The season for the UNI women’s soccer team is now in full swing as the Panthers faced two non-conference opponents this past week. On Thursday, the University of Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks came to town and Sunday the Panthers played host to the Saint Ambrose University Fighting Bees out of Davenport, Iowa. The Panther women tied the visitors from Omaha 0-0 and turned around on Sunday to sting the Bees in  5-0 victory.

It was a late afternoon start on Thursday as the Panthers matched up with the Mavericks from Omaha. Both teams appeared to be evenly matched throughout the first half as UNO attempted four shots on goal compared to three from the Panthers. The Mavericks earned six corner kicks compared to two from UNI, but neither side was able to cash in on the opportunities.

After 90 minutes of play the match ended in a scoreless tie. UNI goalie Caitlin Richards made three saves, helping keep the Mavericks off the board. The final score moved UNI to 2-0-1 on the season and put Omaha at 1-1-1 so far.

On Sunday afternoon the Panthers played host to their second NAIA opponent this season in the Saint Ambrose Bees. This match was an offensive explosion for the Panthers as they routed the Bees 5-0.

The match started with an offensive barrage from UNI as they kept firing against Saint Ambrose goalkeeper Molly McLaughlin. The Panthers launched seven shots on goal in the first half before finally breaking through on a long goal from forward Sydney Burskey in the 43rd minute that deflected off of McLaughlin, off the post and into the goal for the first UNI tally of the contest. However, the UNI offense wasn’t done scoring in the first as defender Allison Whitaker knocked in her first goal of the season in the 44th minute to extend the UNI lead 2-0 going into the break.

Right out of the break the Panthers notched another goal as Ashley Harrington put one through to make the score 3-0 in the 47th minute. After not recording a goal for the first 42 minutes, UNI scored three in the span of about six minutes of play. Forward Kennedy Rieken found the back of the net in the 60th minute, and Whittaker again put one through in the 68th minute for her second goal of the day. She had two goals in her entire UNI soccer career going into the matchup.

The final horn sounded with the Panthers taking the victory 5-0 over the Bees. They move to 3-0-1 on the year, while Saint Ambrose falls to 1-2. The Panther women will play their next four games at home, starting when they match up with South Dakota State on Thursday, Sept. 1 at 4 p.m.