The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) has unveiled its 2026 women's soccer preseason forecasts, a compilation of votes from head coaches and sports information directors across the league.
According to the poll, the University of Wisconsin‑La Crosse Eagles are projected to capture both the regular‑season championship and the tournament title, an achievement that would extend their streak of consecutive NCAA tournament appearances to five.
The Eagles have already secured four straight WIAC tournament crowns and appear in the Receiving Votes section of the IWSOC/United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division III Preseason Poll, underscoring their national relevance.
Key Players to Watch
Returning standouts such as Aubree Caya, Summer Nicolai and goalkeeper Jillian Sawadski, all of whom earned All‑WIAC honors, are expected to anchor the squad’s attack and defensive structures.
Head coach Jason Murphy, now in his sixteenth season at the university, brings a career record of 214‑79‑28 overall and 173‑46‑26 in WIAC play, positioning him as one of the conference’s most seasoned leaders.
The 2026 WIAC tournament is scheduled for November 3‑7, with each match hosted by the higher‑seeded team, and the champion will earn an automatic berth to the NCAA championship game later that month.
Non‑conference competition begins on September 1, while the league schedule opens on October 3, giving teams a compressed window to fine‑tune before the tournament.
Finishing behind Wisconsin‑La Crosse in the coaches’ rankings are traditional rivals including UW‑River Falls, UW‑Platteville, UW‑Whitewater, UW‑Stevens Point, UW‑Oshkosh, UW‑Stout Polytechnic and UW‑Eau Claire, suggesting a tightly contested conference race.