Dupage Policy Journal

Elmhurst University’s women’s soccer team began its season with two victories, highlighted by strong performances from Kelli Coughlin and Nora Simon. Both players were recognized as College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Student-Athletes of the Week for their efforts.

Kelli Coughlin, a junior midfielder from Bolingbrook, Illinois, contributed three goals and three assists over the weekend. In Friday’s match against Concordia Chicago, she scored the game-winning goal just over six minutes into play and assisted on another goal less than two minutes later. She added a second goal in the 16th minute to help secure a 4-0 win. On Sunday at Rockford, Coughlin scored her third goal of the season in the 62nd minute during Elmhurst’s 10-0 victory and assisted on the match winner earlier in that game.

Nora Simon made her collegiate debut anchoring Elmhurst’s defense. The Anchorage, Alaska native played 118 out of 180 possible minutes across both matches. She helped limit opponents to only one shot in total while contributing three shot attempts herself during Saturday's shutout against Rockford.

"Offensive: Kelli Coughlin, Elmhurst

Coughlin, a midfielder from Bolingbrook, Ill., powered the Bluejays to a 2-0 start to the campaign with three goals and three assists over the weekend.

The junior hit the match-winning goal just 6:22 into Friday’s opener at Concordia Chicago, igniting EU’s 4-0 win. She also assisted on the Bluejays’ second strike just 93 seconds later for a 2-0 lead, then finished her second goal of the day in the 16th minute. Coughlin picked up where she left off two days later at Rockford, tallying her third goal of the season in the 62nd minute of Elmhurst’s 10-0 romp. She assisted on the match winner in the 11th minute."

"Defensive: Nora Simon, Elmhurst

Making her collegiate debut, Simon led an EU defense that limited its first two 2025 opponents to just one shot in a pair of shutout wins. The Anchorage, Alaska native played 118 of the 180 weekend minutes, notching three shot attempts in Saturday’s clean sheet against Rockford."