Box Score HOUGHTON, Mich.—Northern Michigan University Women's Soccer (4-10-2, 2-5-2 GLIAC) ended the regular season with a 1-0 victory, scoring the goal on Michigan Technological University (5-10-1, 2-6-1 GLIAC) in the second overtime period of Friday's non-conference contest, held in winter-like weather.
The Wildcats wasted little time getting into an offensive rhythm. Three shots in the opening seven minutes of action, including two by junior forward Aimee Colla (Muskego, Wisconsin) nearly found the back of the net with a pair being saved by the MTU keeper.
Finishing the half with a 7-5 advantage in shots, the wildcats defense stepped up late facing four shots in the final 20 minutes of play. Freshman goalkeeper Brianna Frontuto (Luxemburg, Wisconsin) made a pair of saves in that four-shot span, to maintain a scoreless contest into the halftime intermission.
Despite an 8-4 shot advantage in the second half, NMU was unable to find the back of the net. On the other end of the field, the Wildcat defense held the Huskies to just four shots in the second half including a pair of saves by Frontuto. The defensive effort helped send the contest to overtime, the fourth overtime game of the season for NMU.
The first extra period went by with one shot from each team with MTU's coming on-goal. The second overtime period did not make it to the half way point before freshman forward Jenna Halonen (Howell, Michigan) found the back of the net. At the 103:48 mark of the game senior midfielder Abby Cook (DeWitt, Michigan) placed a through ball to Halonen who gave it one touch into the net for her team-leading eighth score of the year and the win in the regular season finale.
Offensively, Halonen lead the team in shots with four, including her second game-winning goal of the season. Senior forward Madison Hamilla (Gaylord, Michigan) also recorded four shots in the match, while senior defender Allyssa Milam (Williamston, Michigan) made three attempts.
Frontuto continued her climb up the NMU record books with her five saves in the match. Bringing her season total to 81, the freshman now has the ninth most saves in a season and 11th most in a career in the NMU record book. Additionally, her fourth solo shutout of the year moves Frontuto into a tie for sixth in Wildcat history.
With the regular season coming to an end, the Wildcats will now look towards the 2017 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament set to begin next week. NMU, earning a bid into the conference tournament for the fifth-consecutive season, will be the seven seed and take on the two seed Ashland University (10-5-1, 7-2 GLIAC). The Eagles will host the opening round game as the higher seed on Tuesday with the match scheduled for 1 p.m.
