2026 Girls Soccer State Tournament Preview
The 2026 spring state soccer tournament is just a day away. Let’s meet the schools that will be competing in this year’s tournament.
Division 1
The tides have finally shifted away from reigning champion Muskego. This spring, the top seed in D1 has been given to DSHA, the private Catholic all-girls school based in Milwaukee. They will essentially be getting home games this weekend; Uihlein Soccer Park is located just 15 minutes from the high school, which is about the same drive as it is to their home stadium.
The Dashers are fresh off a 2-1 victory over one of the state’s top teams, Arrowhead. These two teams actually met in the sectional final last season, with it being a 1-0 result the other way around.
This squad is loaded with talent. Players like Brailey Baxter, Avery Roethe, Lucy Colvin, and the rest of the team have a chance to make a serious impact on any given day. However, DSHA has one weakness: experience. They haven’t been to state since 2023 and feature no seniors in their starting eleven. Younger teams without experience on big stages, like a state tournament, tend to have a difficult time beating more experienced teams like their opponent, Kimberly.
DSHA defender Brailey Baxter jump in celebration after scoring against Arrowhead in the sectional final.
DSHA is set to play the #4 seed Kimberly at 4:30pm on Thursday, who are making their third straight state tournament appearance this year. Kimberly had to play two difficult opponents during sectionals. The Papermakers defeated both conference rivals, Appleton North and Wausau West, 1-0 during sectionals.
Last season, they were also the #4 seed and had to play top seed Muskego in the semi-final, which ended in a 3-0 defeat for Kimberly. This year, with a more experienced squad, they hope to pull off a result this go around. They’ll need their star players to play like star players. Expect center-back duo Emily Urban and Kennedy Ebben to play big roles defensively and going forward in attack.
Oregon, the #2 seed, is back at state after missing it last spring. This is their first state appearance since making the jump to D1 after dominating D2 for numerous years.
This Panther squad is led by Badger Large Conference Player of the Year and UW-Madison commit Kylie Steel. She leads the team in goals and assists, having scored an impressive 35 goals with 13 assists.
On the other hand, the #3 seed Muskego is playing in the state tournament as the lowest seed they’ve had in seven years. Expect the Warrior defense to combat against Oregon’s attack. Senior goalkeeper Savannah Mittelstaedt is committed to playing college soccer at DePaul University. Her shot-stopping ability in net, combined with her distribution and on-field communication skills, makes it extremely difficult for the opposition to score against her.
This matchup between Oregon and Muskego could be one of the most exciting matchups we’ll see this season. In fact, these two teams met during the regular season at the UW-La Crosse Invitational. Both teams traded goals in a game that ended level at 2-2, so expect a similar end-to-end match like we had back in April.
This game will be played at 7:00pm on Thursday, the perfect time for such evenly-matched teams.
Division 2
The defending champions, Brookfield Central, are back at state this year. This time, they’ve earned themselves the top seed in D2. After finishing tied for third in an incredibly competitive Greater Metro Conference this season, they went on a dominant run during playoffs. They’ve had to face quality opponents like Plymouth and Pulaski, but allowed no goals throughout the postseason.
Brookfield Central head coach and players in a captain’s meeting before their conference match against Germantown.
The Lancers are set to face the #4 seed Holmen, who find themselves here for the first time in school history.
Sophomore Paige Olson was Holmen’s hero in their sectional final game against Sauk Prairie. She stepped up and hit a shot from nearly 40 yards out with just 5 minutes left in the game that ended as the game’s only goal.
Brookfield Central has been the favorite to win D2 all season for a good reason. They only had 3 seniors graduate last year. With so much of their squad returning this spring, the expectation is on them to win it all. However, the Holmen Vikings have been a sneaky underrated team all season.
Will they be able to pull off an all-time upset? We’ll find out soon as they play in the tournament’s opening match on Thursday at 11:00am.
The #2 seed is another GMC team, Wauwatosa East. To get to state, they needed to beat the top overall D2 team in the state. They upset Pewaukee 2-1 in the sectional final to have their chance at the state title.
Tosa East will play the #3 seed DeForest, who had to pull off some upsets of their own. In one of the most competitive sectionals the state has seen, the #7-seeded Norskies came out on top. They had to defeat the #2 seed Waukesha West, then the #6 seed Monona Grove, and finally the #5 seed Edgewood to get their first state tournament berth in program history.
These two are set to play at 1:30pm on Thursday.
Division 3
McFarland is back in the state tournament as the top seed in D3. The last time they were here, they lost 1-0 in the semifinal to Catholic Memorial.
This time around, they bring one of the best defenses in state history. Largely due to senior goalkeeper and Badger-Small conference player of the year Jaylah Moore, this McFarland team has not let in a single goal all year long.
The #4-seeded Rice Lake is also back at the state tournament after missing last season. Just like McFarland, they also lost in the semifinal in 2024, but to the eventual champions, Plymouth. This Warriors team is sound defensively as well. They had to go through both Baldwin/Woodville and Rhinelander. A 3-1 victory over Rhinelander in the sectional final allowed them to make it to Uihlein.
Will McFarland keep yet another shutout? We will find out at 4:30pm on Friday when these two teams meet.
Making their fifth straight appearance, Kiel has grabbed the #2 seed this year as they’ve become a very familiar team at this tournament. A heartbreaking overtime loss to Edgewood in the semifinal ended their season last spring. However, they’re returning their best player, Taavi Saeger, who is one of the state’s most prolific attackers.
Kiel won the D4 title back in 2023 when they took down Cedar Grove/Belgium 6-5 in the final. They have since made the jump to competing in D3.
Still unbeaten this season, Kiel will be tested at state yet again as they look to repeat the success they found three years ago. It’s not always best to go undefeated. Obviously, winning games is the most important part. However, if you haven’t seasoned your team well enough for state-level competition, then a quick exit could be in order.
With that being said, you should still expect Kiel to remain ultra-competitive at state. Having the best attacker in all of D3 soccer play at that elite level she has all season will be integral if the Raiders expect to hoist the golden ball.
Kiel’s Taavi Saeger (7) goes for a header (photo: Gary C. Klein/USA Today).
The #3 seed in D3 this year is New Berlin Eisenhower. They had to take down cross-town rival New Berlin West to make their first appearance since 2023. The Lions needed quality performances from Piper Bissell and Evangeline Schaffart to propel them past sectionals.
These two teams will meet in the last semifinal match this year – a 7:00pm match on Friday night under the lights.
Division 4
The top D4 seed goes to Appleton-area private school, Xavier. They’re coming in with a 21-1-0 record with their only loss to a quality D1 opponent. They’re led by Bay Conference player of the year, sophomore Helayna Krueger. She scored both goals in their 2-0 sectional final victory over Howard’s Grove.
After hoisting the trophy last season, Xavier is looking to do the same this year. However, this division appears to be extremely competitive this time.
The Hawks will be playing in a rematch of last year’s state final against Ozaukee/Random Lake, this year’s #4 seed. However, unlike last time, OZ/RL has Mya Schroeder. The Warriors have the state’s top goalscorer on their squad this time around. During sectionals, they defeated a Living Word Lutheran squad with a top-level goalkeeper by 5 goals. Then, after beating Oostburg 2-1, they will make another appearance at the tournament.
Ozaukee/Random Lake striker Mya Schroeder goes to play the ball (photo provided by Mya Schroeder).
Numerous coaches from around the state have game planned for Schroeder by double or even triple-teaming her, without much success. It will be interesting to see what Xavier can come up with now on the biggest stage.
They’re set to face off on Friday morning at 11:00am.
The #2 seed in D4 belongs to The Prairie School, based in Racine County. In a mildly confusing manner, the long-standing top D4 team in the state, according to the coaching polls, manages to get the second seed rather than the first.
The Prairie School had 5 first team all-conference players in the Metro Classic this year. Their best attacker, Keira Kimbrough, bagged 35 goals on the year. They also have notable players like goalkeeper Finley Remington, midfielder Megan Gavigan, and forward Ellie Jaramillo – all of whom are juniors.
The final team remaining is the #3 seed, Aquinas. Having to travel all the way from La Crosse, the Blugolds must find a way to come out quick and energized. Along their path, they had to match up against Lodi and Washburn, both solid teams.
Senior captain Hayden Zehren has been one of, if not their most valuable players, during their playoff run. She scored both goals in their game against Lodi and made crucial plays to earn them a state appearance, and is a leader of this Blugold squad.
Aquinas and The Prairie School will play at 1:30pm on Friday.
All 16 teams competing have earned the right to be here. Whether it's Mya Schroeder having to fight through triple-teams every match, Muskego and Kiel making their fifth straight appearance, or a senior-less DSHA squad finding out if talent can outrun inexperience, this year's WIAA Girls Soccer State Tournament has no shortage of storylines worth watching play out.
It all starts Thursday, June 18th, at 11:00am with Holmen and Brookfield Central. Make sure you make the trip to Uihlein Soccer Park in Milwaukee, so you don’t miss it!
Pewaukee defenders during the 2025 D2 state championship match.
