MARQUETTE, Mich. - The Northern Michigan University women's soccer team will look to continue its perfect start to the 2023 campaign as the green and gold will embark on its first road trip of the season.

The Wildcats will first travel to Romeoville, Illinois, to face off against the Lewis University Flyers on Friday, September 8, at 5 p.m., before moving south to Springfield, Illinois, to take on the Illinois Springfield Prairie Stars on Sunday, September 10, at 1 p.m.

Follow Along
Follow @NMU_wsoccer on X (formerly known as Twitter) for continued coverage throughout the week.

Friday, September 8 - at Lewis at 5 PM
Live Stats | Watch on GLVCSN

Sunday, September 10 - at Illinois Springfield at 1 PM
Live Stats | Watch on GLVCSN

Hear From Head Coach Jon Sandoval
Head coach Jon Sandoval acknowledged that this will be a tough task for his group, but said that the teams' preparation has prepared them for this moment:

"It's a tough road trip… these are two opponents that are going to be very tough. They're gritty, they compete, they're in region, they play in a good conference, so [these games] are very important to us… Where it starts is what we do in training, and yesterday we had a really good training session.. So I think the preparation leading up to these moments is important, but I do believe the team is up for the challenge."



Cat Nips

• Molly Pistorius is starting right where she left off last season, with a hat-trick and one assist through two games played, leading the 'Cats in goals (3), points (7), and shots on goal (8). Pistorius has also registered one game-winning goal. Pistorius is second in both goals and points across the GLIAC landscape.
• Hannah Kastamo is off to a great start in 2023, as she is second on the team in goals (2), has one assist, and is second on the team in points (5) and shots on goal (6). Kastamo also has one game-winning goal.
• Both Stephanie Trujillo and Megan Kirby have recorded a goal in their first two matches in 2023.
• Jillian Thompson is 2-0 in her first two matches as a Wildcat, recording four saves, one shutout, and a 1.50 GAA. 
• Aside from the goalkeeper, defender Gwen Kiilunen leads the Wildcats in minutes played, playing all 180 minutes through match week one.

Last Week
The Wildcats welcomed the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs and the St. Cloud State Huskies to open the 2023 campaign, winning both games by scores of 4-3 and 3-0, respectively.

Molly Pistorius was the story of the day against the Bulldogs, as she surged for three goals from her eight shots on goal. Hannah Kastamo and Madison Bilbia recorded assists, and Jillian Thompson made three saves. The Wildcats outshot the Bulldogs with both shots (23 to 12) and shots on goal (15 to 6). 

Hannah Kastamo led the way for the Wildcats against the Huskies, as she recorded two goals from four shots on goal. Stephanie Trujillo registered the other Wildcat goal and registered an assist. The Wildcats outshot SCS in both shots (14-7) and shots on goal (11-1).

A Look at Lewis
The Flyers come into the matchup with a 1-1-1 record, drawing against Northwood 1-1, losing to Parkside 1-2, and defeating Purdue Northwest 2-1. Breanna Culver and Grace DeVaux lead the Flyers, both having recorded one goal and one assist for three points through three games. Both DeVaux and defender Anna Sainato lead the Flyers in minutes played, playing in all 270 minutes.

A Look at Illinois Springfield
The Prarie Stars currently sit at 0-0-2 coming into the weekend behind 1-1 draws at Tiffin and Findlay. Sierra Cenek and Anna Schurz have the two goals for the Prarie Stars, and Madison Grandys has one assist. Goalkeeper Allison Mirimanian has started both contests, recording 10 saves over two matches. Aside from the goalkeeper, Louise Anderson, Maggie Joos, and Megan Little lead the Prarie Stars in minutes played, recording a full 180 minutes of play time.