Stanford head women’s soccer coach Paul Ratcliffe predicted an “epic battle.”

UCLA head coach Amanda Cromwell countered with a promise of a “heavyweight” fight.

The subject of these grandiose descriptions? Stanford midfielder Catarina Macario and UCLA midfielder Jessie Fleming, two of three finalists named for the Hermann Trophy on Thursday, who will go head-to-head in the semifinals of the Women’s College Cup on Friday.

When top-ranked Stanford plays No. 7 UCLA at Avaya Stadium for a chance to face either North Carolina or Washington State in Sunday’s championship, much of the focus will be on the stellar midfielders.

They put on a show Oct. 19, when Stanford (22-1-0) sneaked out a 1-0 victory over UCLA (18-4-1).

“The takeaway for me from that game is that both Catarina and Jessie are outstanding players,” Ratcliffe said. “To see them battle against each other was really phenomenal and entertaining. The entertainment value was very high. ... They’re two of the best midfielders in the country, and the supporting cast for both teams is very strong.

“If they match up against each other, it’ll be an epic battle.”

Macario, who won the Hermann Trophy (given to college soccer’s best player) last season, leads the NCAA with 87 points (32 goals and 23 assists). It’s the third-highest output in NCAA history behind Mia Hamm (97 in 1992) and Christine Sinclair (88 in 2005).

Stanford is 67-3-2 since Macario arrived on The Farm and has outscored opponents 250-32 during the span.

She has taken it to another level this season, putting her footprint on 56% of the Cardinal’s school-record 98 goals.

But she was shut out by UCLA seven weeks ago, largely because of Fleming’s workhorse mentality and control of the match’s tempo.

“It’s two heavyweight fighters going after it,” Cromwell said. “We’ve got to take each other’s blows and hope your blow hits the hardest. … If we can get Catarina to worry about defending Jess, we’re going to be in a good spot.”

Stanford has beaten UCLA six straight times, including five in a row decided by one goal. But the latest matchup sparked something in the Bruins.

UCLA has won nine consecutive matches behind goalkeeper Teagan Micah (0.60 goals-against average), an increasingly cohesive backline and, of course, Fleming.

Now, that group will be tested by Stanford’s potent attack. Macario, Sophia Smith and Madison Haley have combined for 158 points, which is more than 326 of 335 Division I teams have accumulated.

Women’s College Cup Friday’s semifinals (All games at Avaya Stadium) Washington State (16-6-1) vs. North Carolina (23-1-1), 4 p.m. ESPNU UCLA (18-4-1) vs. Stanford (22-1-0), 6:30 p.m. ESPNU Sunday’s championship Friday’s winners, 5:30 p.m. ESPNU

Read More

“The entire season I’ve been really proud of this team,” Ratcliffe said. “I think they’ve played really attractive, attacking soccer. I think the group has been very cohesive. They’ve scored a ton of goals. They’ve shared the ball. It’s come from all different angles.”

Rusty Simmons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rsimmons@sfchronicle.com