Over this homecoming weekend, there were plenty of events going on, and on Sunday, Oct. 22, the UNI women’s soccer team played the final regular season game against Illinois State. The Panthers came into the game with an overall record of 12-4-1, and a conference record of 5-4. They were also on a two game losing streak, and -ere looking to pick up a victory before heading into the conference tournament. In dominant fashion, the Panthers were able to do just that.
The Panthers got things going early, as they scored on two of their first three shots of the game. At the 7:12 point, Olivia Bohl scored a goal that was assisted by Maddie Eastus, and at 16:33, Ashley Harrington was assisted by Lauren Heinsch. The Panthers would have a little break from scoring goals, but Olivia Knoepfle would get a score around the 30 minute mark that extended the Panthers lead to 3-0. The Redbirds would finally get on the board on a Julia Liguore goal with just five minutes left in the first period. It looked like it might be 3-1 going into the break, but the Panthers added one more on a late goal from Jaylie Hicklin. The Panthers took a convincing 4-1 lead into the break.
The Panthers carried the momentum of the first period over to the second. About ten minutes in, Knoepfle scored her second goal of the day, and Heinsch followed that up with a goal of her own to make it 6-1 Panthers. The win was well in hand for the Panthers, but the goals did not stop there. Macy Smith got a goal on an assist from Sydney Burskey, with Burskey putting the finishing touches on the dominant victory with less than a minute left on an assist from Giselle Loza. The Panthers took the commanding victory, 8-1.
The Panthers dominant victory featured 21 shots and 13 of them on the goal. The Redbirds only had seven shots, and one of them made it to the goal. The victory was a team effort, as seven different Panthers put the ball into the back of the net. The win brought the Panthers record to 13-4-1, and 6-4 in conference play.
The Panthers finished in third place in the conference, and will next compete in the conference tournament. Their high finish puts them straight into the quarterfinals, where they will play the winner of the Belmont and Valparaiso game being played on Thursday, Oct. 26. UNI will play host to the winner, and the game will be at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 29.
