University of Northern Iowa Athletics
UNI Soccer: Five UNI players earn all-MVC honors
11/1/2023 6:27:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Knoepfle, Heinsch earn MVC First Team All-Conference honors. Panther soccer lands multiple players on first team for first time in program history.
ST. LOUIS – Five UNI soccer players were recognized by the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) on Wednesday evening as the MVC announced selections for its all-conference teams. Olivia Knoepfle and Lauren Heinsch were 2023 MVC First Team All-Conference selections after their stellar 2023 campaigns. The honor for Knoepfle and Heinsch marks the first time in program history that UNI soccer has had multiple players selected to an all-conference first team.
After recording two points in her first two collegiate seasons, Knoepfle had a breakout year as the Panthers' offensive catalyst. She finished the season with 24 points, which led all MVC players, scoring nine goals and recording six assists. Knoepfle's 24 points matched Brynell Yount's (2017) program record for the most points recorded in a single season.
The redshirt sophomore forward from Andover, Minnesota also recorded four game-winning goals this season for UNI, which ranks No. 27 nationally and moved her into a tie for sixth place on Panther soccer's career game-winning goals list. Knoepfle recorded a brace in two MVC games, scoring twice against Southern Illinois and Illinois State, with her best offensive performance of the season coming in UNI's aforementioned match against the Redbirds. Knoepfle capped the regular season with two goals and one assist in the Panthers' 8-1 triumph.
Wednesday's honor marked the first all-conference distinction of Knoepfle's career. She received MVC Player of the Week on Sept. 26.
Heinsch, a senior forward from Mahtomedi, Minnesota, has now been named to the MVC All-Conference First Team for the second consecutive season. After Heninsch was selected to the 2023 Preseason First Team All-MVC, she delivered on expectations with seven goals and four assists in 2023. Her 18 points are the third-highest point total for a single season in UNI soccer history.
This season, Heinsch became just the fourth Panther soccer player to reach 20 career goals with her strike in the regular season finale against Illinois State. Heinsch also set program records for most career shot attempts and most career shots on goal in 2023. She closed her fourth collegiate season with 46 points, one behind Chelsie Hochstedler (2007-10) for the most career points in UNI soccer history. Heinsch's best offensive performance of the 2023 campaign came in a two-goal, one-assist performance against Viterbo on Aug. 19.
Maddie Eastus, a junior midfielder from Gilroy, California, was named to the 2023 MVC All-Conference Third Team after finishing the 2023 season with five goals and five assists. In a similar fashion to Knoepfle, Eastus had recorded just three total points in her two previous collegiate seasons before breaking out for 15 points in 2023. Eastus recorded a point in four consecutive matches for the Panthers in non-conference play, a streak that began on Aug. 29 against St. Ambrose and continued through UNI's Sept. 9 win against UT Martin. That four-game streak matched a program record for the most consecutive contests with a point.
Eastus' 15 points rank No. 8 on UNI soccer's single season points leaderboard. Wednesday's MVC distinction marked the first of Eastus' collegiate career.
Olivia Bohl and Denise Camarena rounded out UNI's postseason honors as both players were named to the 2023 MVC All-Freshman Team. Bohl, a freshman defender from Rosemount, Minnesota, became an immediate anchor of UNI's defense in 2023. She played the third-most minutes of any Panther soccer player this season and started 18 of UNI's 19 contests. The Panthers recorded eight shutouts in 2023 and Bohl started all eight of those matches. Bohl recorded two assists in 2023 and scored her first collegiate goal in the Panthers' 8-1 victory over Illinois State on Oct. 22. She was named MVC Newcomer of the Week on Sept. 26.
Camarena also cleared the 1,000 minutes played threshold in her first collegiate season, playing in all 19 games for UNI and starting 16 contests. A freshman midfielder from Riverside, California, Camarena's first collegiate point came with an assist in the Panthers' 9-0 victory over Viterbo on Aug. 19, which was also Camarena's first collegiate start. Her first goal at the collegiate level came in UNI's 3-0 victory over Southern Illinois on Sept. 24.
Prior to Wednesday, UNI had not had multiple all-freshman team selections in the same season since 2016.
Lastly, the Panthers took home the MVC Fair Play Award for the third consecutive season. The Fair Play Award recognizes the MVC team that recorded the fewest number of fouls and yellow cards throughout the MVC season. The Panthers committed just 81 fouls and were issued three yellow cards in conference play.
