MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee women's soccer team will play No. 9 Michigan State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The postseason contest will take place Friday, November 14 in Michigan.
Full NCAA Bracket (PDF)
The team found out its first-round matchup late this afternoon when the field and bracket for the 2025 NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship were announced by the NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Committee on NCAA.com.
The Panthers (13-4-3) and the Spartans (12-3-6) – who are also the No. 2 seed in the tournament – will square off this Friday at DeMartin Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan. Kick-off is scheduled for 5 p.m. CST. The winner of the match will face the winner of the match between Wake Forest (10-4-4) and South Carolina (10-4-5) the following week.
The Panthers are making their 19th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and 18th with the Horizon League's automatic berth. Milwaukee made previous tournament trips in 1997, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2008-13, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024. This will be the second time MKE will face MSU in the NCAA Tournament, also taking on each other in 2022 (3-2 Spartan victory in double-OT).
Milwaukee enters the NCAA Tournament at 13-4-3 and is on an 14-game unbeaten streak (12-0-2), including convincing wins in both Horizon League Tournament contests, led by an impressive offensive performance by Horizon League Tournament Most Valuable Player
Kristina Karlof. Karlof contributed to five of the seven scores over the two games, finding the back of the net twice – including her second Olimpico of the season – and adding three assists.
All-Tournament selection
Bella Hollenbach was just as good in goal, posting back-to-back shutouts in the postseason, including an 8-save performance in the 4-0 championship win over Green Bay.
The Spartans (12-3-6) have earned their highest NCAA Tournament seed in program history – they are a No. 2 seed in the tournament and will host the first three rounds on its home field. Among the selection criteria deliberated by the Division I soccer committee, the Spartans are the highest-ranked Big Ten team in the RPI (6). Michigan State is making its eighth NCAA Tournament appearance and fourth consecutive. The Spartans have hosted at least one NCAA Tournament game in each of its last three seasons, and are 5-3 all-time under head coach Jeff Hosler, who will be guiding MSU to a fourth straight appearance during his tenure
In the past, MKE has also been sent to Minnesota (1997), Madison (2009/2019/2023), Ann Arbor (2013), California (2018), North Carolina (2020), Ohio (2021), East Lansing (2022), Notre Dame four times (2006, 2008, 2012, 2024) and across town to Marquette four times (2001, 2002, 2005, 2010). They also hosted their 2011 first-round match.
First round action will be played November 14-16, while the second/third rounds will be held November 20 and 23, with the quarterfinals on November 28 or 29.
The 44th annual NCAA Women's College Cup will be played Dec. 5 and 8 at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri with the University of Kansas and Kansas City Sports Commission serving as hosts. The first national semifinal will be played and broadcast live on ESPNU at 6 p.m. EST on Friday, Dec. 5, followed by the second semifinal beginning at approximately 8:45 p.m. EST live on ESPNU. The national championship match will take place at 7 p.m. EST on Monday, Dec. 8 and will also broadcast live on ESPNU.
