University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
Saint Ambrose
UNI soccer kicks off three-match homestand on Wednesday against Fighting Bees
8/27/2024 2:34:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Panthers are undefeated all-time against St. Ambrose and have won five straight regular season non-conference matches at home.
UNI soccer (1-1-1 / 0-0-0 MVC) vs. St. Ambrose (1-1-0 / 0-0-0 CCAC)
- 4 p.m. CT | August 28, 2024
- UNI Soccer Field
- Cedar Falls, Iowa
- ESPN+ (Tim Harwood: Play-by-Play / Spencer Steffy: Analyst)
- LIVE STATS
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- The first of three consecutive home matches for the UNI soccer team is set to open its longest homestand of the season on Wednesday afternoon as the Panthers welcome in the St. Ambrose Fighting Bees.
Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. CT at the UNI Soccer Field, with live coverage also available on ESPN+. Fans are encouraged to wear white as part of the team's annual White Out match.
Northern Iowa enters its mid-week contest looking to stay undefeated all-time against the Fighting Bees with an 11-0-0 record. The Panthers shut out St. Ambrose at home last fall by a 3-0 score and have not surrendered a goal to the Fighting Bees since 2016. UNI has also won five consecutive matches against non-conference opponents.
Entering the match with a 1-1-1 record, the Panthers will look to bounce back after a tough 6-1 road loss at Iowa State on Sunday night. Battling extreme heat in Ames, Macy Smith netted the lone goal of the match for Northern Iowa late in the first half from 35 feet out, her first of the year and eighth of her collegiate career.
Lauren Heinsch will look to etch her name in Panther history, sitting two goals shy of Chelsie Hochsetedler's (2007-10) program scoring record of 23 career goals. Heinsch, the program's all-time leader in shot attempts and shots on goal is also tied for second in team history with 16 matches with a goal scored, as well as matches with a point scored (22).
SCOUTING THE FIGHTING BEES
St. Ambrose has split its first two contests of its 2024 NAIA season, a 4-2 loss to No. 19 Marian and a 2-0 shutout victory over No. 24 Missouri Valley on Aug. 21. The Fighting Bees are the reigning regular season and tournament champions of the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) after going 15-5-0 overall and 10-1 in league play last year. St. Ambrose qualified for the NAIA Tournament but fell to Aquinas (Mich.) in the opening round, 3-1.
Under the leadership of longtime coach Jon Mannall, the Bees are led on the field by senior forward Kendall Wendt, who has scored three of SAU's four goals this year, with senior midfielder Taylor DeSplinter also scoring once. Senior goalkeeper Grace Kuchar has started and played all 180 minutes this season with a .765 save percentage and four goals allowed.
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.
