St. Paul, MN - The 2025 UMAC Women's Soccer Preseason Poll came out on Monday, and the MLC Knights were voted to finish in a fourth-place tie in the conference standings with Crown and Minnesota Morris.

The Knights earned 16 points in the poll, while the UW-Superior Yellowjackets were predicted atop the conference with 35 points (5 first-place votes). 

Tyson Zarnstorff enters his third season as the head coach of the Knights and brings back nine of 11 starters from last season's squad. Among those returners is forward Katie Schoeneck, who earned Second Team All-UMAC accolades in her first two seasons in an MLC uniform. The junior was fifth in the UMAC in goals scored a season ago (11) and paced the Knights in goals scored, points (24), and shots on goal (34).

Sophomore Ella Ristow returns to help anchor the MLC defense out on the field and had a nice start to her collegiate career, receiving Second Team All-UMAC honors as a freshman.

Fellow sophomore Maria Vik will resume her spot as the goalkeeper after leading the UMAC in saves per game (9.68) last season, which helped her get UMAC Honorable Mention. Vik also recorded 184 saves as a freshman, putting her second on the MLC single-season record list.

MLC has two home non-conference contests this opening week of the season, starting with a 2 p.m. game against Buena Vista on Friday, August 29, and a 3 p.m. game versus WLC on Sunday, August 31.

Full UMAC Women's Soccer Preseason Poll Press Release

Complete poll
1 UW-Superior (5) 35
2 Bethany Lutheran (1) 29
2 Northwestern (1) 29
4 Crown 16
4 Martin Luther 16
4 Minnesota Morris 16
7 North Central 6