University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
Belmont
UNI soccer travels to Belmont for weekend matinee
9/27/2025 12:11:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Panthers set to face off against stout Bruins goalkeeping unit in league play in Nashville on Sunday.
UNI soccer (3-3-3 / 0-0-2 MVC) at Belmont (2-3-5 / 0-1-1 MVC)
- Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025
- 1 p.m. CT
- Nashville, Tenn. | E.S. Rose Park
- WATCH (ESPN+)
- LIVE STATS
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CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- The UNI soccer team will close out the month of September on the road with the second stop in a three-match road trip coming in Nashville on Sunday afternoon against the Belmont Bruins in Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) action.
Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT at E.S. Rose Park with live coverage of the match available on ESPN+. UNI holds a 3-0-2 lead in the all-time series with the Bruins, coming off a 1-1 tie in Cedar Falls last fall. Both Northern Iowa and Belmont will be in search of their first MVC win of the season.
The Panthers kicked off their road trip on Thursday with a dramatic finish at Murray State, scoring late off a header goal by Allison Flies from Milan Cordone in the 87th minute to tie the Racers. Flies' goal was the latest UNI goal this year and secured a team point for the Panthers in the MVC table after tying at home against Indiana State last weekend. Thordis Melsted also made her first start in goal for Northern Iowa, recording four saves with one goal allowed.
Ten different Panthers have found the back of the net this year, with Macy Smith and Olivia Knoepfle leading the way with three goals each in 2025. Denise Camarena, Sydney Burskey and Flies have netted two each, while Sophia Balistreri, Ella Ubben, Haylee Braun, Aynslea Ulschmid and Olivia Mehl have all scored once.Â
In the record books, Knoepfle enters Thursday's match one assist shy of breaking another Ashley Harrington's (2020-23) record for career matches with an assist (13) after breaking her career assists record earlier this year, while also sitting second in team history in career points (51). Additionally, Camarena sits tied for eighth in UNI history with nine career assists, as Smith has recorded five career game-winning goals, fourth-most in team history.
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SCOUTING BELMONT
The Bruins enter Sunday's match with a 2-3-5 mark, tied with Indiana State for the most ties in the MVC this year following a 2-2 draw at home against Drake on Thursday.Â
Led by third year head coach Kelsey Cameron, Belmont has boasted the top goalkeeping unit in the league this season, notching an MVC-best 5.7 saves per match and an .838 save percentage, thanks to starting keeper Sydney Jones and her four shutout performances in net with a 1.13 goals allowed average.Â
Kaitlyn Elliott has led the Bruin offense that has scored just nine goals this year with two, while Preseason First Team All-MVC forward Ava Labocki has scored once, one of eight different Belmont players to find the back of the net.
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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.
