UNI soccer begins homestretch of 2023 season against Evansville

UNI soccer (11-2-1) vs. Evansville (1-3-8)

3 p.m. CT | Oct. 12, 2023
Cedar Falls, Iowa | UNI Soccer Field
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CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- Following a two-match road trip, UNI soccer returns home on Thursday to face the Evansville Purple Aces in the Panthers' second-to-last home contest of the 2023 season. UNI currently sits in second place in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) standings entering play on Thursday with four matches remaining in the 2023 season.

The Panthers kick off the final stretch of their season against a familiar foe in Evansville. Thursday's meeting marks the 26th all-time match between the Panthers and Purple Aces, and the teams have met at least once in every season of UNI soccer's history. UNI and Evansville are separated by just four points in the MVC standings ahead of Thursday's match, placing an even higher level of importance on a positive result for either side.

UNI split its two road matches last week, losing 4-1 at Murray State on Thursday before bouncing back on Sunday with an impressive 1-0 win at Belmont. Olivia Knoepfle scored the go-ahead goal in the tenth minute to cap a beautiful passing sequence from the Panthers. Maddie Eastus started the move in the midfield with a pass to Lauren Heinsch on the right wing. Heinsch then cut inside and sliced a pass through Belmont's defense that met Knoepfle in stride for a breakaway opportunity. Knoepfle converted the chance, slotting the ball past Belmont's goalkeeper with a finish that held up as the game-winning goal.

The Panthers put together a dominant performance defensively and, even as Belmont tried to respond in the opening frame with a goal of their own, UNI was able to limit the number of high-quality chances the Bruins received. That was particularly true in a cagey second half as the Bruins did not record a second-half shot until the 86th minute. UNI prevented Belmont from recording a single shot on goal in the second stanza as the Panthers left Nashville with their first MVC road win of the 2023 season. Sunday marked UNI's 11th victory of the season, placing the 2023 squad within reach of matching the 2017 squad's program record of 14 wins.

As a team, the Panthers moved closer to setting multiple program records following the win over the Bruins. Knoepfle's goal marked the team's 34th of the season, and the Panthers are now one goal away from setting a program record for the most goals in a season in UNI soccer history. With 92 points on the season, UNI is now just six points away from setting a program record for most points in a season.

Caitlin Richards recorded her sixth shutout of the season and 17th career shutout on Sunday against Belmont. She is now one shutout away from tying former UNI goalkeeper and current Panther soccer assistant coach Jami Reichenberger's (2017-18) program record of 18 career shutouts. As a team, the Panthers' eight shutouts in 2023 are the second-highest total for a single season in UNI soccer history.

Knoepfle scored her sixth goal of the 2023 campaign and recorded her 17th point of the 2023 season against the Bruins. She is now tied with Macy Smith for the team lead with goals, and both players are tied for fifth place on UNI soccer's single-season scoring leaderboard. Knoepfle leads the MVC in total points entering play on Thursday. Her 17 points are tied with Chelsie Hochstedler (2008) for the fourth-most points in a season in Panther soccer history, and Knoepfle is seven points behind Brynell Yount's (2017) program record of 24 points.

The Purple Aces will look to stifle UNI's positive momentum and are riding a seven-match unbeaten streak into Thursday's contest. Evansville has not lost in over a month, with its last defeat coming in a 3-0 decision at Lipscomb on Sept. 3. The Purple Aces then tied their next six matches, including their first five games of MVC play, before picking up their first win of the 2023 season last Sunday against UIC. Kaylee Woosley scored the lone goal of the contest on a free kick from 20 yards out in the 86th minute to secure a crucial three points for Evansville. The victory marked the Purple Aces' fifth shutout of the 2023 season.

For her efforts, Woosley picked up MVC Defensive Player of the Week on Tuesday. She has recorded a point in three consecutive matches and leads the team in points with one goal and two assists. Tight, low-scoring affairs have been a theme for Evansville all season, and the Purple Aces have scored just five goals this season and allowed ten. Woosley anchors a stout Evansville back line and, in goal, Myia Danek ranks second in the conference with 4.33 saves per game. Danek's .839 save percentage is the third-highest total in the MVC. Additionally, Evansville ranks second in the MVC in goals-against average.

Also on Tuesday, the Panthers checked in at No. 10 in this week's United Soccer Coaches Midwest Poll. UNI has been ranked regionally for five consecutive weeks, with its highest ranking coming last week when the Panthers were ranked No. 7. Missouri State is the highest ranked MVC team in this week's poll, checking in at No. 8

The MVC postseason race is starting to take some shape entering the final weeks of the season, but the overall standings are still congested. First place Drake and ninth place Illinois State are separated by seven points with four MVC match days remaining, so there's still plenty to play for as teams jockey for position in the standings. UNI and Missouri State are both one point behind the first place Bulldogs, and Evansville enters Thursday's contest in sixth place with a 1-3-8 overall record.

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