Women's Soccer | 9/3/2025 9:46:00 AM
CROOKSTON, Minn. - The University of Minnesota Crookston soccer program lifts the lid on the 2025 season Thursday, September 4 at Upper Iowa University, and returns home for their first game at the Minnesota Crookston Soccer Field Sunday, September 7 versus Black Hills State University.
Minnesota Crookston at Upper Iowa
Thursday, September 4 - 3 p.m.
Harms-Eischeid Stadium, Fayette, Iowa
Live Stats - uiupeacocks.com/sidearmstats/wsoc/summary
Live Video - glvcsn.com/uiuglvc/
Black Hills State at Minnesota Crookston
Sunday, September 7 - 12 p.m.
Minnesota Crookston Soccer Field
Live Stats - goldeneaglesports.com/sidearmstats/wsoc/summary
Live Video - nsicnetwork.com/goldeneaglesports/
The Golden Eagles are entering a new era with Head Coach Danny Burstein arriving. Burstein most recently was an assistant coach at the University of Nevada. Minnesota Crookston is coming off a 1-15-2 mark, but have a new look at the top of the squad, though they do have many returning players from the 2024 squad.
Minnesota Crookston opens the season with the Peacocks, a former NSIC foe, and will bring in Black Hills State Sunday for their second non-conference tilt of the 2025 slate.
Minnesota Crookston
Returning Starters
Sr. F 12 Sarah Burgum (Mandan, N.D.) 11 starts, 2 goals
Jr. D/MF 9 Tessa VanOverbeke (Hartford, S.D.) 18 starts, 1 assist
Jr. D 11 Emmah Burnes (Tulare, Calif.) 18 starts, 4 shots
Sr. D/MF 3 Julia Finch (Woodbury, Minn.) 18 starts, 6 shots
Jr. D 27 Kali Yates (Hedgesville, W.V.) 17 starts, 6 shots
So. D 20 Anna Kuecker (Marshall, Minn.) 10 starts, 1 shot
So. GK 00 Jordan Metz (Lino Lakes, Minn.) 14 starts, 2.16 GAA, 119 saves
Top Bench Returners
So. F 5 Callie Holthaus (Richmond, Minn.) 5 starts, 8 shots
So. MF/F 7 Sydney Christopherson (Sioux Falls, S.D.) 5 starts, 6 shots
So. MF 8 Andrea Cuenca Medina (South St. Paul, Minn.) 4 starts, 3 shots
So. F 16 Elise Lefers (Brookings, S.D.) 3 starts, 1 shot
So. D 22 Riley Martin (San Dimas, Calif.) 2 starts
Jr. D 19 Emma Dudycha (Austin, Minn.) 10 games played
Jr. F 4 Kedin Geremiah (Winnipeg, Manitoba) 11 games played, 4 shots
Jr. F 14 Marsia Green (Waconia, Minn.) 8 games played, 1 shot
Minnesota Crookston will have a mix of returning players and new faces on their 2025 roster. Forward Sarah Burgum (Sr., F, Mandan, N.D.) is the top returner offensively with two goals in 2024. Burgum has seen a lot of time during her time in the maroon and gold. Tessa VanOverbeke (Jr., D/MF, Hartford, S.D.) returns after playing a key role as a sophomore. VanOverbeke notched one assist in 2024. In the back, Kali Yates (Jr., D, Hedgesville, W.V.) made 17 starts, while Anna Kuecker (So., D, Marshall, Minn.) had 10 starts. Julia Finch (Sr., D/MF, Woodbury, Minn.), and Emmah Burnes (Jr., D, Tulare, Calif.) have also been consistent players during their careers at the U of M Crookston. Each started all 18 games last season. In goal, Jordan Metz (So., GK, Lino Lakes, Minn.) returns after making 14 starts with a 2.16 goals against average, 119 saves, and a .788 saves percentage. The Golden Eagles also have several other players who gained integral experience in 2024, with Callie Holthaus (So., F, Richmond, Minn.), Sydney Christopherson (So., MF/F, Sioux Falls, S.D.), Andrea Cuenca Medina (So., MF, South St. Paul, Minn.), Elise Lefers (So., F, Brookings, S.D.), Riley Martin (So., D, San Dimas, Calif.), Emma Dudycha (Jr., D, Austin, Minn.), Kedin Geremiah (Jr., F, Winnipeg, Manitoba), and Marsia Green (Jr., F, Waconia, Minn.).
The Golden Eagles also have six freshmen, a transfer in Norah Lutz (So., D, Dewitt, Mich.) from Aquinas College, and Evelyn Dupont (Jr., MF, Las Vegas, Nev.), who comes over from the cross country team. Autumn Rabe (R-So., MF, Kewaskum, Wis.) redshirted in 2024, after earning four starts as a freshman in 2023. Minnesota Crookston was strong defensively in 2024, making major strides with 2.39 goals against, and 18.3 shots per game. Offensively, the Golden Eagles averaged 0.22 goals per game, with 6.9 shots per game. They are looking for improvements offensively, as they have not averaged a goal per game since 2015.
Upper Iowa
Returning Starters
Sr. GK 1 Isabelle Wagner (Medina, Ohio) 1.79 GAA, 69 SV
Jr. F 23 Haylie Hutchinson (La Quinta, Calif.) 3 goals, 3 assists
Jr. D 7 Maile Kehano (Wailuku, Hawai'i) 1 goal, 4 assists
Jr. MF 4 Jessica Ancheta (Ewa Beach, Hawai'i) 0 goals, 2 assists
Sr. D 18 Natalie Lima (Santa Maria, Calif.) 15 games, 12 starts
Top Bench Returners
Jr. MF 22 Giovanna Alexa Garcia (Hayward, Calif.) 14 games, 0 starts
Jr. F 5 Meghan Zwicker (Port Washington, Wis.) 0 goals, 1 assist
Jr. MF 25 Haylee Allen (Bakersfield, Calif.) 13 games, 2 starts
So. MF 24 Myriah Roybal (La Verne, Calif.) 15 games, 6 starts
Upper Iowa is also beginning a new era of soccer under Head Coach Patrick Ritter, who spent the last three seasons at Bluefield University. The Peacocks went 4-8-4 and 4-7-3 in the GLVC in 2024. Upper Iowa will also have a new look in their line-up with only five returning starters, and four others who saw the field in 2024. Isabelle Wagner returns between the posts after posting a 1.79 goals against average, and 69 saves in 16 starts, with a .711 saves percentage. Offensively, Upper Iowa returns Haylie Hutchinson, who scored three goals, and tallied three assists in 2024. In the back row, Maile Kehano is back after notching a goal, and four assists last season. Jessica Ancheta returns in the midfield after helping facilitate in 2024 with two assists, while Natalie Lima is also returning in the back row after making 12 starts. The Peacocks return four players who saw time in 2024, including Meghan Zwicker who had an assist in 2024.
Upper Iowa averaged 0.88 goals against in 2024, while allowing 1.81 goals against last season. They averaged 8.0 shots per game, and 12.9 shots per tilt defensively. The Peacocks have two transfers joining the fray with Taft College transfers Stephany Castillo, and Melanie Meija. Upper Iowa has seven freshmen on their 2025 roster.
Black Hills State
Returning Starters
R-Sr. D 27 Katy Vinton (North Pole, Alaska) 3 goals, 3 assists
Sr. D 19 Ainsley Wilson (Loveland, Colo.) 18 games, 18 starts
Sr. MF 18 Whitney Hansen (Lander, Wyo.) 18 games, 17 starts
Sr. MF 10 Leah Day (Brighton, Colo.) 0 goals, 1 assist
So. D 7 Bria Sargent (Pierre, S.D.) 0 games, 1 assist
Top Bench Returners
So. MF 20 Tea Whitlock (Erie, Colo.) 1 goal, 0 assists
Sr. F 17 Jayda Hammer (Aberdeen, S.D.) 3 goals, 1 assist
So. D 14 Zoe Evans (Naperville, Ill.) 2 goals, 0 assists
So. MF 13 Bailey Smith (Baldwin City, Kan.) 0 goals, 1 assist
Sr. D 2 Rylee Barnes (Kalispell, Mont.) 17 games, 3 starts
R-So. F 15 Kylie Hayes (Gillette, Wyo.) 16 games, 2 starts
Sr. GK 1 Zoe Wiggall (Dunfermline, Scotland) 2.38 GAA, 12 saves
Jr. MF 23 Ella Cornelius (Thornton, Colo.) 15 games, 1 start
Jr. F 16 Audrey Sillanpaa (Bonney Lake, Wash.) 17 games, 0 starts
Sr. D 22 Oceanna Solis (Brighton, Colo.) 6 games, 0 starts
Black Hills State is coming off a 3-11-4 mark. The Yellowjacks at Golden Eagles tied 0-0 in 2024 in Spearfish, S.D. The Yellowjackets are coached by John Hutchison, in his third season leading Black Hills State. The Yellowjackets averaged 1.00 goals per game in 2024, while allowing 2.61 goals per game to their foes. The Yellowjackets tallied 10.2 shots per game, and allowed 17.7 shots per contest. Black Hills State returns Katy Vinton, who notched three goals, and three assists last season. Both Ainsley Wilson, and Whitney Hansen were consistent starters in 2024, but did not tally a point. Leah Day, and Bria Sargent each notched an assist in 2024. Off the bench, Jayda Hammer returns after tallying three goals, as does Zoe Evans who notched two goals. Zoe Wiggall started two games in net in 2024, with a 2.38 goals against average, and 12 saves.
Black Hills State added five transfers for the 2025 slate. Peyton Hill comes over after redshirting at the University of Wyoming. Ally Boysen also comes over from Wyoming, after spending two seasons with the Cowboys. Karsyn Fraser-Slothower, Audrey Smith, and Ashley Measles came over after playing at the junior college level.
