MARQUETTE, Mich. - The Northern Michigan University women's soccer team is back home, hosting Ferris State on October 4 and closing out the weekend with a match against Saginaw Valley State on October 6. 

The Wildcats hold an overall record of 4-2-2 and a GLIAC play record of 2-1-1, sitting fourth on the GLIAC table. This is a big weekend at home for the 'Cats, as Ferris State (3-1-3, 2-0-1) currently sits one spot ahead of the Wildcats, and the Cardinals (3-3-1, 1-1-1) are looking to catch up to the 'Cats in the standings. 

Last Encounter
The Bulldogs faced a challenging match against the 'Cats in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Tournament Semifinals on November 10, 2023. The Wildcats emerged victorious with a 4-1 win, ending Ferris State's season with a record of 7-9-4. 

The Cardinals last competed against the Wildcats on October 27, resulting in a 1-1 draw. The Wildcats controlled possession for much of the contest, registering nine shots on goal compared to SVSU's four. The Cardinals recorded only seven shot attempts, marking one of their lowest totals of the season.

Follow Along
Follow @NMU_wsoccer and @NMU_Wildcats on X (formerly known as Twitter) for updates leading up to and during the games.

Friday, October 4 - vs Ferris State at 3:00 p.m. ET 
Watch | Live Stats 

Sunday, October 6 - vs Saginaw Valley State 12:00 p.m. ET
Watch | Live Stats  

Cat Nips

• The 'Cats return home, where they are 1-1-0 this season and 29-3-7 at home since Jon Sandoval has taken over
• NMU has been exceptional defensively as of late, recording three straight shutouts, four shutouts in the last six contests, and has only allowed two goals in the previous six games
• Explosive on offense as well, the 'Cats lead the conference and are 16th nationally in total assists (15) and total goals (20), and 17th in total points (55)
• Sally Patton leads the GLIAC and is 18th in the nation in goals against average (0.364) and 28th in save percentage (0.882)
• The 'Cats are 8-2-4 against Ferris State all-time at home and are on a four-game unbeaten streak (3-0-1) 
• The 'Cats are 7-5-2 against Saginaw all-time at home and are 2-0-1 the last three matchups

Hear from Jon Sandoval
"Right now we're 1-1 at home, so this week it is important to have a sharp week of training in order to execute the gameplan we have for this weekend."

A Look At Ferris State
The Bulldogs come into the weekend 3-1-3 overall and an unbeaten 2-0-1 in conference play. Ferris will face the Wildcats after going unbeaten in their last three games, where they have outscored the opposition 7-3.

Ferris has six different goal scorers through seven games, led by Haley Buckman with three goals and a team-leading six points. Buckman has scored two goals in her previous three contests. Brinley Bell leads the GLIAC in total assists (4) and assists per game (0.57), both top-25 in the nation, but she only has one point in her last five games.

A Look At Saginaw Valley State
At 3-3-1 overall and 1-1-1 in the GLIAC, the Cardinals travel to Michigan Tech on Friday before heading to Marquette for its match against the 'Cats on Sunday. The Cardinals head into the Upper Peninsula with a 2-1-1 record its last four, most recently holding Grand Valley State scoreless in a 0-0 draw.

Lainey Garbarz was just named GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week after posting two shutouts and leading the Cardinals by making six saves to fend off the Lakers. Garbarz now leads the GLIAC in shutouts but is fourth in goals against average and save percentage. Rileigh Garbarz leads the Cardinal attack with seven points in seven games. Madi Bajis is tied with Garbarz in goals with two.