Soccer Plays Host to South Carolina on Thursday and South Dakota on Sunday

LARAMIE, Wyoming (8/25/26) – The University of Wyoming soccer team closes out its non-conference home matches this week. The Cowgirls host South Carolina on Thursday at 4 p.m. before celebrating Senior Day against South Dakota on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Both matches take place at the Madrid Sports Complex and can be streamed on MW+.

The Cowgirls are 2-1-0 on the season and are looking to bounce back after suffering their first loss of 2026, dropping a 2-1 decision to Weber State last Thursday. The Gamecocks – who are receiving votes in the most recent United Soccer Coaches’ Poll – are 3-1-0 following a week that saw them upset No. 24 Clemson, 1-0, and defeat Furman, 4-0.

“(South Carolina) is going to look at (the Weber State) film and think they can come in and do something against us,” head coach Josh Purdum said. “We need to prepare better. We need to be organized for them. They’re a very strong team and have performed well. They’re going to come and think they can nip one off of us. We need to be prepared for them organizationally but also physically.”

Both Wyoming and South Carolina have found plenty of goal scorers early on. Maddie Burr has found the back of the net twice this season, but three of her teammates have scored, as well. Six different Gamecocks have tallied a goal with Sydney Middaugh leading the charge with a pair of scores.

Haley Bartel has shut out two of the first three opponents. She’s logged seven saves with two goals allowed for a GAA of 0.67. South Carolina keeper, Christina Tsaousis, has started all four matches and made 10 saves with three goals allowed for a GAA of 0.86.

Wyoming and South Carolina have never met before. The Cowgirls are 2-10-1 all-time against the SEC, which includes a 1-3-1 mark against such adversaries in Laramie.

A familiar foe in South Dakota visits on Sunday. The Pokes possess a 6-2-2 edge in the all-time series with the Coyotes. Both teams played to a 1-1 draw last year in Vermillion.

South Dakota – which visits Northern Colorado on Thursday – is 2-1-1 in 2026. The Coyotes have an impressive 1-1 draw at Nebraska on their resume.

Brooke Conway and Kinsley Pesicka have each scored twice this season to lead South Dakota. Cambell Fischer has started all four matches in net and has recorded 14 saves with two surrendered goals for a GAA of 0.55.

Following the match with South Dakota, the Cowgirls take to the road for over a month. The first trip is to northeast Washington for matches at Gonzaga on Sept. 3 and at Eastern Washington on Sept. 6.

About the MW+

You can watch Wyoming Athletics all season long on the MW+ with all UW home games and all MW conference games on the state-of-the-art app. Fans will also find replays of games, Ragtime Replays featuring great contests in Wyoming history along with other exclusive content. A majority of each subscription purchased through Wyoming's dedicated page will directly support Wyoming Athletics and the Cowboy Joe Club, creating a scalable and sustainable revenue opportunity aligned with fan engagement.

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