FLORENCE, Ala. (July 14, 2026) – The University of North Alabama soccer team announced the schedule for the 2026 season on Tuesday, July 14. The UNA schedule features two exhibitions, eight non-conference games and 10 conference games.
 
The first half of the season will be played at Cox Creek Sports Complex. All remaining home games after Sept. 19 will be played at Bank Independent Stadium.
 
"We are excited to start play in the United Athletic Conference," said head coach Chris Walker. "We will see some familiar faces while new opponents will help freshen up the schedule in 2026. I think it will be a very competitive conference and I know the ladies are excited to get the season started! We put together a non-conference schedule that we think will be challenging to help prepare us for conference play."
 
Times, dates and locations are subject to change. Fans can find the most up-to-date information on RoarLions.com.


Schedule 
*Home
*Away
All times are CST

NOTES


CAPTAIN TRIO: Famed UNA players Alice Bussey and Molly Parham graduated from the program after the 2025 season. Ahead of the 2026 season, Walker named Adelyn Speight as a two-time captain while welcoming first-year captains Lilly Ford and Charlotte Sobotka. Ford and Sobotka are entering their second season as a Lion; Ford commanded a backline that finished ninth in the nation in goals against average with an 0.62. Sobotka finished 2025 with the second-most assists on the team in the 11th-most minutes played. Speight returns after anchoring the backline alongside Ford and being named to the All-ASUN Second Team.

105 & COUNTING: Walker earned his 100th career win against Alabama State on Sept. 4, 2025 with a 3-0 win. He concluded his 13th season at the helm with 105 total wins during his tenure. The England native sits seven wins away from owning the most wins by a head coach in school history at 112. As it currently stands, Graham Winkworth owns 111 total wins over his 10-year coaching career in Florence from 2003-12. Walker can earn his 112th win as early as Sunday, Sept. 6 against UC San Diego.

GLAD TO MEET YA!: The Lions meet five new opponents this season in Cal Baptist, UC San Diego, UNC-Asheville, Little Rock and Tarleton State. This is the first time in program history the Lions have played a team in California or a California-based soccer program. Now joining the UAC, the conference gives UNA two first time opponents in Little Rock and Tarleton State; the Lions played Abilene Christian two separate times with a home-and-home in 2018-19. These five programs had a combined 34-35-28 record in 2025 with Cal Baptist owning the best record of the bunch at 10-9-4.
 
FORGE AHEAD:  This season, the Lions have officially forged ahead to the United Athletic Conference as of July 1. UNA will join former ASUN rivals Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky and West Georgia in the UAC. The Lions also join forces with Abilene Christian, UT Arlington and Tarleton State from the Western Athletic Conference and Little Rock from the Ohio Valley Conference.

WELCOME ABOARD: North Alabama welcomes 10 new players to the roster with six being incoming freshmen and four through the transfer portal. The Lions add three goalkeepers in Maddox Dolly from Louisiana Monroe, Emily Dorfman from ETSU and Cecilia Smith from Georgia State. Monica Yoder completed the transfer class as a midfielder from Metro State-Denver. Two incoming freshmen have ties to Alabama in Haddie Patterson (Madison, Ala.) and Casey Knerr (Hoover, Ala.). The Lion staff brought in forward Carolyn Federle and midfielder Cara Pitzer from Cincinnati, Ohio. Forward Catherine Schneiderhahn hails from St. Louis, Mo. while defender Maya Kelsch travels to Florence from Coto De Caza, Calif. to complete the freshman class.

For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.