Under the direction of fifth-year head coach Kevin Boyd, the Milwaukee women's soccer program will embark on its 37th season of NCAA Division I soccer this fall (and 43rd overall) with a road trip this week to take on Iowa - a team that closed out the 2025 campaign ranked No. 21 in the final United Soccer Coaches National Poll - of the Big Ten before remaining on the road to visit Northern Iowa Sunday afternoon.

Wednesday's tilt against the Hawkeyes, a program that is receiving votes in the 2026 United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll  (after advancing to the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament), will be available on Big Ten Network Plus (subscription needed) and will kick off at 7 p.m. Sunday's matchup against the UNI Panthers is set for a 1 p.m. kickoff and will be streamed on ESPN+. Both contests will also have live statistics for fans to follow along with the action. All links are available on the MKE website.

The Panthers hold a 3-2-1 all-time mark in the series with the Hawkeyes, dating back to the first game that was played back in 1997. That season, MKE claimed a 1-0 victory at home. The teams have not met on the soccer pitch since September of 2009, a 4-0 victory by Iowa. Milwaukee is 1-1-1 over the last three meetings.

Despite the relative proximity of the two programs (around 270 miles), Sunday will mark just the third all-time meeting between the pair of Panthers, but will mark the second consecutive season the two teams will play (MKE earned a 4-0 shutout win in mid-August last year). The only prior matchup came back in September of 2002, a 3-0 victory for the MKE side in a contest played in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

The Panthers are coming off yet another strong season in 2025, claiming their fourth consecutive sweep of Horizon League regular-season and tournament titles in head coach Kevin Boyd's fourth season at the helm. In fact, adding in the 2021 campaign, it makes Milwaukee the only women's soccer program at the NCAA Division I level to win both its regular-season and league tournament titles every season (and appear in the NCAA Tournament) over the past five years. The 2025 regular-season title was the 10th in the past 11 years for MKE. In addition, the team has now won the regular-season title 24 times since 2000 (all but 2020 and 2014) and 25 total times overall. The Panthers also made their 19th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and 18th with the Horizon League's automatic berth.

LOOKING AT THE OPPONENTS:
IOWA: The Hawkeyes went 12-5-4 overall in 2025 (7-1-2 at home) and finished 6-2-3 in the Big Ten standings. The team earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament as a No. 5 seed, marking a program-record third straight trip to the NCAA Tournament. With a 1-0 victory over South Dakota State in the opener, the Hawkeyes advanced to the Round of 32 for the third straight season (1 of just 11 NCAA teams to do so in that span). Dean Ward was named the sixth head coach in history of the program in February of 2026. He brings nearly two decades of collegiate coaching experience, most recently leading Xavier to 31 victories as head coach over the last two seasons. That includes 16 in 2025 - while winning the Big East Tournament and advancing to the NCAA Tournament second round. Three players - Sofia Bush, Millie Greer, and Elle Wildman – were named Big Ten Players to Watch for the 2026 campaign. It's the third consecutive year that Bush and Greer have been named to the preseason B1G watch list.

NORTHERN IOWA: The Panthers went 4-9-3 overall in 2025, which included a 1-6-2 ledger in Missouri Valley Conference action. The 2026 campaign will mark the second for head coach Alex Place Thomas and will feature the addition of nine transfers to the roster, as well as nine incoming freshmen.

During the 2025 season, Place Thomas introduced a high-paced offense to the Panther team, helping UNI record a top-ten season in program history in goals scored (22), points (61) and goals per game (1.3). Macy Smith (5G/1) and Olivia Knoepfle (4G/3A) led the team last fall with 11 points apiece. 

FOR OPENERS
The Panthers did open 2025 with a tough loss to No. 23 Wisconsin and are now 15-17-4 in season openers at the NCAA Division I level.  The team has now gone 6-5-4 in season openers the past 15 years, with a 1-0 victory over Western Illinois in 2015 snapping a three-game stretch without a victory. Speaking of season debuts, the six goals against NIU in 2021 (a 6-0 victory) 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.

RANKINGS ROUND-UP
The Panthers will be taking on a ranked opponent for the 58th time in program history when they get into next week's schedule against Tennessee and Georgia. Overall, Milwaukee is now 4-46-7 against ranked foes (0-4 in 2025). 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).

Looking back, the game against then No. 3 Notre Dame (which ended in a 2-2 draw) to open 2023 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. That 2023 matchup with Notre Dame was also the last time MKE opened the season against a ranked foe, something that has happened on six prior occasions in program history - with 2025 being the seventh (2023: #12 Notre Dame/2013: #19 Michigan/2012: #24 South Carolina/1998: #8 Nebraska/1995: #1 North Carolina/1993: #16 Wisconsin). 

EXTENDING THE RUN
The Panthers are now unbeaten in 39 straight Horizon League regular-season games, dating back to the conference opener from the 2022 season (Sept. 15, 2022). They have now reset the Horizon League record, set by your very own Panthers from 2016 through 2020.
1. 39 (31-0-8), Milwaukee, current streak
2. 36 (33-0-3), Milwaukee, 2016 thru 2020
3. 31 (29-0-2), Milwaukee, 2003 thru 2008

KEEPING THE BAR HIGH
Following a first year on the sidelines that included the Horizon League regular-season and league tournament crowns, Kevin Boyd repeated the titles and took the Panthers back to the NCAA Tournament for a 17th time in program history in 2023 and then did it in 2024 and again in 2025. His four-year win-loss record stands at 49-19-13 (.685 winning percentage) heading into the new campaign while going an impressive 31-1-8 (.875) in regular-season Horizon League contests.
 
In 2025, he led the squad to a 13-5-3 overall ledger, running through the Horizon League slate at 8-0-2 for the program's fifth straight crown. In addition to topping the conference in nearly every statistical category, the Panthers finished in the Top 10 in the NCAA in numerous categories: fourth in assists per game (3.10), fifth in points per game (8.24), sixth in total assists (65), eighth in total points (173), ninth in scoring offense (2.57), and ninth in total goals (54). The team had four 20-plus point scorers for the first time in program history and had the Horizon League Player of the Year (and Offensive Player of the Year) in Mallory McGuire, the Goalkeeper of the Year in Bella Hollenbach, and the Defensive Player of the Year in Ellie Rebmann. In addition to five first-team All-Horizon League selections, two second-team honorees, and a pair of third-team selections, Boyd finally broke through for his first Horizon League Coach of the Year accolades.

ABOUT THAT SCHEDULE
The MKE program has never been afraid to play a tough non-conference slate, and this season will once again be no different. The Panthers will take on three different opponents who were ranked in the preseason United Soccer Coaches National Poll and another receiving votes who closed the 2025 season No. 21 in the poll. The matchups are with Iowa (RV), Georgia (preseason No. 19), Wisconsin (preseason No. 22), and Tennessee (preseason No. 24). Last fall, the slate was topped by a matchup with defending NCAA National Champion and preseason No. 1 North Carolina. In addition to that game against the Tar Heels, Milwaukee squared off with Michigan State (preseason No. 12), Wisconsin (preseason No. 23), and Minnesota (preseason No. 24).


SOME BIG SHOES TO FILL
Seniors played a key role in 2025, as nine full-time starters graduated or have moved on, including the Horizon League Player of the Year (Mallory McGuire), the Offensive Player of the Year (Mallory McGuire), and the Horizon League Goalkeeper of the Year (Bella Hollenbach).

The team returns just two of its top six point scorers, with Lola Wojcik (team and league-leading 25 points), McGuire (24 points), and Kristina Karlof (24 points) all graduated after finishing 1-2-3 last season. That leaves Emily Petring (22 points on 8G/6A) and Ashlyn Skinner-Barrett (15 points on 4G/7A) as the leading returning scorers to the field this season. MKE will still have a very inexperienced squad taking the field in regards to players who made starts last year. Outside of Natalie Zodrow (started all 21 games) and Kiersten White (20 starts), the next leading returner for the Panthers was Petring and Skinner-Barrett with just three starts apiece. In all, the MKE roster lost 182 of the 231 total starts in the 21 games (78.8%) the team played. The roster has turned over seven different players that started 20 or 21 matches in 2025. In net, Hollenbach will also leave a big opportunity, as she played all but 178:35 in net last fall.
Points: returners account for 59 of the 173 points (34.1 percent)
Goals: 16 of 54 goals (29.6 percent)
Assists: 27 of 65 assists (41.5 percent)

AN IMPRESSIVE LIST TO BE AT THE TOP
Let's break it down, the Panthers have been very good since the start of the 2017 campaign. How good? Well, at 126-27-20 (.786), they actually have one of the best overall winning percentages in the nation over that span in NCAA play heading into 2026. The only ones higher are 2019 & 2017 NCAA National Champion Stanford at 162-25-16 (.837), 2025 & 2023 NCAA Champion Florida State at 156-26-20 (.822), 2022 National Champion UCLA at 150-26-21 (.815), and 2024 National Champion North Carolina at 160-32-19 (.803). Then, it's Milwaukee in fifth place on that impressive list. No. 6 on that list is now Georgetown (131-23-37/.783), followed by Duke (132-39-23/.740).

PRESEASON POLL: TOPS AGAIN
Milwaukee was picked by league coaches to finish first in the 2026 Horizon League regular season. The Panthers tallied 142 points in the coaches' poll to hold down the top spot, with the 119-point total of Northern Kentucky coming in second. This marks the eighth time in the past nine seasons that the team has been picked for the top spot, a place they have earned in the conference poll 23 times since 2000, as well as an amazing run of 13 straight from 2000-2012. Youngstown State (103 points/third) and Green Bay (102/fourth) wrapped up the next tier, with Oakland (93/fifth) and Wright State (90/sixth) close behind them. 
2026 #HLWSOC Preseason Poll
Pl. Team – Pts. (First-place votes)
1. Milwaukee – 142
2. Northern Kentucky – 119
3. Youngstown State – 103
4. Green Bay – 102
5. Oakland – 93
6. Wright State – 90
7. NIU – 72
8. IU Indianapolis – 61
9. Cleveland State – 57
10. RMU – 47
11. Detroit Mercy – 26
12. Purdue Fort Wayne – 24

WE MUST PROTECT THIS HOUSE!!
Milwaukee went 5-1-4 at home back in 2015. Since then, the Panthers have posted an impressive 80-9-8 ledger at Engelmann Stadium (an .866 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 31-5-5 at home under head coach Kevin Boyd (.817), 45-6-5 since the start of the 2021 campaign in home games (.848) and posted a 19-game (18-0-1) unbeaten streak that was snapped in a 1-0 loss to Marquette in September of 2023 (the last prior loss a 2-1 double-OT decision to Wisconsin in September of 2021).

HOO-RAY HORIZON
When it comes to Horizon League openers, the record is quite impressive all-time. Milwaukee has gone 26-3-1 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. This fall, the team earned a 2-0 decision over Northern Kentucky on the road to get things rolling.

THAT SOUNDS FAMILIAR
Milwaukee recorded a 1-0 victory over Minnesota on the road in early September last year. That 1-0 scoreline in MKE's favor 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 now played 42 games that ended 1-0 (either way). Their record? An impressive 34-8 in those pressure-packed outings, including against the regionally-ranked Gophers Sept. 5 of last season.

BRING THE HONORS
Mallory McGuire was named the Horizon League Player of the Year and the Offensive Player of the Year, Bella Hollenbach was selected as the Horizon League Goalkeeper of the Year, Ellie Rebmann was named the Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year, and Kevin Boyd was tabbed the Horizon League Coach of the Year to highlight the 2025 postseason selections. The team saw nine total student-athletes get honored – five first-team selections, two second-team honorees, and a pair of third-team selections. The five first-teamers marks a tie for the second-highest total in program history.
 
Joining McGuire, Hollenbach, and Rebmann on the All-Horizon League First Team are Anna Champine and Lola Wojcik. Jenni Andjelic and Emily Petring were the second-team choices, with Kristina Karlof and Natalie Zodrow rounding out the award winners with spots on the all-league third team.

MAGNIFICENT MALLORY
Mallory McGuire is the 10th Panther all-time to win league Player of the Year honors and the third consecutive, joining Lainey Higgins last year and Kayla Rollins in 2023. Her selection as the Offensive Player of the Year marks the sixth time in program history to claim those honors (Rollins won back-to-back in 2023/2024). She made quite the splash in her only season with the Panthers, finishing the regular season as the top point scorer in the Horizon League with 24 points – tying for the league lead with nine goals while also sitting tied for third with her six assists.

THE FABULOUS FIVE
With a 3-2 victory over Green Bay Oct. 29, the Panthers clinched the No. 1 seed for the fifth consecutive Horizon Leage regular-season title. The Panthers have had a very long line of success when it comes to Horizon League play, now claiming the regular-season title in 10 of the past 11 seasons (2015-19/2021-24) as well as 24 of the past 26 titles overall (25 total). In fact, the team has posted a sparkling 80-3-11 ledger (.910 win %) over the past 10 campaigns in regular-season conference play.

UNFAMILIAR TERRITORY
The Panthers ran into unfamiliar territory October 9, finding themselves down 1-0 late in their game at Detroit Mercy. That marked the first time MKE was behind on the scoreboard in a conference game since September 29, 2024 – a span of over 10 games and 1,076 minutes. No worries, the team remained calm and came through with a near-immediate answer just two minutes later and pulled out the 2-1 win in the final minute.

LOCKED DOWN
The Milwaukee defense was certainly on point in the month of September a year ago - helping lead the team to a perfect 6-0 record while posting shutout wins over Minnesota, SIUE, Robert Morris, Youngstown State, and Purdue Fort Wayne. Leading the charge was Bella Hollenbach, who was named Horizon League Under Armour Defensive Player of the Week for her recent efforts Sept. 22. It's the second time she has claimed the honor this season, also selected Sept. 8.
 
Hollenbach kept her work scoreless in net rolling through another match last week, leading the Panthers to a clean sheet against Cleveland State. She now carries a league-best 0.40 GAA through five conference games after having her scoreless streak come to an end at impressive 478:28 after finally allowing a goal in the month of September.

CATCH THEM IN ACTION
Milwaukee women's soccer will be available for the viewing pleasure of fans this season, as six of the 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 $12.99 a month (or $129.99 per year) and cancel at any time. Launched in April of 2018, ESPN+ is an integrated part of a completely redesigned ESPN App.

ON TAP
The Panthers will remain on the road to open the regular season, next traveling to Tennessee Aug. 20. Then it's off to Georgia Aug. 23 before a city-rival matchup with Marquette Aug. 28. Game time against the Volunteers is set for 6 p.m. CT.