SUPERIOR, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin-Superior Yellowjackets clinched the 2023 UMAC Women’s Soccer Regular Season Championship on Wednesday night with a 3-0 win at home over Northland College. The title is the third in program history for the Yellowjackets, who have won the regular season championship in each of the past three years.
The win over the Lumberjills gave the Yellowjackets, who are 12-1 in the UMAC this year, 36 points in the conference standings and a five-point lead over University of Northwestern. With just this upcoming Saturday’s regular season finales remaining on the schedule, the Yellowjackets have clinched the regular season title.
On Wednesday night, the Yellowjackets first scored in the 32
nd minute. From the near side, Tori Vosburg launched a pass into the box from over 40 yards out. Olivia Soltero flew in from the far side to fire a shot that deflected off the diving Lumberjill keeper’s hand, bounced once off the ground into the near-side post, and deflected off it into the goal to put UWS up 1-0. The goal, the first of Soltero’s collegiate career, would end up the game winner.
Wisconsin-Superior added a second goal in the 41
st minute. Soltero sent a crosser towards the goal from the far side where Niya Wilson, the reigning UMAC Women’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week, got a foot on the ball to pop it up. She then then fired a shot right before it could land, launching the ball through the upper far corner and into the back of the net. The goal was Wilsons 21
st of the season and doubled Superior’s lead.
Wilson, who has scored the second-most goals in the UMAC this season, added another one less than five minutes into the second half. In the 49
th minute, Julia Lindow sent the ball upfield from 35 yards out through three Lumberjill defenders towards the endline. Mya Holmquist sprinted after it and managed to send a crosser into the box from the near side before it could go out of bounds. Wilson gathered the pass with her back to the goal on the far side and, from a few yards out, proceeded to kick the ball backwards with her heel into the net. The remarkable goal was Wilson’s 22
nd of the season and gave the Yellowjackets a 3-0 lead.
Defensively, Wisconsin-Superior put on a clinic. The Yellowjackets shut out Northland while not allowing a single shot to be taken on them in the game.
With three goals on offense and a flawless defensive performance, the celebration in Superior started once the final horn sounded as the Yellowjackets officially clinched their third consecutive regular season title.
With the championship victory, Wisconsin-Superior has clinched the No. 1 seed in the UMAC Women’s Soccer Tournament. The Yellowjackets will host the to-be-determined No. 4 seed in the semifinal round on Wednesday, November 1.
For more information about the upcoming postseason championship, check out the tournament page linked below.