WAVERLY, Iowa - Wartburg women's soccer will open the 2021 season at Salzwedel Field on Wednesday, Sept. 1 for a non-conference match against the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point with kickoff set for 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 1 - 5:30 p.m. - Waverly, Iowa - Salzwedel Field
UW-Stevens Point Pointers (0-0) at
Wartburg Knights (0-0)
Watch Live
Knights Schedule
Season Outlook
The Orange & Black return to play after a shortened offseason due to the 2020 fall season being pushed back into a spring 2021 season. Wartburg played just seven games in its shortened conference-only schedule. In those seven games, the Knights were undefeated and took home the American Rivers Conference championship.
Joy Smith,
Hailey Osburn,
Marissa Lopez,
Kate Luers,
Gabby Corday and
Katie Berglund all earned All-Conference honors last year while
Sarah Campbell was named A-R-C defensive player of the year in addition to an All-Conference recognition. Smith and Berglund led the team in goals with three each, while Campbell and Luers paced the program in assists with two. In goal for the Knights, Lopez played 585 minutes and made 16 saves. The senior started every game and only allowed one goal with a save percentage of .941. Lopez's 0.14 goals against average set a new Wartburg season record.
The Knights will return all 11 starters from last season and will look to add its eighth NCAA tournament appearance and fourth straight.
In the Polls
The A-R-C released the 2021 Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll on Tuesday, Aug. 17, with Wartburg totaling 63 points including seven first-place votes to finish atop of the league standings, as voted on by A-R-C coaches. In addition to the conference poll, the Knights are preseason ranked No. 24 in the country by United Soccer Coaches.
UW-Stevens Point
Due to COVID-19, the Pointers were unable to compete in either a fall or spring season. In 2019, the UW-Stevens Point posted a 11-5-3 total record and made an NCAA Tournament appearance.
The last time these two teams matched up was in 2018 at Salzwedel Field where the Pointers won the match 2-1 by way of a game-winning goal in the 105th minute.
