SAINT PAUL, Minn. – The University of Wisconsin-Superior women's soccer team was voted to win the program's fourth straight Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) title in the 2024 campaign, as the conference unveiled its preseason poll in an announcement Tuesday.
UW-Superior collected a conference-leading 36 points in the UMAC coaches poll, including six-of-seven first place votes. Coming in second place with the final first-place vote was Northwestern, collecting 31 points.
The Yellowjackets welcome nine new faces to the program while returning a quartet of highly regarded seniors, including
Mya Holmquist (Buffalo, Minn./Buffalo),
Lindrey Schendel (Longmount, Colo./Skyline),
Niya Wilson (Superior, Wis./Superior) and
Brenna Mattson (Cloquet, Minn./Cloquet Senior).
Holmquist finished her last two seasons with an All-UMAC First Team selection. In 2023 she started all 23 matches while logging 1,504 minutes on the pitch. Finishing second on the team in goals (17), assists (13) and points (47) while leading in total shots (91), Holmquist's marks are consistently showcased on the conference leaderboard.
Schendel returns for a fifth season on the Yellowjacket midline. Playing a team-leading 1,607 minutes last campaign, she was rewarded with a spot on the All-UMAC First Team after posting two goals and five assists for nine points. Schendel also pitched in a strong defensive output, limiting competitors to just one goal a match and only 6.8 shots per match.
Another super senior returner comes in Wilson. A three-time All-UMAC First Team recipient, along with multiple citations to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District and All-American teams, Wilson comes off a 2023 campaign where she scored a career-high 26 goals, extending her lead as the Yellowjacket all-time leading scorer to 68. Playing 1,598 minutes on the pitch, she took 87 shots with 57 on frame for a .655 shots-on-goal percentage.
Mattson capped her junior season starting all 20 matches played on her way to being named the UMAC Defensive Player of the Year. Joining Wilson on the CSC Academic All-District and All-American squads, she carded 1,456 minutes on the Yellowjacket backline. Mattson's efforts spearheaded the production of ten clean sheets while allowing just one goal per match and 6.8 shots per match.
Bethany Lutheran finished third in the coaches poll with 24 points before Crown grabbed 22 points in fourth. Martin Luther and Minnesota Morris are tied for fifth with 14 points, while North Central rounds out the circuit with six points.
The Yellowjackets commence regular season action Friday, taking on UW-La Crosse. The opening kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. at Public Schools Stadium in Duluth, Minn.
