University of Northern Iowa
Murray State
Panther soccer set to host Murray State in home finale
10/22/2024 12:00:00 PM | Women's Soccer
UNI can secure an MVC postseason berth with a win or tie against the Racers on Thursday in final regular season home contest.
UNI soccer (8-5-3 / 3-3-2 MVC) vs Drake (5-6-4 / 1-3-3 MVC)
- 3 p.m. CT | Oct. 24, 2024
- UNI Soccer Field
- Cedar Falls, Iowa
- ESPN+ (Tim Harwood: Play-by-Play / Spencer Steffy: Analyst)
- LIVE STATS
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CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — The UNI soccer team will round out its 2024 home schedule on Thursday afternoon as it plays host to the Murray State Racers on Thursday in Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) action.
Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT at the UNI Soccer Field in Cedar Falls. Live coverage will be available on ESPN+. Fans are encouraged to wear pink as part of the team's annual Pink Out match.
Northern Iowa can secure a top-right finish in the MVC standings and a conference tournament berth with either a win or tie against the Racers. The Panthers and Racers will meet for just the third time since becoming MVC opponents in 2022, with the series all knotted up at one win a piece with Murray State emerging victorious by a 4-1 score last year in Kentucky.
Under head coach Bruce Erickson, UNI has qualified for the MVC Tournament every year for the past four seasons, and in six of seven seasons with Erickson at the helm. The Panthers are currently tied for fifth in the league standings with 11 points at 3-3-2. Missouri State has already clinched the conference's top-seed and home field advantage throughout the tournament.
The Panthers are coming off a 2-1 home loss last Sunday to Drake, with Olivia Bohl netting the lone goal for the purple and gold early in the second half. With 33 goals this season, UNI has recorded the third-highest single-season total in team history and lead the MVC in scoring. Additionally, UNI's 20 assists are tied for fifth in the school's history for single-season assists.
In net, goalkeeper Caitlin Richards, who earlier this season set the program record for career shutouts, looks to inch closer to another school record, Anne Marie Witko's (2000-03) record of career minutes in goal, sitting just 207 minutes of game play away from breaking. Richards and Witko are the only two goalkeepers in UNI history to record over 6,000 career minutes in net.
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SCOUTING THE RACERS
Murray State comes to Cedar Falls after securing its first MVC victory of the season, defeating Valparaiso by a 2-1 on Sunday at home. After finishing last season with a 6-8-6 overall record, the Racers have faced challenges this year with six of their matches ending in draws. Last season, Murray State reached the MVC Tournament, winning a first round contest against Evansville before losing to UIC in the subsequent match.
Under the direction of seventh year head coach Matt Lodge, the Racers aim to play spoiler for the Panthers, led by senior Morgan Bodker and juniors Sydney Etter and Mary Hardy, who have collectively scored thirteen of MSU's 21 total goals this season. Breece Bass has taken 39 shot attempts, contributing to Murray State's total of 212 shots this year. In goal, Griselda Revolorio leads the team with 58 saves and holds an .806 save percentage.
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UNI women's soccer action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (UNI Panther Soccer), X (@UNI_Soccer) and on Instagram (@unipanthersoccer). The full 2024 schedule and roster, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.
