University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
St. Thomas
UNI soccer set for a double match weekend
9/5/2024 8:59:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Panthers to play final non-conference home match of season on Friday before road trip to UT Martin on Sunday.
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- UNI soccer will round out its longest homestand of the season and its final non-conference contest of the year on Friday when it welcomes the St. Thomas Tommies to town. The Panthers are also expected to hit the road on Sunday when they head to western Tennessee to take on the UT Martin Skyhawks.
Wednesday's home match is slated to begin at 4 p.m. CT at the UNI Soccer Field, with live coverage also available on ESPN+. Fans are encouraged to arrive early as the first 50 spectators will receive a free UNI blanket. Sunday's matchup with the Skyhawks will kick off at 1 p.m. CT with coverage also available on ESPN+.
Having won their last eight regular season non-conference matches on their home field, UNI seeks its second straight victory over the Tommies following a 1-0 win in St. Paul last August. With the series all knotted up at one win, one loss and one tie on both sides, the Panthers will look to grab its first lead in the series after tying the Tommies in 2021 and coming up short in 2022.Â
Friday's match follows the Panthers first shutout of the season with a 5-0 victory over Upper Iowa after their first-ever matchup on Sunday afternoon. Morgan Barnette and Lauren Heinsch each scored in the first half of Sunday's contest, while Maddie Eastus netted a pair of goals in the second half, along with Olivia Knoepfle.
Heading into Friday, Heinsch sits just one goal shy of tying Chelsie Hochstedler's (2007-10) school record of 23 career goals scored, Heinsch is also expected to start in her 73rd career match, which would tie Sarah Lowe (2000-03) and Kate Shaw (2000-03) for the most in program history. In goal, Cailtin Richards can tie former UNI goalkeeper and current Panther assistant coach Jami Reichenberger's (2017-18) school record of 18 career shutouts for the purple and gold.
Rounding out this weekend the Panthers will hit the road to face UT Martin on Sunday at 1 p.m. CT in Martin Tennessee to defend their winning record against the Skyhawks. Meeting for just the second time ever, the Panthers defeated the Skyhawks last September at home in a 3-1 victory. UT Martin enters the weekend with a 1-2-2 record.
SCOUTING THE TOMMIES
Under the leadership of head coach Sheila McGill in her 18th season, the Tommies look to stay ahead in their current winning record for the 2024 season. After completing a 1-5-2 conference season in 2023 with a total of 17 goals, St. Thomas has put six goals in the net already this year with three scored from senior Lexi Huber. Abby Brantner, Abby Hoiska and McKenna Lehman have all scored as well for UST.
SCOUTING THE SKYHAWKS
In his second year as head coach at UT Martin, Mike Varga is leading the Skyhawks as they look to rebound from a loss to Murray State on Sunday in Kentucky, 6-1. The Skyhawks will play Louisville prior to Sunday's matchup. This season, UT Martin has scored just four goals through five matches, led by Makayla Robinson who netted four goals a year ago for the Skyhawks. Joining Robinson is Izzy Patterson, who contributed with three goals in 2023. Senior goalkeeper Mac Titus meanwhile holds a save percentage of .833 for the current season.
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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.
