The Minnesota Golden Gopher soccer team is four games into their 2026 campaign and is looking to rekindle the glory of their 2024 run to the NCAA Sweet 16. Minnesota struggled a bit last season after losing many key contributors from the 2024 squad dropping to a 6-8-3 overall record and a disappointing 15th place finish in Big Ten action. But the Gophers return key players this season, have added through the portal and via normal recruiting and once again look to make a run through the mid-part of the conference
and into the NCAA Tournament.
Minnesota’s most important player returns in Sarah Martin. The Champlain native returns as the Gopher goalkeeper after playing very single minute of all 17 games in net a season ago. Her highlights a season ago included five shutouts, highlighted by a career-high 12-save performance to shut out #9 UCLA. Martin’s standout weekend against Southern California and UCLA, in which she recorded 18 saves, earned her Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Week honors Oct. 13. She capped off the regular season ranked second in the Big Ten and 17th nationally with 92 total saves. She was one of three Gophers named to the 2026 Big Ten Preseason Players to Watch List earlier this month.
Joining her on the list was fellow senior Caroline Birdsell. She emerged as a top offensive threat for the Gophers, finishing second on the team with 10 total points. She led Minnesota in overall shots (48) and placed second in shots on goal (21) while scoring four goals. The third Gopher on the preseason list was defender Taylor Heimerl. The senior from Rosemount started 16 of Minnesota’s 17 games a season ago and provided key defense on the Gophers back end.
The Gophers have opened the season with a 2-1-1 record including a key tie and a close loss to ranked opponents. Minnesota opened the season with a 4-0 win over North Dakota at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium. Katie Krohn scored a pair of goals and was helped by a goal each from Kate Childers and Davy Mokelke. Martin picked up her first clean sheet of the season with four saves.
Minnesota next hosted #19 Georgia and would earn a 1-1 draw. The Gophers dominated the Bulldogs on the field, but unfortunately could not find a second goal. Georgia took a lead late in the first half on a penalty kick, while Minnesota would get Mokele to score her second goal on the season in the 62nd minute to tie the game at one.
Minnesota went up to Fargo and defeated NDSU 2-1 last weekend. Senior Ava Westlund scored both goals for the Gophers in a seven minute span to come from behind after NDSU took the lead in the 64th minute.
Thursday night the Gophers took their first defeat on the season losing 1-0 at #15 BYU. The score was knotted into the second half when the Cougars were credited with an unassisted own goal following a defensive deflection inside the box in the 78th minute. Martin made five key saves to keep the game close, but the Gophers could not find the equalizer.
Minnesota returns home the next two Sundays to close out the non-conference portion of their schedule. They host St. Thomas at 5 PM this Sunday before hosting Colorado College at 1 PM on September 6th.
Minnesota was predicted by the Big Ten coaches to finish in 14th place this season. They begin conference play on September 10th by hosting Iowa. The rest of the home slate consists of Northwestern, Maryland, #8 Ohio State, #11 Washington and Oregon. Minnesota will face Penn State, Indiana, Purdue, #3 Michigan State #22 Wisconsin and Illinois on the road. The top 10 teams in the conference will make the Big Ten Tournament beginning the first week of November in St. Louis.
Good luck to the Gophers as they close out non-conference action over the next week and a half!
