Women's College Opening Day Recap

Women's College Opening Day Recap
by Victor Olorunfemi
August 13, 2026
Players featured in this article:
Danielle Chaump |  2026
F | Sting Royal

The 2026 women’s college soccer season kicked off on Wednesday, August 12, and the action did not disappoint. Here are sixteen storylines that defined the opening day.

First Goal and Hat Trick

Northern Kentucky senior forward Megan Molner had the honor of scoring the first goal and hat trick of the 2026 season, leading her squad to a 4-1 victory over Austin Peay. That marked the first three-goal outing of her career, continuing the momentum from a breakout 2025 campaign where she managed eight. Ayla Conn scored the other for the Norse, while Anna Drexel struck for the Governors.

 
 
 
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Favorite Time of the Year

The opening day of the college soccer season might have to be named the Kayla Keefer Invitational, as the junior forward bagged four goals for Oklahoma, two years after she recorded a hat trick on the 2024 kickoff day for Mississippi. Her performance led a ruthless Sooner showing as the Big 12 side demolished Northwestern State 9-0. Ally Laccinole, Narissa Fults, Kate McCallister, Isabella Martinez, and Brenna Hallam scored the others.

Severn for Four

Not to be outmatched, Gonzaga star Amelia Severn delivered a sensational showing of her own, scoring four and assisting one in a 5-1 victory over South Florida. Even more impressive, all five goal contributions came in the first half as the Bulls had zero answers for the dynamic junior. Samantha Snorsky scored the other for the Zags, while South Florida got a consolation goal from Amelia Malkin.

Baylor Statement

In the rare matchup of two ranked teams, No. 14 Baylor sent a resounding message to the rest of the country, defeating No. 18 Arkansas 4-1. The three-goal margin marks the first time the Razorbacks have lost by at least three at home since October 2011. Lauren Omholt, Olivia Hess, Callie Conrad, and Noelle Sather each scored once for the winners, while Aniyah Nurse-Whyte found a late goal for the SEC side.

Bulldogs Halt Irish

Many assumed that the clash between No. 9 Notre Dame and unranked Samford was a foregone conclusion. Redshirt junior goalkeeper Peyton Hull, who grew up just a few minutes from the Irish campus, had other plans, making eight saves to earn a clean sheet and a stunning 0-0 draw.

Cornhusker Sprout

Another opening-night upset came in the South as Nebraska traveled down to No. 20 Louisville and walked away with a 3-1 victory. Nathalie Lewis kicked off the standout performance with a jaw-dropping solo goal just three minutes in, giving the Cornhuskers the momentum needed for the win. Ella Rudney and Ava Makovicka pushed the lead to 3-0 before Liz Suydam got one back with just two minutes left.

Crisis Avoided

Where Louisville and Notre Dame failed to avoid upsets, No. 5 Vanderbilt survived a thriller versus SMU, winning 4-3 thanks to an 89th-minute penalty kick conversion from Courtney Jones. The Commodores initially took a 1-0 lead through Reagan Pentz, then led 3-1 through back-to-back goals from Olivia Stafford and Sydney Watts. But each time, the Mustangs had an answer, as Brooke Bunton and Kaia Samuelsen scored along with an own-goal to push the SEC squad to the brink.

Late Penalties

Along with Vanderbilt, two other results came down to late penalty kicks. Larkin Thomason converted in the 88th minute to lead Alabama past Saint Louis. Miah Thomas scored in the 85th minute of a 1-0 Cal Poly victory over UNLV.

Perfect Start

There were questions about how Iowa would look under new head coach Dean Ward, and at least on opening night, the Hawkeyes answered in commanding fashion. The Big Ten side ran riot with a 7-0 result over Wisconsin-Milwaukee, marking their largest margin of victory in nine years. Berit Parten and Berkley Binggeli each scored twice, while Reilly Heman, Elle Wildman, and Lexy Griffin each had one.

Seven of the Best

Boston College was another team to reach seven in its victory over Siena. Most impressive was that each goal came from a different player as Ashley Roberts, Tess Barrett, Emily Mara, Nicollette Kiorpes, Sophie Reale, Anndi Wright, and Addison Kalaw each struck once. Megan Stowell did score for the Saints to avoid a shutout.

Offensive Fireworks

Kentucky got in on the goalscoring party with a 6-0 rout of Detroit Mercy. Leading the way was transfer addition Nadia Ramadan, who scored twice in just 38 minutes of action. Joining the talented midfielder on the scoreboard were Alexis Tylenda, Juliette Rayo, and freshmen Kyla Dawn and Danielle Chaump.

Player of the Year Starts

Along with Watts, who scored for Vanderbilt, multiple TDS Player of the Year preseason favorites got off to fast starts. Duke forward Mia Minestrella scored once, as did Kennedy Bell for Michigan State. No. 1-ranked player Hope Leyba got an assist for Colorado, while Ellie Walbruch of BYU and Finley Lavin of Memphis each started in victories for their respective squads.

Tale of Two Halves

Saint Joseph's gave the country its first breathtaking comeback victory. After Drexel took a 2-0 lead through Liv Brocious and Riley Lukach, the Hawks came storming back in the second half, scoring three unanswered goals from Valentina Nardone, Sarah Fisher, and Juliette Muro.

Goal of the Year?

Just hours into the season, Giovana Canali may have already scored what will win the Goal of the Year award. The Virginia star dribbled through three Northwestern defenders, executing multiple nutmegs, before smashing into the top corner.

Technical Mastery

San Diego State senior Kendall Moore had her own moment of absurd technical brilliance. The midfielder executed a 1-2 pass before a perfect outside-of-the-foot curler from beyond the eighteen.

All in a Day’s Work

Idaho head coach Jeremy Clevenger had the perfect 24 hours, celebrating his son's birth in the morning, then leading his Idaho squad to a 3-0 win that evening. Hallie Prinos-Grumbach, Calli Chiarelli, and Alyssa Hamilton scored in the first ten minutes to put the game out of reach.

Related Topics: American Athletic, Atlantic 10, Atlantic Coast, Big 12, Big Sky, Big Ten, Big West, Horizon League, Pacific 12, SEC, Southern
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