Badgers set for in-state matchup with Marquette

MADISON, Wis. - The Wisconsin women's soccer will host Marquette on Sunday, Aug. 22, at 5 p.m. at McClimon Soccer Complex.

Here are five things to know before the Badgers face off against the Golden Eagles:

1. A History with Marquette

Wisconsin and Marquette last met during the 2025 season, when the Badgers earned a 2-1 victory in Milwaukee. Wisconsin leads the all-time series, 11-5-2, and has not lost to the Golden Eagles since 2005.

2. Know the Golden Eagles

Marquette enters the 2026 season under third-year head coach Chris Allen. The Golden Eagles return 19 letter winners and eight starters from last season, including seven of the 13 players who found the back of the net.

Leading the returners is Jocelyn Leigh, who paced Marquette with seven goals and 15 points in 2025. Leigh earned All-BIG EAST Second Team honors, becoming the program's first all-conference selection since 2022.

Also returning are Megan Murray and Coco Dorfman, who each scored three goals last season. Murray finished second on the team with 11 points, adding a team-high five assists, while Dorfman recorded 10 points behind three goals and four assists.

3. Back for More

Wisconsin returns plenty of veteran presence this season, with Drew Stover, Erin Connolly, Kiara Gilmore and Hailey Baumann leading the charge. All four have been named to the 2026 MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List.

Stover returns in goal after earning Third Team All-Big Ten honors a season ago. She started and played all 22 games, totaling a team-high 1,980 minutes while recording 10 shutouts, including four consecutive shutouts from Oct. 4 through Oct. 16. Stover also faced a career-high 18 shots at Penn State, allowing just one goal to help the Badgers secure a 2-1 victory on Sept. 21. She finished the season with 65 saves and a .765 save percentage.

The Badgers also return a strong backline led by Kiara Gilmore and Hailey Baumann. Gilmore earned Big Ten All-Freshman Team, United Soccer Coaches All-North Region Team and TopDrawerSoccer Freshman Best XI Second Team honors after starting 21 games and totaling 1,801 minutes. She recorded four assists and six shots, including four on goal. Baumann returns after earning First Team All-Big Ten, United Soccer Coaches Second Team All-North Region and CSC Academic All-District honors. She was also ranked No. 74 in TopDrawerSoccer's Women's National Top 100 Postseason Rankings. Baumann scored against Marquette on Aug. 24 and added three assists while totaling 1,947 minutes after starting all 22 games.

Connolly returns as the Badgers' leading goal scorer after earning First Team All-Big Ten and United Soccer Coaches All-North Region honors. She started all 22 matches and played 1,855 minutes, leading Wisconsin with nine goals while recording 36 shots.

4. Last Time Out

The teams battled through a scoreless first half but Wisconsin began to generate more opportunities as the second half progressed. It paid off in the 80th minute. Following a Wisconsin corner kick, a VAR review was initiated for a Wisconsin penalty. BYU goalkeeper Chelsea Peterson was shown a yellow card before Hailey Baumann converted the ensuing penalty kick, finding the bottom-right corner to give Wisconsin a 1-0 lead.

The Badgers held the Cougars scoreless over the final 10 minutes to secure the 1-0 victory. Stover finished with four saves and the shutout, while Wisconsin held a 7-4 advantage in corner kicks.

5. Follow the Badgers

Stay connected with Wisconsin women's soccer throughout the 2026 season by following the Badgers on Instagram and X at @BadgerWSoccer and on Facebook at Wisconsin Women's Soccer. Fans can also visit UWBadgers.com for the latest news, schedules, results, statistics and more.