Lakeland and Alverno are meeting for the first time in four years after previously playing in 21 straight seasons. The Muskies have won the last seven meetings in the series, including a narrow 1-0 victory Oct. 15, 2022 on Lakeland's Senior Day. Alondra Reyes scored the Muskies' goal with assists from Amanda Heimos and Gwynn Manteufel and Lakeland squeezed out a win in a match it outshot the Inferno 28-1. Alverno's last win over the Muskies came nearly 10 years ago with a 6-0 win in Milwaukee on Sept. 16, 2016, capping a four-year stretch where the Inferno won three of four meetings.

Lakeland last time out: Lost at Lawrence 3-0 Sunday
The Muskies gave the undefeated Vikings a battle on the road in Appleton but lost contact late in dropping their third straight to start the season. Lawrence took the lead in the middle of the first half but the score stayed that way until the middle of the second half, when the Vikings scored goals in the 66th and 75th minutes to gain some breathing room. Ingrid Steinbock made 14 saves in goal, her third straight match with at least 14 saves, while Malaya Sperber finished with two of the Muskies three shot attempts, including their best chance with a good move to get to a shot on goal in the first half. Lakeland dropped to 0-3 but has been competitive in all three matches, with a pair of one-goal losses followed by the loss to a Lawrence team that has three wins against Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference opponents.

Alverno last time out: Lost at Andrews (Mich.) 5-1 Friday
The Inferno lost their second straight to open the season, falling to the Cardinals in Berrien Springs, Mich. Andrews scored three times in the first half and led 4-0 when Alverno scored its first goal of the season, a tally by Amely Hernandez Alvarez in the 62nd minute. Alverno also was defeated by St. Norbert 5-0 in its season opener, which was the program's first match since 2023 after canceling the last two seasons due to a shortage of players. Alverno was a member of the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference from its formation in 2006 until this year, and is now competing as an NCAA Division III independent while it will compete in the Coast to Coast Conference for championship events.