West Central Reporter

Western Illinois University's women's soccer team is set to open their season with matches against Iowa State and Northern Iowa. The games will take place at the Cyclone Sports Complex in Ames, IA, on Thursday, August 15 at 6 PM, and at the UNI Soccer Field in Cedar Falls, IA, on Sunday, August 18 at 12 PM.

The Leathernecks' first match of the season pits them against Iowa State. Historically, Western Illinois has faced Iowa State four times since 1997, holding a record of 1-3-0 against the Cyclones. Their sole victory came in 2007 with a score of 2-0. In the previous season, Iowa State finished with a record of 6-11-1 and was placed eleventh in Big 12 play. According to the recent Big 12 preseason poll, they are projected to finish fifteenth out of sixteen teams this year. Junior defender Chloe Broughton is among the key returning players for Iowa State.

On Sunday, Western Illinois will meet Northern Iowa for the twenty-second time. The Leathernecks lead the all-time series with an 11-6-4 record. Their last encounter in Macomb ended in a scoreless draw. Northern Iowa finished third in the Missouri Valley Conference last season with a record of 13-5-1 overall and 6-4-0 in conference play. They return their top four points leaders from last year’s squad, including Olivia Knoepfle, who led the Missouri Valley Conference in points.

Western Illinois returns twenty-three players from its previous roster. Among them is Isabel Navas Rodriguez, a fifth-year goalkeeper from Madrid who earned OVC Goalkeeper of the Week honors three times last season. Sydnee Sagal also returns after starting all matches as a midfielder last year. Junior outside back Hana Daoudi and sophomore forward Alanna Pennington are expected to make significant contributions as well.

Senior attacker/midfielder Kayla Turner has been named Western Illinois' Player to Watch this season. Turner began her collegiate career by starting sixteen games as a freshman but missed most of her sophomore year due to injury. She made a comeback last season and contributed significantly as a substitute.

Despite having many returning players, Western Illinois has added seven newcomers to strengthen their squad for this season. Coach Josee Primeau has brought in three junior transfer forwards: Callie McMurtrey from Jefferson College; Autumn Wilson from Cody, WY; and Landry McCoid from Iowa Central CC who scored thirty-five goals last season. Additionally, four freshmen—goalkeeper Ariel Bernard, outside back Hilary Halpin, defensive midfielder Aofie Boulter, and midfielder Ava Bell—have joined the team.