Women's Soccer Opening Week Updates: High-Stakes Non-Conference Battles Take Center Stage

The 2026 Big Ten women’s soccer season officially kicked off Wednesday, August 12, launching a18-team conference campaign anchored by a stacked non-conference opening slate. 

Across Wednesday and Thursday, 15 Big Ten squads took the pitch to open their campaigns, headlined by high-stakes non-conference tests, top-25 clashes, and new eras beginning across the league. Some of the biggest storylines included No. 9 UCLA clashing with powerhouse BYU in a premier West Coast battle and USC hosting ACC contender and third-ranked Duke in Los Angeles, while Wisconsin locked horns with Big 12 challenger No. 6 TCU in a marquee matchup. 

And that was only the beginning. Here is your full recap of the Big Ten women's soccer openers as the 2026 season gets underway. 

Game of the opening slate: Iowa beats Milwaukee 7-0 in opener 

The Hawkeyes opened their 2026 season in blistering fashion, with five players finding the back of the net in a  7-0 win over Milwaukee  at the Iowa Soccer Complex. Both Berit Parten and Berkley Binggeli scored twice as Iowa set a program record for the most goals scored in a season opener.

The Hawkeyes scored the most goals in a game since 2017, an 8-1 victory over Southern Utah. 

Opening week scoreboard: 

From August 12 - 

• No. 7 Michigan State 2, Xavier 0: On Wednesday night at DeMartin Stadium, the No. 7 Spartans — the Big Ten’s highest-ranked team in the preseason poll —  shut out the Musketeers,  with Kayla Briggs and Kennedy Bell finding the back of the net in the opener. 
• Nebraska 3, Louisville 1: The Huskers opened up the season with a  road win over Louisville in Kentucky . Nathalie Lewis scored the opening goal in only three minutes, while Ella Rudney and Ava Makovicka also opened their accounts for the season. Goalkeeper Avery Gillahan had six saves in the win. 
• No. 12 Washington 1, Portland 0: The defending Big Ten Champion’s title defense started with a  1-0 win over rival Portland  in front of a home-opening record crowd of 1,753 fans. The lone goal came less than a minute into the second half from  defender Maylen Montoya.  
• Indiana 2, Hampton 1: Defender Bella Haggerty had both goals for the Hoosiers in a  2-1 victory over Hampton , with Indiana outshooting the opponent 19-3 in the contest. 
• BYU 2, No. 9 UCLA 1: While No. 9 UCLA jumped in front of BYU, a quick response and second half winner by the Cougars lifted BYU to a 2-1 upset over the Bruins. Full story here . Next up for UCLA is a top-10 matchup in Los Angeles against Duke. 
• No. 3 Duke 3, USC 1: Junior midfielder Eleanor Morrissey scored USC’s goal in a 3-1 loss to the Blue Devils . The Trojans return to action on Sunday against Pepperdine. 

From August 13 - 

• No. 6 TCU 1, No. 22 Wisconsin 0:  The Badgers and Horned Frogs played a tight top-25 matchup , but it was TCU who broke through in the 78th minute with the game-winning goal on a corner kick.
• Michigan 1, Utah Valley 1: Adi Walick's penalty kick goal in the 54th minute helped the Wolverines earn a 1-1 tie . 
• Illinois 0, No. 19 Georgia 0: Behind four saves from Izzy Lee, the Illini battled the Bulldogs to a scoreless draw and improved to 4-0-1 in their last five home openers.
• Purdue 1, Evansville 1: Freshman Zoe Miles scored her first career goal in the 13th minute, and the Boilermakers outshot Evansville 31-2, but the Purple Aces drew even in the 47th minute and played to a 1-1 draw. Full recap here .
• Minnesota 4, North Dakota 0: The Golden Gophers won their season opener 4-0 behind a brace from forward Katie Krohn. Senior goalkeeper Sarah Martin made four stops to earn the clean sheet.
• Oregon 3, Portland State 0: The Ducks also won convincingly , thanks a three-goal barrage in the second half. Oregon's leading scorer from a year ago, Carly Cormack, tallied twice in the victory. 

Weekend Matches to Watch (Friday–Sunday, Aug 14–16): 

The opening-week gauntlet continues through Sunday with premier fixtures on the schedule: 

• West Coast Super-Matchup: No. 9 UCLA welcomes No. 3 Duke to Los Angeles in a battle of national contenders with major postseason seeding implications down the line. The Blue Devils opened up the season with a 3-1 win over USC, while UCLA will look to bounce back after a 2-1 loss to BYU. 
• Ranked Non-Conference Spotlight: No. 17 Ohio State hits the road to take on No. 25 Clemson in a Sunday morning matchup broadcast live on ACC Network. 
• Power Five Cross-Conference Test: Minnesota hosts SEC foe Georgia at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium as both sides seek early-season momentum. 
• Penn State faces top-5 team in South Bend: The Nittany Lions travel to Alumni Stadium on Sunday to open their season against No. 2 Notre Dame in a marquee non-conference clash. 

With the season officially underway, expect Big Ten powerhouses and national contenders alike to set an early statement in what promises to be an action-packed opening weekend. With crucial points and early-season momentum on the line, these non-conference battles could ultimately prove decisive when NCAA tournament seeding is determined down the road.

Check out the full schedule for all the upcoming action.