The UNI’s Women’s Soccer team played their final road game of the regular season last Thursday. In a rainy match, the team would take a 2-0 loss against the Valparaiso Crusaders. UNI’s Missouri Valley Conference record is now 5-4-0.
The bout would end the first half scoreless for both teams. In the second half, Valparaiso would score off a corner kick at the 52nd minute and again at the 69th minute off another corner kick.
UNI had some strong offensive possessions that just couldn’t find the back of the net. In the first half, Ashley Harrington would put a shot on the net that would force the Valparaiso goalkeeper, Nikki Coryell, to make a diving save. Then in the second half, UNI would rip two more shots on net from two consecutive corner kicks. In the 58th minute, Maddie Eastus fired a pass from the corner to Olivia Bohl. Bohl’s shot required the Crusader’s goalkeeper to put her shot over the crossbar. Eastus then had another corner kick and found Caroline Hazen on her pass. Hazen’s shot would be cleared away from a Crusader defender.
Unable to score a response, UNI fell to the Crusaders. This marks their second consecutive loss in the MVC after losing to Missouri State the previous Sunday, as well as their second consecutive loss to the Crusaders. UNI is now 3-5-2 against Valparaiso overall and 1-3-2 playing on Valparaiso’s turf.
The Panthers can no longer gain the first or second seed for the MVC tournament. UNI has already clinched a spot in the postseason, and after this loss the Panthers was seeded third and could drop down to sixth. To host a home postseason game, the team needs to finish in the third or fourth seed.
The women’s Soccer team is on its way to a recordbreaking season. The previous game against Missouri State, the team recorded 135 shots on net for the season, the previous record was 134 shots in 2018. This game added four more shots on net, bringing the total to 139.
Olivia Knoepfle is looking to break the program’s all-time record for the most points scored in a single season. To surpass the program record set by Brynell Yount in 2017, she needs 25 points to beat the 24 point record. Knoepfle is also looking to break the program’s record for most goals scored, which is 11 goals and was also set by Yount in 2017.
Caitlin Richards, is looking to tie the program’s history for most shutouts in a career as a UNI goalkeeper. The postseason berth gives Richards the opportunity to tie Jami Reichenberger’s record of 18 when she played in 2017-2018 for the Panthers.
The UNI team in all is also looking to tie or break the program’s history for most wins in a single season. With 14 wins set by the 2017 squad of Panthers, the team has a very high chance to make history and tie it with a win against Illinois State and a win in the postseason.
