Soccer Commences 2025 Season at Drake

LARAMIE, Wyoming (8/12/25) – The University of Wyoming soccer team opens the 2025 regular season on Thursday. The Cowgirls travel to Drake for a 6 p.m. contest inside Mediacom Stadium. It’ll be broadcast on ESPN-Plus.

Wyoming finished 2024 with a 4-6-9 overall record, which included a 2-3-6 mark in Mountain West Conference play. The Pokes narrowly missed out on the league’s postseason tournament, and head coach Josh Purdum is hopeful that Year 2 of his system will fruit a higher finish in the final standings.

“We’ve done a lot of work in the offseason to grow across the board,” Purdum said. “Every player on the roster stepped up in a big way in terms of just growing and making sure everyone felt connected and had a role on the team to make an impact. We took that very seriously this offseason, and we are looking forward to how that translates to the fall.”

Wyoming welcomes back seven starters and five reserves. Haley Bartel returns after starting all 19 games in net, allowing 27 goals with 79 saves for a GAA of 1.42. Offensively speaking, Raegan Richardson is the highest returning point scorer with 10 in 2024 off of three goals and four assists.

Bartel, Maddie Burr and Hadley Linder made it on the Preseason Mountain West Watch List. The Cowgirls were selected eighth in the 13-team conference.   

Drake finished 2024 at 8-7-6 overall and 6-2-2 in the Missouri Valley Conference. The Bulldogs advanced to the conference tournament title game before falling to No. 1-seeded Missouri State.

Drake had three named Preseason All-Missouri Valley Conference in addition to being picked to win the league. Last season’s leading point getter, Eve Blakey – who logged seven goals and six assists for 17 points – is back alongside Layla Kelbel and Madelyn Smith who all earned preseason recognition.

“Drake a really good opponent, and we are looking forward to that,” Purdum said. “We are really excited about this season, really excited about this group, and we are feeling really connected and really strong going into the season.”

Wyoming is 3-1-1 all-time against Drake, and that includes a 2-1 record on the road. The Pokes have won the last two meetings, the most recent of which was a 3-1 victory in Laramie in 2015.

Following the match in Des Moines, Iowa, the Pokes return to Laramie for their home opener next week. Wyoming hosts Northern Colorado on Aug. 21 at 4 p.m. at the Madrid Sports Complex.