Minnesota Looks Ahead to No. 2 Michigan State, No. 6 Ohio State

Upcoming Events

Schedule

Oct 8

6:00 PM

Soccer

at #2 Michigan State

Oct 11

1:00 PM

Soccer

vs #6 Ohio State

Oct 18

1:00 PM

Soccer

at RV (Receiving Votes) Wisconsin

MINNEAPOLIS - The University of Minnesota soccer team looks ahead to a split week as it takes on No. 2 Michigan State on the road Thursday before returning to Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium on Sunday to host No. 6 Ohio State.

Minnesota (7-3-2, 3-2-1 Big Ten) vs. No. 2 Michigan State (9-1-2, 4-1-0 Big Ten)
Date: Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026
Stream: B1G+
Kick Off: 6 p.m. CT
Location: East Lansing, Mich.

Minnesota (7-3-2, 3-2-1 Big Ten) vs. No. 6 Ohio State (9-1-1, 5-1-0 Big Ten)
Date: Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026
Stream: B1G+ (Blythe Whealy)
Kick Off: 1 p.m. CT
Location: Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium
Promotions: Alumni Day! Welcome back our Gopher Soccer alumni!
Giveaways: The first 200 fans receive a Gopher Junior and Freshman Class trading card pack! (Estby, Gabriel, Mokelke, Christensen, Koleth, Neuharth, Enriquez, Naples)

Student Shuttle
Students can hitch a free ride to all University of Minnesota soccer games. The shuttle's first pickup spot is at the Bierman Athletic Building (by the large Minnesota sign behind the building) approximately 30 minutes before kickoff. The second pickup spot is at Territorial Hall approximately 20 minutes before kickoff, with the drop-off at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium. Following each match, the student shuttle will depart 15 minutes after the game ends and drop off at the same two locations.

Last Time Out
Led by a two-goal performance from Ava Westlund, the Golden Gophers downed Maryland 4-0 last Friday. Matigann Vixayvong and Katelyn Rigg also contributed a goal apiece, finding the back of the net for the first time this season. Caroline Birdsell assisted Westlund's second goal and Rigg's goal. Taylor Heimerl and Tenley Senden each contributed one assist. Goalkeeper Sarah Martin made four saves on the evening.

Westlund Names Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week
Senior forward Ava Westlund has been named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week, the conference office announced Tuesday.

Westlund, an Arden Hills, Minn., native, helped secure Minnesota's seventh win of the season and undefeated 5-0-2 home record at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium on Friday, scoring her second brace of the season in Minnesota's 4-0 win over Maryland.

The match marked the second time this season Westlund has scored two goals and the fourth game of the year in which she recorded two or more points.

Notes to Know

Undefeated at home: The Golden Gophers have earned a 5-0-2 record at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium, remaining undefeated at home across seven games.
50 Wins: Head coach Erin Chastain captured her 50th win at Minnesota last Friday. Now in her sixth season leading the Maroon and Gold and 20th as a head coach, Chastain has a career record of 169-149-52 and is 50-36-18 at Minnesota.
Spreading the wealth: Production is spread across the roster, with 10 different players scoring at least one goal (Ava Westlund, Davy Mokelke, Katie Krohn, Kate Childers, Ellen Neuharth, Caroline Birdsell, Tenley Senden, Keegan Schmeiser, Matigann Vixayvong and Katelyn Rigg).
Playmakers: Minnesota features 11 players on its roster who have recorded at least one assist this season. Against Colorado College on Sept. 6, the Gophers tallied seven assists in a match for the first time since defeating Utah State 5-0 in 2017. In addition, four Gophers have recorded a team-leading three assists (Tenley Senden, Caroline Birdsell, Taylor Heimerl and Hailee Christensen).
Tactful transfers: Ava Westlund has made an immediate impact on the pitch, scoring a team-high six goals and dishing out two assists. The forward leads the team with 14 points. Notably, Westlund recorded a career-high eight shots against Northwestern on Sept. 20.

Upcoming Events