MARQUETTE, Mich. — After a long weekend on the road, the Wildcats are back home for one game this week to take on Northwood University and then will spend the last half of the weekend on the road traveling to University of Wisconsin-Parkside.
The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Conference (GLIAC) game against the Timberwolves will be on Friday, October 22nd at 3 p.m. and the game against the Rangers will be on Sunday, October 24th at 12 p.m.
WEEKLY NOTES:
FOLLOW ALONG
Fans can follow the action using live stats and video.
Follow @NMU_Wildcats on Twitter for continued coverage throughout the week.
Friday VS. Northwood
Live Stats: https://nmuwildcats.com/sidearmstats/wsoc/summary
Video: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/nmu/
Sunday VS. Parkside
Live Stats and Video: https://parksiderangers.com/sports/womens-soccer/schedule/2021
PRESEASON POLL
The Wildcats, coming off a GLIAC Championship match appearance, came in third in the GLIAC Preseason Poll. They notched 49 points and finished five points ahead of Michigan Tech.
KEY RETURNERS
Senior Caroline Halonen, the 2021 GLIAC Offensive Player of the Year and All-GLIAC First Team honoree, returns to the Wildcats attack. Last season the midfielder was ranked in the top ten in NCAA Division II in several statistic categories. She was second in NCAA Division II in goals (11), fourth in total points (23), and seventh in goals per game (.92).
Sophomore Brooke Pietila is also back for NMU after a season that earned her All-GLIAC Honorable Mention honors.
Goalkeeper Shenae Kreps returns to the goal for her senior season. Kreps was in net for all eight Wildcat wins and had 27 saves and a .643 save percentage in her first season in Marquette.
STAT LEADERS
After the last week of GLIAC play, Northern still has two student-athletes on the conference leaderboards.
Senior keeper Shenae Kreps continues to impress and is currently third in the GLIAC for saves with a total of 51 saves thus far.
Another Wildcat that has now led the GLIAC for three weeks in shots on goal with 54, senior Caroline Halonen holds her spot at the top after this last week of conference play.
LAST TIME OUT
Last weekend the 'Cats took on the top two contenders in the GLIAC in No. 1 Grand Valley State University and No. 9 Ferris State University. Unfortunately, the 'Cats fell to GVSU and FSU on the road, both hard-fought games.
To start the weekend the team traveled to Big Rapids, Mich. to take on the Bulldogs. The 'Cats were able to keep up in the first period with a goal from freshman forward Ashley Koch.
The two teams were tied 1-1 going into the half. In the second period, the 'Cats tied FSU with a goal from sophomore Brooke Pietla, pushing the game into overtime where ultimately the Wildcats couldn't hold on and lost the match 2-3.
The team then traveled to Allendale, Mich. to take on the last NCAA Division II national champions, the Grand Valley State University Lakers.
Again the 'Cats fought hard and were tied going into the half with a goal from freshman Justine L'Esperance. In the second half, senior Isabela Cardoso scored for the 'Cats as well as junior Isabelle Brusilow. But a goal in the 88th minute of the match put the Lakers on top.
NMU VS NORTHWOOD
The Wildcats faced the Northwood Timberwolves earlier in the season in a match that did not end in their favor, but the 'Cats are looking to bounce back at the home match this weekend.
NMU VS PARKSIDE
The Wildcats defeated the Rangers two weeks prior 4-0 at home and look to defeat UWP again on the road this weekend.
