Panther soccer grabs first conference win with 2-1 victory at Valparaiso

Saturday, October 4

Valparaiso, Ind.

5 p.m.

University of Northern Iowa

4-4-3, 1-1-2

Valparaiso

3-6-3, 0-2-2

UNI

Valparaiso

Panther soccer grabs first conference win with 2-1 victory at Valparaiso

10/4/2025 7:40:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score FINAL RESULTS

Braun scores twice as UNI gets first win in MVC play. UNI hosts Illinois State next Saturday.

VALPARAISO, Ind. — Haylee Braun scored twice on Saturday as the UNI soccer team picked up its first Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) victory of the season at Brown Field with a 2-1 win over the Valparaiso Beacons.

The Panthers controlled much of the tempo of the match, outshooting the Beacons by an 11-10 margin with seven shot attempts on goal, snapping a three-match winless streak in league play.

HOW IT HAPPENED
UNI held strong for much of the first half of the opening period defensively, but fell behind in the 20th minute as Molly O'Rear put the Beacons on the board with the first goal of the match on a pass from Tatum Coleman. The Panthers would strike back 17 minutes later in the 37th minute as Braun scored the equalizer unassisted, sending the match to halftime knotted up at 1-1.

Play intensified in the second half as both Northern Iowa and Valparaiso looked to break the tie. Braun would play hero once again in the 76th minute, putting the Panthers ahead after a pass from Kylie Knief. Despite being outshot by a 5-4 margin in the final 45 minutes, UNI would hold on in the final minutes with a pair of saves from goalkeeper Thordis Melsted to preserve the one-goal victory.

Braun finished with four shot attempts with three on goal in the Panther win, with Sophie Hoffmann and Aynslea Ulschmid each posting two shot attempts, while Abby O'Brien, Ella Ubben and Macy Smith each attempting on shot. Melsted picked up the win in net with three total saves.

"I'm proud of our entire team for their drive and effort tonight," said UNI interim head coach Alex Place Thomas after the win. "It was a tough battle and it took every member of our team to make it happen. We will continue to strive for more and improve this week."

ADDITIONAL NOTES

UNI improves to 6-7-2 all-time against Valparaiso, picking up consecutive wins over the Beacons for the first time since the 2017 and 2018 seasons, Valparaiso's first two years in the MVC.
Haylee Braun's two goals on Saturday were her second and third of the season and of her career. Braun joins Olivia Knoepfle, Macy Smith, Denise Camarena, Sydney Burskey and Allison Flies as UNI's sixth multi-goal scorer this year.
Kylie Knief's assist on Braun's second goal of the match was her third of the 2025 season and fifth of her career.

UP NEXT
The Panthers return home next Saturday, Oct. 11 when they host the Illinois State Redbirds. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT at the UNI Soccer Field with live coverage available on ESPN+. Fans are encouraged to wear green for UNI's annual Kick MITO Game, in support of mitochondrial disease awareness.

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 2025 schedule and roster, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.