The Illinois Springfield women's soccer team continues conference play with two road matches this weekend. The Prairie Stars travel to take on Missouri S&T on Friday night at 5:00 p.m. and Drury on Sunday afternoon at 12:00 p.m.
UIS (3-2-3, 3-1-1 GLVC)
The Prairie Stars hosted Southwest Baptist and Rockhurst during the 2024 Homecoming weekend, aiming to build on their strong conference start.
On Friday night, UIS took on SBU in a match largely controlled by the Prairie Stars. The game began with SBU taking an early lead in the 12th minute when Annabelle Shuler capitalized on a corner kick that went uncleared, scoring the opening goal. Despite the setback, UIS intensified their pressure and equalized in the 31st minute through Taytum Scarborough. In a similar scenario, Scarborough found the net after another corner kick was not properly defended, marking her first goal of the season. The Stars came out with renewed energy in the second half, taking the lead in the 50th minute thanks to Dani Auble. Auble skillfully maneuvered past a defender and unleashed a low strike from 25 yards out, finding the bottom corner for her second goal of the season. UIS secured their victory in the 79th minute when Carolyne Mathenia scored her first goal of the year with a powerful shot from outside the box. The Prairie Stars dominated the match, outshooting SBU 19-6, including a commanding 12-2 advantage in shots on goal.
On Sunday afternoon, UIS faced a challenging matchup against Rockhurst, resulting in a 4-0 loss—marking their first conference defeat of the season. The Hawks took an early advantage in the 16th minute when Julia Witt found the back of the net. UIS went into halftime down by just one goal, but their efforts to rally were stymied by Rockhurst's strong performance. In the 62nd minute, Anna Lantz extended the Hawks' lead by successfully converting a penalty kick. Rockhurst continued to dominate in the final twenty minutes, adding two more goals from Elizabeth Mertzlufft and Patti Ehrnman. The Hawks outshot UIS significantly, tallying 20 shots to the Stars' 5, and held a commanding 12-2 edge in shots on goal.
Dani Auble leads the Prairie Stars with two goals on the season, while seven Stars have scored one goal this season. Brooke Biffar leads the team with 3 assists as Emily Tully is right behind with 2. Allison Mirimanian has started and played in all 8 games this year, allowing 9 goals.
Missouri S&T (1-5-1, 1-2-1 GLVC)
The Missouri S&T Miners faced two challenging opponents last weekend, taking on Maryville and Missouri-St. Louis. On Friday night, the Miners struggled against Maryville, who dominated the match from start to finish. The Saints took the lead in the 36th minute and secured their victory with a second goal in the 75th minute. Maryville outshot the Miners 26-4, including a decisive 14-0 advantage in shots on goal.
Sunday's contest against UMSL was much more even as both teams created multiple clear-cut chances. After a scoreless first eighty minutes, S&T's Brooke Bendoff broke the deadlock in the 84th minute with her first goal of the season. However, the lead was short-lived, as UMSL equalized less than three minutes later. Despite holding a significant advantage in overall shots at 16-8, UMSL managed only 7 shots on target compared to S&T's 6.
Six different Miners have scored one goal this season. Greycen Erisman leads the team with two assists. Anastasia Barcom has started six games in goal this season, allowing 11 goals.
UIS vs. Missouri S&T History
The Prairie Stars hold an 8-7 historical record against the Miners, winning the last two meetings. UIS won the 2024 matchup 1-0 in Springfield with the lone goal coming from Carolyne Mathenia. S&T's last victory came in 2021, when they defeated UIS 1-0 in Rolla, Mo..
Drury (6-1-2, 4-1 GLVC)
The Panthers are currently receiving votes in the Division II United Soccer Coaches' latest poll following a 1-1 weekend on the road. Last Friday, they faced #13 McKendree in a rainy matchup. After a scoreless first half, junior midfielder Holland Hawkins broke the deadlock in the 57th minute, then doubled the lead just five minutes later with her second goal. The Panthers' defense held strong for the remainder of the game, securing their third consecutive shutout. They outshot McKendree 14-9, with a 10-4 advantage in shots on goal.
On Sunday, Drury took on the Maryville Saints in St. Louis, marking the second meeting between the two teams this season. The match showcased the quality of both GLVC heavyweights, with Maryville taking an early lead in the 19th minute. However, Hawkins responded eight minutes later, finding the net for her eighth goal of the season. The Saints regained the lead just before halftime, and despite numerous chances, neither team scored in the second half. Drury held a slight edge in overall shots, 14-11, with both teams registering 5 shots on goal.
For her standout performance, Holland Hawkins was named the GLVC Offensive Player of the Week, having already scored 8 goals this season. Teammates Leah McDonald and Jenna Peterson each have 3 goals, while four other Panthers have contributed with 2 goals. Elena Perez leads the team with 4 assists, and three additional players have recorded 2 assists. Katy Fitzler has played and started in all 9 matches, allowing just 6 goals.
UIS vs. Drury History
The Prairie Stars and Panthers have had some spirited encounters in recent years, with UIS holding a historical record of 3-9-4 against Drury. Last season, the teams faced off twice: UIS secured a 1-0 victory in the regular season matchup in Springfield, Illinois, thanks to a goal from Madison Grandys. The two teams later played to a 0-0 tie in the GLVC Quarterfinals, where Drury advanced via penalty kicks. Drury's last outright win over UIS was in 2021, when they triumphed 1-0 in Springfield, Missouri.