University of Minnesota Athletics
Thursday, August 13
7:00 PM
University of Minnesota
vs
North Dakota
Players Mentioned
Forward
/ Soccer
Midfielder
/ Soccer
Midfielder
/ Soccer
Midfielder
/ Soccer
Midfielder
/ Soccer
Forward
/ Soccer
Midfielder/Forward
/ Soccer
Defender
/ Soccer
Goalkeeper
/ Soccer
Midfielder
/ Soccer
Midfielder
/ Soccer
Forward
/ Soccer
Midfielder/Forward
/ Soccer
Midfielder
/ Soccer
Forward
/ Soccer
Midfielder
/ Soccer
Minnesota Opens Soccer Season Against North Dakota and No. 19 Georgia
8/12/2026 10:00:00 AM | Soccer
The Golden Gophers will kick off the 2026 season against the Fighting Hawks on Thursday!
MINNEAPOLIS - Kicking off the season with the first Gopher sports events of the 2026-27 school year, the University of Minnesota women's soccer team hosts North Dakota on Thursday and No. 19 Georgia on Sunday at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium. This season marks the sixth year Minnesota has been under the direction of head coach Erin Chastain and her staff.
Minnesota (0-0-0, 0-0-0 B1G) vs. North Dakota (0-0-0, 0-0-0 Summit League)
Stream: B1G+
Kick Off: 7 p.m. CT
Location: Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium
Promotions: State Fair Food Day
Minnesota (0-0-0, 0-0-0 B1G) vs. No. 19 Georgia (0-0-0, 0-0-0 SEC)
Stream: B1G+
Kick Off: 12 p.m. CT
Location: Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium
Promotions: Pups at the Pitch
Giveaways: The first 50 dogs will receive a Golden Gophers dog toy!
The Season Ahead
The Minnesota women's soccer team kicks off its 2026 campaign at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium on Aug. 13 against North Dakota, launching a competitive slate featuring six nonconference matchups and 12 Big Ten Conference games. The Gophers host nonconference opponents such as Georgia, St. Thomas and Colorado College, along with road trips to North Dakota State and BYU. Big Ten play begins at home on Sept. 10 against Iowa, leading into a conference schedule highlighted by home dates with Northwestern, Maryland, Ohio State, Washington and Oregon, as well as road tests at Penn State, Indiana, Purdue, Michigan State, Wisconsin and Illinois.
Westlund on the Watch
Ava Westlund earned a spot on the 2026 United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division I Women's Forwards to Watch list while also landing at No. 96 on TopDrawerSoccer's Preseason Top 100. The Arden Hills native joins the Gophers following three standout seasons at Cal Baptist University, where she earned United Soccer Coaches All-Pacific Region, All-WAC First Team and All-WAC Tournament Team honors. During her 2025 campaign with the Lancers, Westlund started all 23 matches, leading the team with nine goals and logging 1,823 minutes.
Prior to arriving in Minnesota, she helped guide Cal Baptist to consecutive Western Athletic Conference Tournament championships and NCAA tournament appearances, posting 23 points on nine goals and five assists in 2025. She also gained valuable experience with Minnesota Aurora FC in the USL W League, aiding the club's run to the national semifinals.
Big Ten Players to Watch
Caroline Birdsell, Taylor Heimerl, and Sarah Martin were recognized to the 2026 Big Ten Players to Watch list by the conference.
In 2025, Birdsell emerged as a top offensive threat for the Gophers, finishing second on the team with 10 total points. She led Minnesota in overall shots (48) and placed second in shots on goal (21), netting key goals throughout the year against BYU, Nebraska, No. 17 Washington and an 83rd-minute game-winner against USC.
Heimerl established herself as a core piece of Minnesota's lineup, starting 16 of the Gophers' 17 matches and logging 1,478 total minutes on the pitch. In addition to providing defensive support, she recorded six shots (four on frame) and registered an assist on the game-winning goal against Brown.
Martin anchored the Maroon and Gold defense throughout her 2025 campaign, starting all 17 matches and playing every minute in net. The Champlin native posted five clean sheets on the season, highlighted by a career-high 12-save performance to shut out No. 9 UCLA. Martin's standout weekend against Southern California and UCLA, in which she recorded 18 saves, earned her Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Week honors Oct. 13. She capped off the regular season ranked second in the Big Ten and 17th nationally with 92 total saves.
Scouting the Fighting Hawks
Head coach Henrik Sohn enters his second season at the helm of the North Dakota women's soccer program. Last season, he led the Fighting Hawks to their first 5-0 start since 2005. The 2025 season also saw the Fighting Hawks secure their first conference victory since 2023 and first conference road victory since 2020. Under Sohn's direction, UND ended the season ranked in the top 50 nationally in goals per game, collected five All-Summit League honors, scored the second-most goals in the Division I era (35) and tied for the second-most season shutouts in the Division I era (8).
North Dakota returns two All-Summit League honorees to its 2026 roster: midfielder Cora Ellermann (senior) and forward Charlie Basinet (junior). Ellermann collected second-team and All-Newcomer accolades, while Basinet earned an honorable mention nod. The duo held the top two spots in total goals scored for UND, combining for 13 goals, 12 assists and 38 points.
Scouting the Bulldogs
Led by fifth-year head coach Keidane McAlpine, the Bulldogs earned a preseason No. 19 ranking from United Soccer Coaches and a No. 25 ranking from TopDrawerSoccer. Since taking over in Athens, McAlpine has guided the Bulldogs to five straight NCAA Tournaments, including a Sweet 16 run during the 2022 season.
Georgia placed four players on the SEC Preseason Players to Watch list: Mya Townes, Kiera Staude, Jordan Brown and Hannah Folliard.
Meet the Freshmen
Savannah Enriquez joins the program from San Marcos, Calif., where she was a two-time all-conference selection at Mission Hills High School. A four-year varsity letterwinner, Enriquez led Mission Hills to three consecutive Palomar League titles from 2023 to 2025 and reached the top three nationally with her club team at the 2024 Girls Academy League Champions Cup. She also competed internationally in the United Kingdom after being selected for Soccer.com's Club Partner XI Team.
Bella Naples arrives in Dinkytown following a standout career at Chanhassen High School, where she was named the 2026 Minnesota Gatorade Player of the Year and the 2025 Star Tribune Varsity All-Minnesota Girls Soccer Player of the Year. A Class AAA Ms. Soccer finalist, Naples finished her high school career with 80 total goals while guiding Chanhassen to a school-record 13 wins. She comes from a soccer family, with her father having played at Marquette and her uncle at Vanderbilt.
Ellen Neuharth joined the Gopers as an early enrollee in the spring after leading Academy of Holy Angels to four straight MSHSL state tournament appearances, including a Class AA state championship in 2022. The 2025 Class AA Ms. Soccer recipient and Tri-Metro Player of the Year recorded 25 goals and three assists during her senior season, highlighted by a four-goal performance in the section final.
Meet the Transfers
Matigann Vixayvong returns to her home state following her freshman season at Nebraska, where she appeared in 18 matches for the Cornhuskers in 2025. A native of Lakeville, Vixayvong was a two-time all-state selection at Academy of Holy Angels, helping lead the Stars to consecutive MSHSL state runner-up finishes while tallying 24 goals and 21 assists in two prep seasons.
Katelyn Rigg arrives in Minnesota after three productive seasons at Gonzaga, where she earned All-West Coast Conference second-team honors in 2025. The Olympia, Wash., native ranked second with eight goals and 19 points during her junior campaign, registering three game-winning goals and logging 1,290 minutes across 17 starts.
Selah Koleth joins the Gophers after two seasons at George Washington. The Wayne, Penn., product played in all 18 matches as a freshman in 2024, recording two goals and an assist in 1,109 minutes of action. Prior to college, Koleth was a 2023 Pennsylvania All-State selection and two-time All-ECNL North Atlantic Conference selection.
Hailee Christensen transfers from South Dakota State after starting all 22 matches and leading the Jackrabbits to an NCAA Tournament berth in 2025. The Sioux Falls, S.D., native recorded four goals, five assists and 13 points during her sophomore season. Christensen was named the 2022 South Dakota Gatorade Player of the Year in high school and holds Harrisburg High School career records with 78 goals and 59 assists.
Gophers in the Pros
The Maroon and Gold have five alumni currently competing professionally in four countries.
Most recently, Khyah Harper joined the Houston Dash on a free transfer from Gotham FC. During her 1 1/2 years with Gotham, Harper helped the club capture the 2025 NWSL Championship, the 2024-25 Concacaf W Champions Cup and the 2026 NWSL Challenge Cup.
Sophia Boman finished her first professional season with Sporting Jax, a member of the Gainbridge Super League. In its first season in the league, Sporting Jax reached the national semifinals. Boman started in all 29 matches during the 2025-26 season, scoring six goals and seven assists.
Jelena Zbiljic recently signed with ŽFK Spartak Subotica of the Serbian Women's Super League after five seasons competing at the semi-pro level with Minnesota Aurora.
Sophia Romine plays in the Iceland Women's Premier League for Grindavik/Njardvik W, while Evelyn Calhoon had a stint with Lions FC 1 in Australia.
Minnesota (0-0-0, 0-0-0 B1G) vs. North Dakota (0-0-0, 0-0-0 Summit League)
Stream: B1G+
Kick Off: 7 p.m. CT
Location: Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium
Promotions: State Fair Food Day
Minnesota (0-0-0, 0-0-0 B1G) vs. No. 19 Georgia (0-0-0, 0-0-0 SEC)
Stream: B1G+
Kick Off: 12 p.m. CT
Location: Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium
Promotions: Pups at the Pitch
Giveaways: The first 50 dogs will receive a Golden Gophers dog toy!
The Season Ahead
The Minnesota women's soccer team kicks off its 2026 campaign at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium on Aug. 13 against North Dakota, launching a competitive slate featuring six nonconference matchups and 12 Big Ten Conference games. The Gophers host nonconference opponents such as Georgia, St. Thomas and Colorado College, along with road trips to North Dakota State and BYU. Big Ten play begins at home on Sept. 10 against Iowa, leading into a conference schedule highlighted by home dates with Northwestern, Maryland, Ohio State, Washington and Oregon, as well as road tests at Penn State, Indiana, Purdue, Michigan State, Wisconsin and Illinois.
Westlund on the Watch
Ava Westlund earned a spot on the 2026 United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division I Women's Forwards to Watch list while also landing at No. 96 on TopDrawerSoccer's Preseason Top 100. The Arden Hills native joins the Gophers following three standout seasons at Cal Baptist University, where she earned United Soccer Coaches All-Pacific Region, All-WAC First Team and All-WAC Tournament Team honors. During her 2025 campaign with the Lancers, Westlund started all 23 matches, leading the team with nine goals and logging 1,823 minutes.
Prior to arriving in Minnesota, she helped guide Cal Baptist to consecutive Western Athletic Conference Tournament championships and NCAA tournament appearances, posting 23 points on nine goals and five assists in 2025. She also gained valuable experience with Minnesota Aurora FC in the USL W League, aiding the club's run to the national semifinals.
Big Ten Players to Watch
Caroline Birdsell, Taylor Heimerl, and Sarah Martin were recognized to the 2026 Big Ten Players to Watch list by the conference.
In 2025, Birdsell emerged as a top offensive threat for the Gophers, finishing second on the team with 10 total points. She led Minnesota in overall shots (48) and placed second in shots on goal (21), netting key goals throughout the year against BYU, Nebraska, No. 17 Washington and an 83rd-minute game-winner against USC.
Heimerl established herself as a core piece of Minnesota's lineup, starting 16 of the Gophers' 17 matches and logging 1,478 total minutes on the pitch. In addition to providing defensive support, she recorded six shots (four on frame) and registered an assist on the game-winning goal against Brown.
Martin anchored the Maroon and Gold defense throughout her 2025 campaign, starting all 17 matches and playing every minute in net. The Champlin native posted five clean sheets on the season, highlighted by a career-high 12-save performance to shut out No. 9 UCLA. Martin's standout weekend against Southern California and UCLA, in which she recorded 18 saves, earned her Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Week honors Oct. 13. She capped off the regular season ranked second in the Big Ten and 17th nationally with 92 total saves.
Scouting the Fighting Hawks
Head coach Henrik Sohn enters his second season at the helm of the North Dakota women's soccer program. Last season, he led the Fighting Hawks to their first 5-0 start since 2005. The 2025 season also saw the Fighting Hawks secure their first conference victory since 2023 and first conference road victory since 2020. Under Sohn's direction, UND ended the season ranked in the top 50 nationally in goals per game, collected five All-Summit League honors, scored the second-most goals in the Division I era (35) and tied for the second-most season shutouts in the Division I era (8).
North Dakota returns two All-Summit League honorees to its 2026 roster: midfielder Cora Ellermann (senior) and forward Charlie Basinet (junior). Ellermann collected second-team and All-Newcomer accolades, while Basinet earned an honorable mention nod. The duo held the top two spots in total goals scored for UND, combining for 13 goals, 12 assists and 38 points.
Scouting the Bulldogs
Led by fifth-year head coach Keidane McAlpine, the Bulldogs earned a preseason No. 19 ranking from United Soccer Coaches and a No. 25 ranking from TopDrawerSoccer. Since taking over in Athens, McAlpine has guided the Bulldogs to five straight NCAA Tournaments, including a Sweet 16 run during the 2022 season.
Georgia placed four players on the SEC Preseason Players to Watch list: Mya Townes, Kiera Staude, Jordan Brown and Hannah Folliard.
Meet the Freshmen
Savannah Enriquez joins the program from San Marcos, Calif., where she was a two-time all-conference selection at Mission Hills High School. A four-year varsity letterwinner, Enriquez led Mission Hills to three consecutive Palomar League titles from 2023 to 2025 and reached the top three nationally with her club team at the 2024 Girls Academy League Champions Cup. She also competed internationally in the United Kingdom after being selected for Soccer.com's Club Partner XI Team.
Bella Naples arrives in Dinkytown following a standout career at Chanhassen High School, where she was named the 2026 Minnesota Gatorade Player of the Year and the 2025 Star Tribune Varsity All-Minnesota Girls Soccer Player of the Year. A Class AAA Ms. Soccer finalist, Naples finished her high school career with 80 total goals while guiding Chanhassen to a school-record 13 wins. She comes from a soccer family, with her father having played at Marquette and her uncle at Vanderbilt.
Ellen Neuharth joined the Gopers as an early enrollee in the spring after leading Academy of Holy Angels to four straight MSHSL state tournament appearances, including a Class AA state championship in 2022. The 2025 Class AA Ms. Soccer recipient and Tri-Metro Player of the Year recorded 25 goals and three assists during her senior season, highlighted by a four-goal performance in the section final.
Meet the Transfers
Matigann Vixayvong returns to her home state following her freshman season at Nebraska, where she appeared in 18 matches for the Cornhuskers in 2025. A native of Lakeville, Vixayvong was a two-time all-state selection at Academy of Holy Angels, helping lead the Stars to consecutive MSHSL state runner-up finishes while tallying 24 goals and 21 assists in two prep seasons.
Katelyn Rigg arrives in Minnesota after three productive seasons at Gonzaga, where she earned All-West Coast Conference second-team honors in 2025. The Olympia, Wash., native ranked second with eight goals and 19 points during her junior campaign, registering three game-winning goals and logging 1,290 minutes across 17 starts.
Selah Koleth joins the Gophers after two seasons at George Washington. The Wayne, Penn., product played in all 18 matches as a freshman in 2024, recording two goals and an assist in 1,109 minutes of action. Prior to college, Koleth was a 2023 Pennsylvania All-State selection and two-time All-ECNL North Atlantic Conference selection.
Hailee Christensen transfers from South Dakota State after starting all 22 matches and leading the Jackrabbits to an NCAA Tournament berth in 2025. The Sioux Falls, S.D., native recorded four goals, five assists and 13 points during her sophomore season. Christensen was named the 2022 South Dakota Gatorade Player of the Year in high school and holds Harrisburg High School career records with 78 goals and 59 assists.
Gophers in the Pros
The Maroon and Gold have five alumni currently competing professionally in four countries.
Most recently, Khyah Harper joined the Houston Dash on a free transfer from Gotham FC. During her 1 1/2 years with Gotham, Harper helped the club capture the 2025 NWSL Championship, the 2024-25 Concacaf W Champions Cup and the 2026 NWSL Challenge Cup.
Sophia Boman finished her first professional season with Sporting Jax, a member of the Gainbridge Super League. In its first season in the league, Sporting Jax reached the national semifinals. Boman started in all 29 matches during the 2025-26 season, scoring six goals and seven assists.
Jelena Zbiljic recently signed with ŽFK Spartak Subotica of the Serbian Women's Super League after five seasons competing at the semi-pro level with Minnesota Aurora.
Sophia Romine plays in the Iceland Women's Premier League for Grindavik/Njardvik W, while Evelyn Calhoon had a stint with Lions FC 1 in Australia.
Thursday, October 30
Tuesday, October 21
Sunday, October 19
Friday, October 17