QUINCY, Ill. – The 2026-27 Quincy University home athletics calendar officially gets underway Thursday evening as the Hawks women's soccer team opens its season against Purdue University Northwest at Legends Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 5:30 PM.

Quincy enters year two under head coach Taylor Reis after a breakthrough first season that saw the Hawks finish 10-4-4 overall and 9-2-3 in Great Lakes Valley Conference play. The 10 victories marked the program's first double-digit win season since 2018 as Quincy finished fourth in the GLVC standings and earned the opportunity to host a conference tournament quarterfinal.

The Hawks enter 2026 picked fifth in the GLVC Preseason Coaches' Poll.

Purdue Northwest begins its fifth season under head coach Mary Whisler after finishing 6-11-2 overall and 4-10 in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play last season. The Lions finished seventh in the GLIAC and were selected eighth in the conference's 2026 preseason poll.

A Rematch of Last Year's Opener

Thursday's matchup marks the second all-time meeting between the two programs, with Purdue Northwest taking the inaugural meeting 3-2 last August in Hammond, Indiana.

Quincy wasted little time getting on the board in Reis' first game leading the program as Rebecca Rheinheimer found the back of the net less than two minutes into the contest.

The Lions responded with three goals in the first half, however, building a lead the Hawks were unable to overcome.

That season-opening defeat ultimately proved to be an outlier during Quincy's turnaround campaign.

The Hawks lost just three of their remaining 17 matches following the PNW game, finishing the year with 10 victories and establishing themselves among the top teams in the GLVC.

Thursday gives Quincy an opportunity to reverse the result of last year's opener while beginning its new season in front of the home crowd.

Building on the Breakthrough

Reis' first season at the helm represented a significant step forward for the program.

Quincy finished 10-4-4 after entering the year looking to climb back toward the top of the GLVC standings. The Hawks went 9-2-3 in conference play, finished fourth and earned their first 10-win season since 2018.

Now the challenge becomes building on that success.

The Hawks return 9,622 minutes of playing time from last year's roster, accounting for approximately 54 percent of the team's total minutes.

Quincy also brings back 17 of its 29 goals from last season, nearly 59 percent of its offensive production.

Among those returners is Rheinheimer, who led the Hawks with 10 goals last season while adding four assists. She will once again be one of the primary attacking threats for a Quincy side that averaged 1.61 goals per match in 2025.

Jessie Newton also returns after leading the Hawks with six assists last season, giving Quincy another experienced piece in the attacking third.

Defense Set the Tone

While Quincy showed improvement across the field last season, one of the biggest reasons for its success was its work defensively.

The Hawks allowed just 14 goals in 18 matches, an average of only 0.78 goals per contest.

Quincy recorded nine shutouts as a team while limiting opponents to one goal or fewer in the majority of its matches.

Goalkeeper Devin Tracy returns after taking over the starting role as a freshman and appearing in all 18 contests. Tracy finished the season with a 10-4-4 record, a 0.75 goals-against average, 53 saves and eight individual shutouts on her way to Third Team All-GLVC honors.

The Hawks also return experience in front of Tracy, including Gracie Vierra and Marina Oberschmid, as Quincy looks to maintain the defensive identity that helped fuel last season's turnaround.

Familiar Faces Return for Purdue Northwest

While Quincy brings back several important pieces, few teams will enter the season with as much roster continuity as Purdue Northwest.

The Lions return 24 of the 27 players from last year's roster, giving Whisler an experienced group entering her fifth season leading the program.

PNW also returns 12 of the team's 14 goals from last season.

At the center of that attack is junior forward Mia Fraser.

Fraser scored eight goals in 2025, accounting for more than half of Purdue Northwest's total goals. Her eight scores ranked third in the GLIAC and made her the clear focal point of the Lions' attack.

For a PNW team that averaged just 0.74 goals per match last season, limiting Fraser will be one of the primary challenges for the Quincy defense Thursday night.

A Change in Goal

Despite returning nearly its entire roster, Purdue Northwest will have a new look at goalkeeper.

The Lions' primary goalkeeper from last season is no longer with the program, creating one of the few major openings on an otherwise experienced roster.

Senior Meta Fischer returns after seeing 532 minutes in goal last season and gives PNW an experienced option at the position.

The Lions recorded six shutouts as a team in 2025 while allowing 27 goals, an average of 1.42 per contest.

That sets up an early matchup between a Quincy attack that scored 29 goals last season and a PNW defense looking to replace its primary goalkeeper.

Home Sweet Home

Thursday also begins Quincy's 2026 home slate at a venue where the Hawks found plenty of success last season.

Quincy went 4-2-3 at Legends Stadium in 2025, losing only twice in nine home matches.

Purdue Northwest finished 2-6 on the road last season and has gone 5-27-4 in road contests during Whisler's first four seasons leading the program.

The Hawks will look to take advantage of that home-field edge as they officially open the 2026-27 Quincy University athletics calendar.

Opening Night at Legends Stadium

Thursday's opener brings together two teams with very different types of continuity.

Purdue Northwest returns nearly its entire roster, including the player responsible for more than half of its goals last season.

Quincy brings back just over half of its total minutes but returns several of the central pieces from a team that won 10 matches, including its leading scorer, leading assist producer, starting goalkeeper and multiple experienced defenders.

For Reis and the Hawks, Thursday represents the next step following a dramatic turnaround in year one.

It also provides an immediate opportunity to flip the result of last year's opener and begin the 2026 season with a victory in front of the home crowd.

Kickoff between the Hawks and Lions is scheduled for 5:30 PM Thursday, August 27, at Legends Stadium.

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