Augsburg Women’s Soccer is no longer the quiet program tucked inside Minneapolis’ Division III landscape. This spring, the Auggies are turning heads with a revamped squad that blends local prodigies with international additions, all primed to rewrite the MIAC record books.
Head coach Colleen McCauley-Prebeg has spent the winter rebuilding around three pillars: grit, geometry, and goals. “Grit” comes from a core of Minnesota-bred players who survived last fall’s injury crisis and now form the league’s most battle-tested back line. “Geometry” is the data-driven overhaul of training, using GPS vests and heat-mapping to transform every diagonal run into a measurable advantage. And “goals”—well, those are arriving courtesy of Iceland import Helena Jónsdóttir, who buried 16 in 12 spring friendlies, and Eden Prairie sophomore speedster Avery Zappa, whose 0-to-20-meter burst clocked faster than any sprinter on the Augsburg track team.
The numbers back the hype. The Auggies outshot opponents 18-5 per game during their unbeaten preseason slate, posted eight clean sheets, and topped the MIAC in expected goals (xG) for the first time since 2008. Even more startling: average attendance at Edor Nelson Field has jumped 140 percent, fueled by supporter-group drums and a student section rebranded as the “Auggie Armada.”
“We want to be the first MIAC women’s program to sell out a night game,” says captain Grace Bergstrom. “And then back it up with three points.” The target date: Oct. 4, when national powerhouse St. Thomas visits under new stadium lights purchased entirely through community fundraising.
Off the field, the roster mirrors Augsburg’s commitment to global education. Eleven players hold dual citizenship, eight speak three or more languages, and every athlete volunteer-coaches in the Cedar-Riverside youth league that feeds the next pipeline. That mix explains why United Way just pledged a four-year grant—unprecedented for D-III women’s soccer—to expand the team’s “Scoring for Good” tutoring clinics.
Expectations? High. But Augsburg’s brain trust isn’t shying away. The 2025 motto—“Elevate Every Minute”—is stitched into training tops, plastered across locker-room walls, and hashtagged by a social-media following that grew 400 percent since February. If spring form translates, the Auggies could host the opening weekend of the NCAA tournament, a scene that would have sounded like fantasy only 365 days ago.
For now, the women of Augsburg are done flying under the radar. The Twin Cities are on notice: this summer’s quiet campus fields will soon echo with the drums of a new women’s soccer power.
