University of Northern Iowa
Milwaukee
Panther soccer visits Milwaukee to close out opening week of season
8/16/2025 1:00:00 PM | Women's Soccer
UNI seeks first ever win against Milwaukee following 1-1 draw at South Dakota on Thursday.
UNI soccer (0-0-1 / 0-0-0 MVC) at Milwaukee (0-1-0 / 0-0-0 Horizon)
- Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025
- 5 p.m. CT
- Milwaukee, Wisc. | Engelmann Stadium
- WATCH (ESPN+)
- LIVE STATS
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CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- The UNI soccer team will wrap up the opening week of the 2025 regular season on Sunday as the Panthers make the trip to southeast Wisconsin to take on Milwaukee in non-conference action late Sunday afternoon.
Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT at the First Bank & Trust Soccer Complex with live coverage of the match available on ESPN+.
Sunday's match will be only the second all-time meeting between Northern Iowa and Milwaukee, who will face off against one another for the first time since 2002, when Milwaukee bested UNI by a 3-0 score in Cedar Falls.Â
The Panthers hit the road for the second time in four days following a 1-1 draw in Thursday's regular season opener at South Dakota. After falling behind in the opening minutes of the second half, Northern Iowa bounced back in the 67th minute to tie the match thanks to a Sophia Balistreri equalizer off a pass from Kylie Knief.Â
The Panthers are 6-3-2 in the last five seasons in matches immediately following a draw, having either won both, or won and tied each of their first two regular season matches in each of the last three seasons.
In the record books, a pair of Panthers look to continue to make an impact and climb UNI's record books. Forward Olivia Knoepfle enters Sunday's match ranking third in school history in matches with an assist (11), fourth in matches with a point (20), fifth in matches with a goal (13), tied for seventh in match-winning goals (4) and ninth in shots on goal (49). Denise Camarena meanwhile sits tied for ninth in UNI history with seven career assists.
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SCOUTING MILWAUKEE
The Panthers will play their home opener at Engelmann Stadium this Sunday following a 3-1 road loss at No. 23 Wisconsin to open the season on Thursday. Held to just two shot attempts in the match, Ashlyn Skinner-Barrett provided Milwaukee with its lone goal of the night on an assist from Ellie Rebmann.
Milwaukee is coming off a successful 12-7-2 season in 2024 when it captured the Horizon League's regular season championship with a 9-0-1 record, as well as the conference's tournament title and a bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Panthers, who ranked 11th in the national in scoring offense (2.38 goals per match) would ultimately fall with a 5-1 loss to Notre Dame in the opening round of the national tournament.
Led by fourth year head coach Kevin Boyd, Milwaukee was again tabbed as the preseason favorite to repeat as Horizon League champion this offseason, with 2024 Second Team All-Horizon League selection Rebmann returning, as well as first teamer Anna Champine and All-Freshman Team honoree Natalie Zodrow.
One of the nation's top passing teams in 2024 with 2.48 assists per match, Milwaukee was also highly aggressive on offense last season, taking a league-high 17.1 shot attempts per match with 47.1% accuracy. In goal for the Panthers on Thursday, graduate student Bella Hollenbach got the start and played the first 66 minutes with two goals allowed, with Lilly Hanke playing the remainder of the match.
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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 2025 schedule and roster, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.
