In one of the greatest NPLW seasons to date, who will be sitting in the top four at the end of Round 14?
FV Emerging v Bulleen Lions
8:30 pm, Friday 16 June, Knox Regional Football Centre
Emerging fell agonisingly short of South Melbourne last week and Bulleen claimed all three points against Heidelberg on Monday night.
Bulleen forwards Alana Jancevski and Maja Markovski will prove tough opponents for Emerging's Zoe Bennett and Isabella Iccardo, but after containing Danielle Wise last week, the Emerging side will definitely be hard to overcome.
Defender Katie Beck was superb in the Lions' victory over Heidelberg last week and will match up against Emerging striker Clancy Westaway, while Kiera Meyers will provide a challenge for Bulleen defenders Faith Stephenson and Lia Muldeary on the wing.
Emerging captain Anika Dovaston showed her ability last week, scoring her second goal for the season, and will combine with Ehva Gutszmit and Alana Cortellino through midfield to take on Paige Zois, Aroha Little and Tyla Vlajnic.
FV Emerging are now winless in their last seven NPLW matches, the last time they went
longer without a win was a seven-game losing streak to begin the 2019 campaign.
The two teams couldn't be split when they faced off earlier in the year with the match ending in a 0-0 draw.
Can Emerging claim an elusive three points or can Bulleen jump to the top of the table?
Calder United v Preston Lions
3:00 pm, Saturday 17 June, Keilor Park Recreation Reserve
Calder destroyed Alamein 5-0 last Saturaday afternoon as Preston enjoyed the week off.
After sitting in the top two only a matter of weeks ago, Preston sits in ninth place having not registered a victory in seven weeks.
The Lions rank second for defence this season but need to improve their scoring if they are going to climb up the NPLW ladder.
Midfielder Miri Nishimura (5 goals) leads the way, while Mel Camillieri (3 goals), Paula Mitchell and Rachel Stirton (2 goals) are the only other multiple-goal scorers.
Calder's mid-season recruit, Raquel Deralas (6 goals) has been sensational since stepping into the side and will be a big challenge for Preston defenders Emily Checker and Olivia Edwards to contain. Kaitlyn Torpey will also have her work cut out for her, facing the crafty Keiwa Hieda (3 goals, 4 assists).
The midfield battle will go a long way in deciding this match with Preston's Miri Nishimura and Georgia Henderson coming up against Calder captain Ava Groba who was her side's best last week alongside Alexis Mitchel and Isabella Sewards. Preston defeated Calder 1-0 when they faced off in Round 3 with Mel Camilleri scoring the winning goal in the second half.
Can Preston return to its early season form and back into finals contention or will Calder win two in a row for the first time this season?
Heidelberg United v Bayside United
3:30 pm, Saturday 17 June, Kingston Heath Soccer Complex
Heidelberg suffered a 2-0 defeat to Bulleen last Monday night and Bayside upset the dominant Boroondara Eagles at home.
This weekend will be Bayside's best opportunity to break their nine-game losing streak against the Heidelberg. The Bergers will be playing their third game in seven days and had their home-ground advantage taken away from them, due to work, but John Clemente's side will be up for the challenge.
Bayside's striker Kayla Deaver has rocketed into second in the NPLW Golden Boot following finding the back of the net in six consecutive matches. The American import has also been fouled 10 times in the final third this season, the joint-most of any player in the competition - making her a difficult matchup for Heidelberg full-back Felicity Georgopoulos.
The Bergers will have Georgia Beaumont (3 goals) playing up front, alongside captain Steph Galea (7 goals), while Elwen Parbery, Katrina Nikpour and the returning Keely Lockhart all pose a threat up forward.
Nicole Blackett (6 goals, 1 assist) has been superb for Heidelberg in midfield, making 13 take-ons in her own half this season, more than any other player in the campaign; Bayside United FC’s best Miwa Sasaki (12) is ranked joint-second in this category.
With two in-form sides coming together, the midfield battle will go a long way in deciding this contest. Sarah Johnston was Bayside's best last week and accompanied by Sienna Fogarty and Caitlin Storay, it will be a tough task for Heidelberg's Karina Tolios, Kathryn Vlahopoulos and Reona Omiya.
The Bergers defeated Bayside 2-0 at Kingston Heath Reserve in Round 3, courtesy of a Steph Galea brace.
Bayside have lost only one of their last seven matches and has won each of their last two games can they claim three consecutive wins in the competition for the first time across their last four seasons?
Southern United v Alamein
5:45 pm, Saturday 17 June, Selandra Recreation Reserve
Stuck in the mid-table logjam, Alamein FC will head into the match against a struggling Southern United knowing a win could catapult them back into top-four contention. The visitors will need to rediscover some form though following a lean spell.
Alamein is without a win since Round 7 and was comprehensively beaten by Calder 5-0 last week.
Leading goal scorer Sidney Allen is having a fantastic season to date and has the potential to trouble Southern at both ends of the pitch, while Rebecca Saber and Savanna Anastasopoulos (3 goals each) will relish the opportunity to go up against an opponent that has conceded 37 goals in 12 games.
Despite their struggles, Southern United have shown plenty of improvement in recent weeks. The club heads into the match coming off losses to Box Hill and Bayside but the silver lining is a new-found potency in front of goal.
Southern have scored two goals in each of their last two matches, a stark improvement, and if they can correct their defensive woes may be able to resurrect season 2023. A key to the side's success will be getting Yuka Sato on the ball as much as possible following a successful run of form.
Can the home side claim its first win of the season or will Alamein re-emerge as finals contenders?
Boroondara Eagles v Box Hill United
6:00 pm, Saturday 17 June, Veneto Club
The Eagles put on a clinic in the last meeting between the teams, claiming an impressive 5-1 victory back in Round 3. Times have certainly changed though and with Box Hill winning four in a row, an intriguing contest awaits us on Saturday night.
Young superstar Sofia Sakalis has been a shining light for the visitors recently, scoring three goals in her four appearances, while Anais Josefski (6 goals) Asuka Doi (8 goals) and Melindaj Barbieri have also impressed.
The visitors have only conceded three goals in their past four matches however, their defence will be tested this week as they come up against the best attack in the league, led by Golden Boot leader Kuera Okino.
Kurea Okino has made more carries ending in a shot (29) or a goal scored (7) than any other player in either category this season, while Box Hill will also need to be wary of Margot Robbine if she returns to the lineup after missing the past three matches. The attacking midfielder scored four goals in two matches (Rounds 9-10), including a hat-trick in the Eagles' win over FV Emerging.
Both midfielders possess plenty of attacking weapons with Boroondara's Becky Lim (13) and Box Hill's Sienna Techera (8) having made
more carries ending in scoring chances than any other players this season.
Boroondara defeated Box Hill 5-1 the last time they met with Kuera Okino scoring a hat-trick.
After back-to-back losses, the Eagles are starting to fall down the ladder, can they re-find their early season form or will Box Hill win t
Can Box Hill win their sixth straight match and continue the Eagles' fall down the ladder?