UW-Oshkosh women’s soccer team will strive to build on their 6-7-5 season last year, beginning Sept. 1 against St. Norbert College at J.J Keller Field at 7 p.m.

In the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) preseason poll voted by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors, Oshkosh is predicted to finish sixth.

UW-La Crosse is predicted to win the conference for the fifth year in a row, followed by UW-River Falls and UW-Platteville to round out the top three. The two spots ahead of the Titans are UW-Whitewater and UW-Stevens Point. The two spots occupied behind UWO are UW-Stout Polytechnic and UW-Eau Claire.

Last season, the Titans scored 19 goals, providing 1.06 goals a game, improving by 0.28 from their 2024 campaign. Oshkosh’s opponents averaged 1.17 goals a game in 2025. UWO were behind 20 to 15 in assists and 100 to 88 in saves for the year.

The Titans won three more games than in 2024, when they finished 3-13-2, but were 2-4- 1 in conference play. This was still good enough to qualify for the WIAC Tournament for the 31st time in the program’s history.

Erin Coppernoll will begin her 22nd season as head coach. Oshkosh is 202-163-5 with her at the helm and 83-57-18 in conference play. She led Oshkosh to their only two WIAC regular season titles in 2015 and 2021, the program’s only three WIAC Tournament championships in 2011, 2014 and 2021, and made all their appearances in the Division III Championship in 2006, 2011, 2014, 2015 and 2021.

In 2025, Ariana Gonzalez was an All-WIAC First Team selection. She started 17 games, providing four goals and eight points and will return for her senior year. Jaden LeRoy will be a junior after being second on the team in goals with three, while also having eight points. Addyson Edwards was also an All-WIAC First Team selection as a freshman, providing two goals and five points for the team. The other two players with two goals and five points apiece, Gabby Born and Maris Heun, both graduated last year. Defender Ryley Meenk won 2024 WIAC Newcomer of the Year and was an honorable mention for the first team last year after playing 18 games, contributing one goal, two assists and four points.

This past March, the soccer team spent ten days in Buenos Aires, Argentina, watching professional soccer, playing against teams like Estudiantes de La Plata, taking in professional training sessions and exploring the city. Coppernoll said the team’s trip to Argentina helped build a deeper bond and chemistry heading into the season.

“We had a great spring foreign trip in March and feel like those ten days in Argentina helped us to connect,” Coppernoll said. “I am hopeful we can turn those ties into wins and some of the close losses into either ties or wins. This group has that potential. … I think playing simple and quick will help us to have success. Along with some great defense all over the field.”

Oshkosh will have three seniors total this season. Besides Gonzalez, both Shannon Walsh and Greta Steines will graduate. Walsh started 16 games, providing three assists and three points. Steines started eight games, while having two assists and two points.

Mallory Kerhin started 18 games as goalkeeper last year and Larissa Likes played one game there. With Kerhin graduating last year, Oshkosh will need someone else to step up in that role.

In total, there are 34 Titans on the women’s soccer team. It breaks down into three seniors, 12 juniors, seven sophomores, and 12 freshmen.

UWO women’s soccer schedule:

Sept. 1 – VS St. Norbert College (7 p.m.)

Sept. 4 – VS Mount St. Joseph University (Ohio) (2 p.m.)

Sept. 6 – VS Macalester College (Minn.) (Noon)

Sept. 9 – VS Milwaukee School of Engineering (7 p.m.)

Sept. 12 – At Benedictine University (Illinois) (1 p.m.)

Sept. 19 – VS University of Dubuque (Iowa) (2 p.m.)

Sept. 23 – VS Carthage College (7 p.m.)

Sept. 26 – VS Loras College (Iowa) (2 p.m.)

Sept. 29 – At Carroll University (7 p.m.)

Oct. 3 – VS UW-Eau Claire (7 p.m.)