IOWA CITY, Iowa – Iowa scored an early goal and used that momentum to build an advantage at the break in handing the Milwaukee women's soccer team a loss in the season opener Wednesday evening at Iowa Soccer Complex.
The Hawkeyes (1-0), a team that closed out the 2025 campaign ranked No. 21 in the final United Soccer Coaches National Poll and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, built their lead to 4-0 in the 49
th minute to put the game away against the Panthers (0-1).
"Well, obviously, those aren't fun games to sit through," head coach
Kevin Boyd said. "But in all reality, that's where we're at right now. We've known that since preseason. We returned two starters from last fall, and we had one of them on the field. So, we didn't have a starter in our back four and it showed. All these players playing against a very good team – just got punished for all these little things that we've been going through in preseason. And we need to just get better. So that's where we're at right now is we have to learn from mistakes and change the way we handle certain situations, the way we handle the ball, so that we don't put ourselves in those spots."
Iowa jumped up and grabbed the lead just 2:43 into the evening. Rattled out of the gates, Milwaukee stayed composed and did well playing through the midfield but was challenged to connect in the final third, held back from converting those chances into shot attempts.
MKE was finding its footing when Iowa made it 2-0 in the 15
th minute, when the defense let up after what appeared to be an offsides situation to double the advantage. After a lengthy video review, the goal stood to make it 2-0 at the 14:04 mark.
Lauren Nidey kept the Hawkeyes off the scoreboard before half with a pair of brilliant saves, stopping a 1-v-1 breakaway opportunity in the 32
nd minute before using a full-out dive to knock another chance just wide in the 41
st minute.
The Panther offense started to make some noise early in the second, with
Emily Petring sending one just over the bar in the 51
st minute before being denied her first goal of the campaign with a diving stop in the 60
th minute.
For the game, the home side finished with advantages of 21-3 in shots, as well as 8-1 in corner kicks. Petring had a team-high two shot attempts.
Nidey finished with five saves.
Jaylah Moore closed out the final minutes of regulation, making a brilliant stop for her first collegiate save.
"The second half, obviously, got away from us a little, but part of that was my subbing," Boyd said. "I pulled what I would say is some of our stronger players off the field and put a lot of freshmen on. We finished the game with six freshmen on the field. They just needed to get some time so that they could experience a game like that. The other team really did not pull their top squad off. He let them keep going, which is probably better for us, to be honest, so that our freshmen that got in could play against top people and learn the same lessons. So, we just need to grow each game. That's where we are right now and make each day better."
The Panthers remain on the road to open the season, playing at Northern Iowa Sunday. Game time is set for 1 p.m.
