Burnsville, Minn. - The Winona State University women’s soccer team is set to start their 2023 season, selected 10th in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Coaches’ Poll, released this week. The NSIC also has Reanne Weil and Callie Menzel as the Offensive and Defensive Players to Watch for the upcoming WSU 2023 campaign.  

WSU looks to continue progressing on the pitch as their 2022 season ended in the opening round of the NSIC tournament against Augustana University. This was the Warriors’ first time back to the conference tournament since 2018, and it was not the first time Winona State has had to face the Auggies in the conference tournament, falling just short of advancing to the quarterfinals.  

Winona State looks to continue under the leadership of head coach Jill Leibforth, who is in her second season at Winona State. Joe Davis will assist Leibforth for the 2023 campaign. Davis's first season with the WSU women’s soccer program will be this season. Davis comes from a background in soccer, playing professionally in Germany, as well as formally being the technical director for Rush Wisconsin West in La Crosse, Wis.  

The Warriors NSIC Offensive Player to Watch: Weil, a senior from Crystal Lake, Ill., looks to lead the team on the offensive charge. Weil played in 19 matches, 1463 minutes, in the 2022 season, having seven overall points, third highest on the team, with three goals being scored.

The Defensive Player to Watch for the Warriors: Menzel, a junior from Iowa City, Iowa, will be one of the main assets to the defensive blockade for Winona State. Menzel had 1596 minutes played in 19 matches in the 2022 campaign, a critical factor in WSU only allowing 1.05 goals per game from her opponents.

The Warriors look to start their 2023 season with two exhibition games, the first being on Aug 23 with the cross-town rival, Saint Mary’s University, at 7:30 pm at Maxwell Field. The second exhibition game will be a home matchup against Loras College on Aug. 26 at 2:30 pm at Maxwell Field.

WSU will then have three non-conference matchups against McKendree University, Sep. 1 at a neutral site (Upper Iowa University), Upper Iowa University, Sep. 3 in Fayette, Iowa, and rounding off with a trip to Kirksville, Mo. to face Truman State University on Sep. 10 at Noon. Winona State will start NSIC play on the road on Sep. 15 when they head to St. Paul, Minn., to face off against Concordia University- St. Paul. The Warriors will be on the road until Sep. 29, when they will have their home opener against the University of Minnesota Crookston at 5 pm.