The UNI women’s soccer team kicked off the first round of the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) tournament against the Evansville Purple Aces on Sunday, Oct. 28 at the Cedar Valley Soccer Complex in Waterloo.

UNI was defeated 3-2 by the Aces in a penalty shootout after playing two full halves and an additional two overtime periods with no goals scored.

The Panthers made the MVC tournament championship last season for the first time in program history. They ended the 2018 campaign with a 9-7-3 record, having won four out of their final seven conference games.

Senior goaltender Jami Reichenberger ended her final season with 119 saves for UNI. Sydney Hayden and Kelsey Yarrow both finished with 12 goals each for the Panthers. UNI’s 32 total goals this season ranked second in the conference.