RIVER FOREST, IL — The University of Wisconin-Whitewater defeated Concordia-Chicago, 4-0 in their first contest of the 2026 season. The Warhawks outshot the Cougars 28-1, put 18 shots on goal and held the home team without a second-half shot in the total victory
UWW turned sustained first-half pressure into a 2-0 advantage when
Genevieve Simkowski (Oak Park, Ill./Oak Park-River Forest) scored off
Rowan Severson's (Mount Horeb, Wis./Mount Horeb) assist at 18:29. Severson found Simkowski on the breakaway, setting up a 1-on-1 with the goalie for Simkowski. The sophomore put away in the bottom left corner easily for the first goal of the season.
Jenna Laidlaw (Aberdeen, Scotland/Aberdeen Grammar) followed with a goal assisted by
Karina Osborn (Arena, Wis./River Valley) at 21:14. Laidlaw chipped the ball in from the right side, going opposite post to put the Warhawks up 2-0 quickly.
Before the goals, UWW generated six shots and a corner kick before the breakthrough, with the CUC keeper saving attempts from Simkowski, Severson and Osborn.
Lauren Ripley (Brookfield, Wis./East) handled CUC's only shot of the half at 18:07, and UWW continued to create chances after its goals with
Anna Gunderson (Mukwonago, Wis./Mukwonago) putting two shots on frame and the team earning five more corner kicks.
UWW closed the half with 13 shots and six corners and carried the 2-0 lead into halftime.
After the break, UWW kept the offensive pressure up, including a Dehne shot saved by Katelyn Wagner at 46:32, a corner kick at 49:46 and a Simkowski shot in the 53rd minute. The Warhawks kept pressing through the middle of the half as Dehne,
Jasmine Wilson (Sussex, Wis./Sussex-Hamilton),
Brooklynn Carlson (Crystal Lake, Ill./Crystal Lake Central) and
Emily Taylor (Fond du Lac, Wis./St. Mary's Springs) all recorded attempts, with Wagner saving Taylor's shot at 68:55 and
Veda Gisi's (Le Claire, Iowa/Pleasant Valley) effort at 73:58.
UWW added two late goals in quick succession, with Osborn scoring off
Leah Dehne's (Waterford, Wis./Waterford) assist at 80:24. Dehne found a loose clear, before crossing over to the wide-open Osborn for the third goal.
Just 47-seconds later, Dehne added another assist with a header over to Simkowski. Simkowski added her brace at 81:07, marking the fourth-fastest back-to-back goals in UW-Whitewater history.
After the two goals, UWW continued to put attempts on frame through
Violet Nevarez (Chicago, Ill./Walter Payton College Prep) and Severson before adding a late corner and two more Simkowski shots. The half closed with UWW outscoring CUC 2-0 in the segment and finishing off a 4-0 victory.
Simkowski scored twice, recorded the match-winning goal and led UWW with nine shots, including five on goal. Dehne tallied two assists and added three shots, one on goal. Osborn finished with a goal and an assist while putting both of her shots on frame. Laidlaw scored on her lone shot.
The Warhawks stay on the road for their next match, heading to Cornell College on September 5th. That match is set for 3 PM in Iowa.
