HOUGHTON, Mich. - Wrapping up the regular season at Michigan Tech, the Northern Michigan University women's soccer team came up with a 1-0 shutout win behind a goal from freshman Hannah Kastamo. 

The Wildcats finish the regular season 11-2-5 with an 8-2-4 GLIAC record. The Wildcats will be the No. 2 seed in the GLIAC Tournament come Tuesday, the highest seed the team has earned in program history. They will host Parkside.  

"We all feel very proud of this team for stepping up and taking 2nd place in the regular season," said Natalie Stampfly, Rachael Erste, and Brenna Musser after the game. "This game and the finish to the season means a lot to us. It's good momentum to have going into the tournament."

"With the conclusion of the regular season, I am so proud of this group," added head coach Jon Sandoval. "I find myself very fortunate to be a part of their journey. At the end of the day, this is their program, they lead it. They take ownership and accountability for the success we have. Tomorrow we will refocus and set our sights on Tuesday."


First Half
Off a corner kick 10 minutes in, Michigan Tech looked like they were going to get an early goal after the ball bounced around in the box and a couple of Huskies got their foot on the ball, but Shenae Kreps tracked down the ball to tame the attack. 

The Huskies continued to play on their offensive end. In the 15th minute, an MTU shot sailed over Kreps, but the crossbar came into play as the last line of defense as the ball ricocheted back into play. Five minutes later, Michigan Tech hit the side post as the ball seemed to go everywhere but in the net for the home team. The Huskies were getting quality looks to score the game's first goal. 

NMU broke through for the first goal in the 30th minute, as Ashley Koch sent a pass that deflected off a defender. Freshman Hannah Kastamo tracked it down and stretched the back of the netting for the score. 

The 1-0 lead for the Green and Gold held as the horn for halftime sounded. MTU led in shots on goal 5-2 in the opening frame. 


Second Half
The chances weren't as abundant to start the second half. In the first 15 minutes, each side only got one shot on goal.

Scoring opportunities continued to be few and far between, as only one more shot on goal came the rest of the way off the foot of a Wildcat. NMU held on for the 1-0 victory. 


A Look at the Stats

• Hannah Kastamo got the lone goal of the game, her fifth of the season. 
• MTU led in total shots 9-7 and shots on goal 6-4.
• Shenae Kreps was perfect in the net, stopping all six shots sent her way. 
• The Huskies had three of the four corner kicks in the game. 

Up Next
NMU opens up the GLIAC Tournament at home, as they will host Parkside on Tuesday, November 1 at 3 p.m.