It's another big week for the Milwaukee women's soccer team, which could possibly wrap up another Horizon League regular-season title with a pair of victories as it takes on Youngstown State and IUPUI.

The Panthers sit alone in first place at 6-0 (18 points), with IUPUI the next-closest in the standings at 3-0-3 (12 points) and enter the week on a six-game winning streak in which they have outscored the opposition by a count of 19-2.

Milwaukee will hit the road Thursday to visit Youngstown State before returning home Sunday to welcome IUPUI for "Senior Day" with the team. Thursday will get underway at 4 p.m. CST against the Penguins, while Sunday's matinee gets underway at 1 p.m. from Engelmann. Both games will be streamed on ESPN+, with Matt Menzl on the call against the Jaguars Sunday afternoon. The team will honor seven members of the roster with a pregame ceremony. Live statistics will be provided for both games and all links are posted to the Milwaukee website.

The team has been back in the United Soccer Coaches North Region rankings for four weeks now, bumping up to No. 8 (from #9) in the latest poll. That followed a two-week start to the season for the Panthers (2-0-2 thru four games) that was also noted nationally, with the team picking up six votes (up from 1) in the United Soccer Coaches national poll that came out August 29 and a spot at No. 3 in the north regional poll (up from 6) the same week.

The Panthers have dominated the series with Youngstown State to the tune of a 19-2-1 record. Included in that is a stretch of seven in a row (6-0-1) unbeaten heading into action Thursday. The most recent matchup was the 1-0 victory in the 2022 Horizon League Tournament Championship last fall.

Milwaukee is now 7-1-1 all-time against IUPUI and have won four straight, with all games coming since the Jags joined the Horizon League. All four contests prior to a 1-0 loss in the spring of 2020 had been shutouts by the MKE defense, with the Panthers now holding an 21-2 goal differential in the all-time series. The most recent matchup came last year in the league tournament semifinals, a contest in which MKE overcame an early 1-0 deficit to claim a 3-1 victory.

LOOKING AT THE OPPONENTS:
YOUNGSTOWN STATE: The Penguins are coming off a 9-8-3 record overall a year ago, which included a 5-3-2 mark in Horizon League play. Last season, sixth-year head coach Brian Shrum guided YSU to the best season in program history and came one victory away from earning Youngstown State's first Horizon League Tournament Championship and berth to the NCAA Tournament. The Penguins posted a program-best nine wins and won a school-record five Horizon League games, qualifying for the Horizon League Tournament for the first time since 2014. That earned the team the No. 4 spot in the preseason poll.

The squad is 6-6-2 this season and sits at 2-4-1 in league play after a 2-1 loss to Oakland in most recent action Oct. 8. Taylor Berry leads the way with a team-high nine points, coming on three goals and three assists. In goal, Brooklyn Kirkpatrick has played every minute, recording an .807 save percentage and a 1.14 goals-against average with three shutouts.

IUPUI: The Jaguars went 9-4-6 a year ago and posted a 4-4-3 mark in league play. The team was picked to finish sixth in the preseason poll and head coach Chris Johnson is in his 21st season with the program, his 30th as a collegiate head coach. The Jaguars returned the bulk of last year's roster, keyed by Sam Slimak (3 goals, 3 assists in 2022) and fellow attacker Emma Antoine (6 goals, 2 assists).

IUPUI is 9-2-3 overall this fall and in second behind the Panthers with a 3-0-3 league ledger, also playing Oakland Thursday. The team has posted three clean sheets in a row, topping Youngstown State and Green Bay by a 1-0 scoreline while also drawing 0-0 against Wright State. On offense, the team has netted 26 goals in 14 games, led by Antoine's 14 points (3G/8A). Slimak and Caroline Kelly (both (12 pts on 5G/2A) are right behind. In net, Ashton Kudlo has a league-leading 0.75 GAA and .860 save percentage.

FELT LIKE GROUNDHOGS DAY
Kayla Rollins went off against Purdue Fort Wayne Oct. 5, scoring twice in the opening 10 minutes before completing her hat trick in the second half to mark the first hat trick for a Panther since Anna Smalley against UIC back in September of 2017. The team didn't wait long to strike again - after a gap of over six years in between 3-goal outbursts, Molly O'Regan was next to achieve the impressive accomplishment - only this time she waited all of 70 hours. O'Regan completed the natural hat trick, scoring her first just 1:27 after subbing into the first half and completing the trio just 13 minutes and 13 seconds later (24:12/29:14/37:25). It marked the first half trick in the opening 45 minutes since Sarah Hagen accomplished the feat against Valparaiso in the 2009 Horizon League Tournament, as well as the fastest three goals on the clock since Hagen buried three in a span of 12:11 – which also came against Valparaiso during the 2009 regular season. O'Regan was honored as the Horizon League Offensive Player of the Week for her efforts.

ROLLINS ROLLING
After being held scoreless over the first three games to open the 2023 campaign, Kayla Rollins is on a serious roll. She has found the back of the net in eight of her past 10 outings, including a two-goal outburst that provided all of the scoring in a 2-0 victory over Detroit Mercy Sept. 17. The brace helped her earn Horizon League Player of the Week honors for the second time in her career and also marked the fourth multi-goal outing of her MKE career (she now has five). She starts the week with 11 goals to lead the league following her hat trick against Purdue Fort Wayne Oct. 5.

GETTING IN ON THE FUN
Not only did Kendall Edwards record her third shutout of the season against Robert Morris Sept. 21, but she did something that just one MKE goalkeeper has done in over 15 years. She recorded the first assist for a Milwaukee keeper since Elaina LaMacchia did in February of 2020, when Edwards' long goal kick was run on to by Kat Van Booven for the final score of the 3-0 decision. Other than LaMacchia in 2020, the last GK prior to record an assist was Erin Kane during the 2006 campaign. Edwards also posted back-to-back shutouts against Purdue Fort Wayne and Wright State, earning Horizon League Player of the Week honors Oct. 9.

MKE TURNING UP
The crowd turned out to watch the city derby against Marquette Sept. 7, with the 1,160 fans in attendance checking in as the all-time Top 5 mark. The record of 2,212 was set against Marquette in 2011.
1. 2,212 vs. Marquette (9/7/11)
2. 1,321 vs. Indiana (8/30/13)
3. 1,307 vs. Marquette (9/3/09)
4. 1,273 vs. Wisconsin (9/11/15)

HOO-RAY HORIZON
When it comes to Horizon League openers, the record is quite impressive all-time. Milwaukee has gone 25-3-1 in opening action (since joining the league in 1994), with a string of 14 wins in a row from 1998 through 2011. The squad had been victorious in nine straight as well, before getting knocked off by WSU in 2022.

The Panthers have had a very long line of success when it comes to Horizon League play, claiming the regular-season title in seven of the past eight seasons (2015-19/2021-22) as well as 21 of the past 23 titles overall. In fact, the team has posted a sparkling 64-3-6 ledger (.905 win %) over the past eight campaigns (coming into 2023) in regular-season conference play.

EXTENDING LONG STREAKS
With a 4-0 victory claimed over Western Illinois Sept. 3, the Panthers continued their mastery over the Leathernecks. The team improved its record to 9-0-1 all-time against WIU and did not concede a goal in the series prior to 2018 (now 44-1 cumulative total since the series started in 1997).

The 2-1 win over Cleveland State Sept. 14 upped the ante on long streaks, as the Panthers improved to a near-perfect 24-0-1 all-time against the Vikings (12-0 on the road), with the only draw coming in a 1-1 decision in the 2014 campaign. The team is now on a 10-game winning streak in the matchup, including six by shutout and a combined goal differential of 30-4 in that stretch.

WE MUST PROTECT THIS HOUSE!!
Milwaukee went 5-1-4 at home back in 2015. Since then, the Panthers have posted an impressive 65-7-5 ledger at Engelmann Stadium (an .877 winning percentage), including perfect 8-0 (in 2022) and 11-0 runs (2019) through home outings and a 13-1 mark at Engelmann in 2021. The team is also 27-2-1 since the start of the 2021 campaign in home games (.917) and recently posted a 19-game (18-0-1) unbeaten streak that was snapped Sept. 7 - the last prior loss a 2-1 double-OT decision to Wisconsin in September of 2021. The streak was the third-longest current of its kind in the nation across the NCAA Division I level, trailing only Arkansas at 25 (23-0-2) and Alabama at 23 (22-0-1).

IT WAS A B1G W1N
The Panthers topped Minnesota, 1-0, August 24, giving the team a win over an opponent from the Big Ten for the first time since 2011. In that span since topping Wisconsin (2-1 in OT 9/11/2011), the team had posted just two draws in 13 opportunities, the last coming in the form of a 1-1 deadlock against those same Badgers in 2016. The results recently have been very close ... a pair of 3-2 losses to UW and Michigan State last year, as well as two other draws and one-goal losses to the Badgers. The 2013 season was Big Ten-heavy, with the team playing Michigan (twice), Michigan State, and Wisconsin that fall.

UP TO THE CHALLENGE CUP CHALLENGE
The Panthers went 1-0-1 on the weekend to claim the team title in the "Challenge Cup" that was co-hosted with Marquette. Milwaukee claimed a 1-0 win over Minnesota August 24 on a goal by Jenni Andjelic and then overcame a 2-1 deficit in the second half to lead, 3-2, against Denver Sunday before settling for a 3-3 draw. The "Challenge Cup" saw Milwaukee go 1-0-1, Denver 0-0-2, Minnesota 1-1, and Marquette 0-1-1 on the weekend. Lainey Higgins picked up MVP honors, while Kat Van Booven, Clara Broecker, and Andjelic were named to the all-tournament team.

SETTING THE BAR HIGH
The first season for Kevin Boyd as the MKE head coach was an impressive one, despite taking over one of the youngest teams in the country that was returning just two starters and four upperclassmen to the lineup. After opening the campaign at 3-3-1, he led the squad to a 9-0-2 finish the rest of the way before nearly taking down sixth-ranked Michigan State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, losing 3-2 in double-overtime. The team claimed the Horizon League regular-season crown for the seventh time in the past eight seasons and earned a berth to the NCAA Tournament for the 16th time in program history.
 
Boyd brought over 20 years of head-coaching experience with him to Milwaukee, having spent two decades in the Pac-12 as head coach at both Arizona State University and at the University of California, Berkeley. No matter the stop, Boyd has been a proven winner, ranking as the all-time winningest coach during his final campaigns at both Pac-12 programs, while compiling over 200 victories in his career.

RANKINGS ROUND-UP
The Panthers took on a ranked opponent for the 50th time in program history when they battled #8 Arkansas Aug. 31. Overall, Milwaukee is now 4-39-7 against ranked foes, most recently playing a contest (prior to 2023) against a ranked side last fall when it fell to #6 Michigan State in double-overtime in the NCAA Tournament. The team last recorded a victory in that situation against Xavier in 2021 (a 1-0 decision over a #14 Musketeer squad in the first round of the NCAA Tournament).

The game against Notre Dame earlier this fall marked the 15th contest against a Top-5 ranked opponent in school history, with the most recent being the NCAA Tournament matchup with #2 Virginia in 2021. The highest-ranked team MKE has ever knocked off was No. 8 Nebraska back in 1998 when the Panthers won, 2-1, in 2OT.

FOR OPENERS
The Panthers did open 2021 against Northern Illinois with a 6-0 victory, moving to 15-15-4 in season openers at the NCAA Division I level after you also add in the 2-0 loss to a Wake Forest team receiving votes in the national poll in 2022 and No. 3 Notre Dame this season. The team has now gone 6-3-3 in season openers the past 12 years, with a 1-0 victory over Western Illinois in 2015 snapping a three-game stretch without a victory. Three seasons ago, MKE opened the campaign with a 5-1 victory over Robert Morris on the road. In addition, the Panthers enter Thursday 18-2 in home openers. Speaking of season debuts, the six goals against NIU in 2021 marked the most in program history for a lid-lifter, topping the five scored against Robert Morris to open the 2020 campaign. Four had not been scored in over 30 years (4-2 over St. Norbert in 1988 and 4-0 over St. Mary's (IN) in 1987), while three has also been recorded on four different occasions.

PRESEASON POLL
Milwaukee was picked by league coaches to finish first in the 2023 Horizon League regular season. The Panthers tallied 10 first-place votes and 120 points in the coaches' poll to hold down the top spot, with the 93-point total of Oakland coming in second. A year ago the team was picked for second in the league poll – missing out on the top spot for the first time in six seasons. The team went on to claim the regular-season title and then the Horizon League Tournament championship for a fifth consecutive year while appearing in the NCAA Tournament for the 16th time in program history. Back on top of the poll this fall marks a spot they have now held in the conference poll 20 times since 2000, as well as an amazing run of 13 straight from 2000-2012. Purdue Fort Wayne (85 points/third) and Youngstown State (84 points/fourth) wrapped up the nest tier, with the Penguins earning the other first-place vote.
 
2023 #HLWSOC Preseason Poll
Pl.        Team – Pts. (First-place votes)
1.         Milwaukee (10) – 120
2.         Oakland – 93
3.         Purdue Fort Wayne – 85
4.         Youngstown State (1) – 84
5.         Cleveland State – 73
6.         IUPUI – 69
7.         Wright State – 65
8.         Northern Kentucky – 61
9.         Detroit Mercy – 40
10.        RMU – 19
11.        Green Bay – 17

AN IMPRESSIVE LIST TO TOP
Let's be honest, the Panthers have been very good since the start of the 2017 campaign. How good? Well, at 89-12-10 (.847), they actually have the BEST winning percentage in the nation over that span in NCAA play heading into 2023. The only one who had been higher is 2019 & 2017 NCAA National Champion Stanford, but they are now in second at 105-17-8 (.8384) over the same time frame, with 2022 National Champion UCLA close behind at 105-15-13 (.8383). No. 4 on that list is now North Carolina (112-19-9/.832), with Georgetown (8913-23/.804), and Duke (91-24-18/.752) to follow.

SETTING THE TONE
Milwaukee saw its long streak of picking up victories after getting on the board first come to a heartbreaking end following the NCAA Tournament contest against Michigan State that closed out the 2022 campaign (MKE was on the board first in the sixth minute). That ended an unbelievable stretch, falling in a game that they scored first in to snap what was an eye-opening 85-0 stretch when being the first team to find the back of the net in a game. That includes the 9-1 mark in 2022, 17-0 in 2021, 9-0 in 2020, 17-0 in 2019, 16-0 in 2018, and 14-0 in 2017. The last time the Panthers lost (or even TIED) a match in which they scored first was the 2016 Horizon League Tournament title game against Northern Kentucky (Nov. 5, 2016), a contest they led 2-0 early before falling, 3-2. They also went 74-2-9 when outshooting their opponent in that same span, getting outshot just 17 times over the six-plus year stretch.

RANKED ONE OF THE BEST
The Soccer Wire website recently ranked the "Top 50 Current NCAA Women's Programs (2023 Edition)", with the list recognizing the highest-ranked women's college soccer programs in the United States over the past five full seasons. In that span, the Panthers have gone an amazing 80-10-9 overall (.854 winning percentage) as well as a near-perfect 42-1-5 (.927 win %) in regular-season Horizon League play. That earned MKE spot No. 39 on the list, ahead of the likes of Ohio State, Michigan, Baylor, Kansas, LSU, Cal, and Arizona, as well as the only Horizon League school represented.

HOW THEY GOT HERE
The Panthers earned the Horizon League's automatic bid by posting a 1-0 shutout of Youngstown State on a day that will be remembered for the crazy weather as much as the championship. Haley Johnson scored the only goal - coming off a kick from near midfield - sending Milwaukee to the crown. They entered the NCAA Tournament on an 11-game unbeaten streak (9-0-2), including wins in seven consecutive contests that wrapped up with a 3-1 victory over IUPUI in the Horizon League Tournament semifinals and a 1-0 shutout over YSU in the title game, led by the only goal of the contest scored by Johnson, who was named the League Tournament Most Valuable Player.

A FAMILIAR LOOK
Following a season in which the team lost 12 players to graduation or transfer and were able to count on just two returning starters on the field, the 2023 roster will have a much more experienced and familiar look.

The team returns eight of its Top 10 point scorers, including team leader Kayla Rollins, who not only led the team with her 20 points and nine goals but also topped the Horizon League in both categories. In addition to Rollins, the Panthers return Lainey Higgins, who led the league with her 10 assists (which finished 14th in the NCAA) and added three goals for 16 points which ranked fourth in the Horizon League. MKE graduated just three regular starters and will have an experienced roster that sees eight players that made at least 11 starts (out of the 19 total games) a year ago including Higgins (all 19), Anna Champine (19), Rollins (17), Senya Meuer (17), Elizabeth Reece (17), Brooke Parnello (16), Clara Broecker (12), and Kendall Edwards (11).

Points: returners accounted for 83 of the 123 points (67.5 percent)
Goals: 25 of 39 goals (64.1 percent)
Assists: 33 of 45 assists (73.3 percent)
Starts: returning players accounted for 51 starts last season.
Minutes: returning players accounted for 5,830 of 21,175 minutes played (27.5 percent), with just two players that saw the field over 1,000 minutes (Clara Broecker 1,894 and Kat Van Booven 1,104).

GOALKEEPERS KEEP ON KEEPING ON
Another area of strength will be in goal, where Milwaukee returns a pair of players that essentially split the season a year ago. Kendall Edwards ended the season with 11 games played (965:00), posting a 0.84 goals-against average and a 7-2-1 record to go along with an .827 save percentage and six shutouts. Parker Donahugh saw action in nine games (754:07) and was 5-2-2 with four clean sheets, a .789 save percentage, and a 0.95 GAA.

THAT SOUNDS FAMILIAR
Milwaukee recorded a 1-0 victory over Youngstown State in the 2022 Horizon League Tournament to advance to the NCAA Tournament. That 1-0 scoreline has a familiar ring to it, as the team has been simply amazing in games featuring that final score recently. Since 2015, the Panthers have played 38 games that ended 1-0 (either way). Their record? An impressive 31-7 in those pressure-packed outings, including against Minnesota to knock off a quality Big Ten opponent earlier this season.

CATCH THEM IN ACTION
Milwaukee women's soccer will be available for the viewing pleasure of fans this season, as all nine home games are scheduled to be streamed live on ESPN+ (subject to change due to weather and location). The Horizon League and ESPN have an agreement that includes ESPN hosting the league's digital network on the ESPN+ platform. ESPN+, which will host the Horizon League women's soccer, men's soccer and volleyball championships this fall season, offers fans thousands of live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN's linear TV or digital networks. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for $9.99 a month (or $99.99 per year) and cancel at any time. Launched in April of 2018, ESPN+ is an integrated part of a completely redesigned ESPN App.

PANTHERS IN THE WORLD CUP
For the first time in program history, the Milwaukee women's soccer program had former players appear in the World Cup. A pair of sisters, Chandler McDaniel and Olivia Davies-McDaniel, were on the roster of the Philippines national team this summer, which is the first male or female squad from the country to qualify for the event. Olivia played in goal for the Panthers from 2016 to 2019, part of a very successful four-year stretch where the team went 62-9-8 overall, including a 32-1-3 record in regular-season Horizon League play. She posted a 1.13 goals-against average as a freshman, and didn't allow a goal her junior year. Chandler McDaniel played for Milwaukee in 2018 and 2019 after transferring from Virginia Tech and started all 19 games in 2018, finishing the season with one goal and two assists. She made a great first impression, assisting the game-winner in the season opener against Northern Illinois, and helped the team to the NCAA Tournament in 2018 and 2019. Olivia was the hero of the team's first-ever World Cup victory this summer, as the Philippines shocked co-host New Zealand with a 1-0 victory July 24. Davies-McDaniel secured the win in extra time, making a spectacular save on a shot that would have tied it up with less than three minutes remaining. Florida State had the most former players appearing in the 2023 World Cup at eight, but with two, Milwaukee was tied for 20th.

ON TAP
The conclusion of the regular season slows down, with the Panthers playing just one game next week. The team hits the road to battle Oakland Saturday, set for a 12 p.m. CST kickoff.