The UIS women's soccer team wraps up the regular season at home this weekend with two key matches. The Prairie Stars will face Upper Iowa on Friday at 5:00 p.m., celebrating Senior Night with a tribute to graduating players. On Sunday at 12:00 p.m., they take on Lewis for Faculty & Staff Appreciation Day and the annual Cancer Awareness Game.
Illinois Springfield (6-6-3, 6-5-1 GLVC)
The Prairie Stars enter the weekend in sixth place with 19 points, holding the tiebreaker over Indianapolis. UIS earned the win last Friday against the Greyhounds in a physical matchup. Both teams tested each other's goalkeepers in the first half, but neither side was able to find the breakthrough. The second half began with UIS on the attack, ultimately taking the lead in the 60th minute. A corner from Brooke Biffar found Kalli Drexler, who turned and fired into the roof of the net to put the Prairie Stars ahead. UIS kept up the pressure, limiting the Greyhounds' quality scoring opportunities. The dagger came in the 88th minute when Katelynn Ward was played through by a UIndy defender's miscue. Ward found the far corner to give the Prairie Stars a huge road win as they look to return to the GLVC Tournament for the third consecutive season. UIS outshot Indianapolis 14-12, with both squads taking 5 shots on goal. Allison Mirimanian was named GLVC Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this season after earning the shutout.
Katelynn Ward continues to lead the Prairie Stars in goals, having scored five this fall. Brooke Biffar leads the team in assists, having provided six so far. Dani Auble has also scored three goals and provided two assists, giving her eight points this season. Allison Mirimanian has started all 15 games in net for UIS, allowing 17 goals.
Upper Iowa (4-6-4, 4-5-3 GLVC)
The Peacocks enter the final weekend tied for eighth place with 15 points, level with both Truman State and Quincy. UIU faced a challenging weekend at home, falling to No. 12 Maryville and UMSL. The nationally ranked Saints displayed their strength early, securing a two-goal lead within the first ten minutes. Their dominance extended into the second half, adding two more goals to claim a 4-0 victory in Fayette. Maryville outshot UIU 16-4, holding a 13-2 advantage in shots on goal.
On their Senior Day, the Peacocks aimed to upset a strong UMSL squad. Both teams had chances but failed to score in the first half. The second half began in similar fashion, with UMSL steadily increasing pressure on the Peacock goal. The breakthrough came in the 64th minute when Kayley Judy collected the ball 40 yards out, driving down the left wing and firing a shot into the top-right corner to give the Tritons the lead. UMSL's defense held firm, securing the shutout. UMSL outshot Upper Iowa 12-5 and held a 5-3 edge in shots on goal.
Jordan Goldstein leads the team in both goals (4), assists (6), and points (14). Haylie Hutchinson and Mikalyn Hidde have scored three goals for the Peacocks. Malie Kehano has also provided four assists on the season. Isabelle Wagner has started all 14 games in goal for the Peacocks, allowing 26 goals.
UIS vs. Upper Iowa History
The Prairie Stars and Peacocks met for the first time in history last season, with UIS coming away with a 1-0 win in Fayette, Ia. The lone goal came from an Abby Dellamorte goal in the 4th minute.
Lewis (3-11-1, 3-9 GLVC)
The Flyers enter the final weekend of the season in 12th place, currently sitting on 9 points. This season has not met usual expectations for Lewis, as they dropped two more games last weekend.
In Friday night's contest against McKendree, the Flyers demonstrated their capability to compete with top teams in the conference. McKendree took the lead in the 22nd minute, but Lewis responded immediately, equalizing just a minute later. The goal came from a Jada Harvey corner kick, which Breanna Culver headed in for her seventh goal of the season.
The second half remained tightly contested, with McKendree regaining the lead in the 55th minute. Lewis quickly answered again, awarded a penalty kick in the 58th minute, which Elisa Aguilar successfully converted to level the score once more. However, the Bearcats took their third lead of the night in the 63rd minute when Anna Stiffler scored her second goal. This time, the Bearcat defense held firm, keeping the Flyers from finding the back of the net and securing the win. McKendree outshot Lewis 13-8, with a 6-4 advantage in shots on goal.
Sunday's match against No. 12 Maryville proved to be another challenge. The Saints quickly took the lead in the 7th minute. However, the Flyers did not back down, pushing the attack throughout the match. In a tense second half, Maryville found an insurance goal in the 69th minute to seal the victory. The Saints outshot Lewis 14-9, holding an 8-6 edge in shots on goal.
Breanna Culver leads the Flyers with 7 goals this season, while the next closest player has 2 goals. Jada Harvey leads the team with 3 assists. Josie Graziosi has started every game in goal for Lewis, allowing 28 goals
UIS vs. Lewis History
The Prairie Stars hold a 3-9-4 all-time record against the Flyers. The 2023 matchup in Romeoville ended in a 0-0 stalemate. UIS's last victory against Lewis came in the 2022 postseason when they won 1-0 in Romeoville. Prior to that, the Flyers claimed victory in the 2022 regular season matchup, also finishing 1-0 in Romeoville.