Season Preview: Cowgirl Soccer Confident Ahead of 2025 Season

LARAMIE -- The University of Wyoming soccer team opens the 2025 season Saturday with its annual Brown versus Gold match. It’s set to kickoff at 1 p.m. at the Madrid Sports Complex.

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This year marks head coach Josh Purdum’s second season at the helm. His inaugural year was a noteworthy one full of program first, and Purdum’s hopeful that a strong foundation is in place for more success this fall.

“From a playing-style standpoint, from a laying-a-foundation standpoint, from a leadership standpoint, there’s been a lot of growth,” Purdum said. “I feel very confident going into Year 2, and a lot of that credit goes to the girls for their maturity and professionalism.”

As mentioned, 2024 had many firsts. The Cowgirls defeated a ranked team for the first time in program history, blanking Utah State, 2-0. That was one of nine shutouts, which was a new single-season school record.

All nine of those shutouts are in large part due to Haley Bartel’s strong play as goalkeeper. She’s one of seven starters who are set return. The others include defenders Lily Brongo and Maddie Burr, midfielders Raegan Richardson, Kiley Ballek and Hadley Linder and forward, Alisa Bunn.

Brongo and Burr played a big part in that shutout record, combining for 26 full-90-minute matches between the two of them. Burr also added five points on one goal and three assists, while Brongo had one assist.

Richardson tallied the most points of any returnee. She managed 10 points on three goals and four assists.

Linder wasn’t far behind Richardson, boasting eight points on three goals and two assists. Ballek registered a pair of scores, and Bunn managed two goals and an assist.

The list of returnees doesn’t include midfielder Alyssa Glover who missed nearly all of last season with injury. She’s back and carries with her 22 career points off eight goals and six assists.

“I think it’s going to be more the community that scores than it is one or two players,” Purdum said. “As every player grows, they are helping everyone else in front of net. We are really pleased with the production we are going to have this year.”

Three of the aforementioned players – Burr, Glover and Linder – all garnered recognition on the Mountain West Conference Watch List, which was released Wednesday. That announcement occurred with the Preseason Coaches’ Poll where the Cowgirls were picked eighth. Utah State was selected to win the league, while Boise State and Colorado State rounded out the top three.

Following the Brown and Gold match, the Cowgirls open the season Thursday at Drake. Wyoming commences its regular-season home slate Aug. 21 versus Northern Colorado.

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