exactly what she wanted to do and curled the ball perfectly into the top corner. A little similar to Lindsay Horan’s goal for Lyon at the WICC, no keeper in the world would’ve been able to stop Fontes’ strike. It doesn’t get cleaner than that. 

2. Savannah McCaskill – Angel City FC

The 'meg, the finish 🤯 @smccaskill_7 strikes first!@weareangelcity | #AngelCityFC pic.twitter.com/cbZ3d9zSr9

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) August 28, 2022

With Christen Press out for the season, everyone on Angel City has had to pick up the slack to make up for her absence. One of those players is Savannah McCaskill, who continues to improve and improve due to her hard work. This was a jaw-dropping goal where McCaskill nutmegs McCall Zerboni and then goes with a nasty near-post finish to beat Michelle Betos. Who knew Savannah McCaskill had this much sauce!? It’s great to see her playing this well and getting the recognition she deserves at Angel City. 

1. Lumi Kostmayer – Stanford

Lumi Kostmayer goes the distance ‼️#NCAASoccer x 🎥 @StanfordWSoccer pic.twitter.com/QyNXzsVwQW

— NCAA Soccer (@NCAASoccer) August 26, 2022

Stanford has dominated their opponents to start the season, out-scoring their opponents by a combined score of 13-1. Lumi Kostmayer scored the best of those 13 in their match against San Francisco with this audacious and filthy goal.

From at least 35 yards out, maybe more, Kostmayer picked her head up, saw the keeper off her line, and went for goal. Kostmayer’s touch had to be perfect; too much, and the ball likely goes over the crossbar. But instead, the ball floated into the goal perfectly, showing Kostmayer’s confidence in her abilities. Few players would’ve tried this in a game and actually succeeded at doing it. 

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