University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
1-2-1, 0-0-0
St. Thomas
2-1-1, 0-0-0
Panther soccer falls on the road to St. Thomas, 1-0
8/28/2025 6:32:00 PM | Women's Soccer
UNI returns home Sunday to take on Viterbo for Senior Day.
ST. PAUL, Minn. — UNI soccer managed seven second half shot attempts but was unable to pull even with St. Thomas on Thursday afternoon as the Panthers fell to the Tommies by a 1-0 decision at the South Soccer Field in the Twin Cities in non-conference play.
In a match that featured top speed on both ends of the field, Northern Iowa would give up the lone goal of the match just four minutes into the second half, struggling to counter an equally aggressive St. Thomas offense in the process.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Panthers kicked off the match with strong pace looking to score early with two shot attempts from Olivia Knoepfle and Aynslea Ulschmid in the first 45 minutes of action. With goalkeeper Kennedy Buntenbach notching one first half save, UNI also drew three corner kicks as both squads entered halftime scoreless.
In the 49th minute of play, St. Thomas' high energy out of halftime paid off as Sophia Barjesteh scored on a pass from Kenzie Johnson to put the Tommies ahead by a goal. Despite an increased intensity in the final minutes by the Panthers, Northern Iowa was unable to close the gap late, dropping their second match of the season to fall to 1-2-1.
Denise Camarena and Caroline Hazen both led UNI with three shots attempts each, while Milan Cordone and Knoepfle contributed one shot apiece. In goal, Buntenbach notched three saves in the loss.
"We played with a lot of grit today, but we couldn't execute in our final third the way we would like to," said interim head coach Alex Place Thomas. "Our team brought the intensity but couldn't get the job done today. Excited to be back at home and honor our seniors this weekend."
UP NEXT
The Panthers return home on Sunday, Aug. 31 as they host the Viterbo V-Hawks on Senior Day. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the UNI Soccer Field in Cedar Falls, with live coverage available on ESPN+.
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.
Team Stats
Sophia Barjesteh (1)
Assisted By: Kenzie Jacobson
GOAL by UST Barjesteh, Sophia Assist by Jacobson, Kenzie.
48:44
