MARQUETTE, Mich. - The Northern Michigan University women's soccer team is gearing up for its second straight road trip, where they will face Cedarville University and Northwood University.
Both Cedarville and Northwood found success last season, as Cedarville made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, and Northwood was crowned G-MAC Champions and earned its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance.
The Wildcats and Yellow Jackets will match up on Thursday, September 12, at 3 p.m., followed by a clash with the Timberwolves on Saturday, September 14, at 12 p.m.
Follow Along
Follow @NMU_wsoccer and @NMU_Wildcats on X (formerly known as Twitter) for updates leading up to and during the games.
Thursday, September 12 - at Cedarville at 3:00 p.m. ET
Watch | Live Stats
Saturday, September 14 - at Northwood at 12:00 p.m. ET
Watch | Live Stats
Hear from Jon Sandoval
"Including St. Cloud (last weekend) and our two games this weekend, that's three national tournament teams. We wanted to have a challenge, and it's proving to be that way. We have to make sure we're mentally tough to deal with these moments."
Cat Nips
- The 'Cats have scored seven goals in two games, averaging 3.50 goals per game to start the season, a number that is seventh best across NCAA DII schools that have played two games.
- Madison Bilbia leads the GLIAC with two goals through two contests, which is good for T10 nationally. Her four total points (2-0--4) also lead the green and gold.
- Both Molly Pistorius (1-1--3) and Justina L'Esperance (1-1--3) are next in point totals behind Bilbia
- Through two games, the 'Cats lead the GLIAC in total goals (7), GPG (3.50), assists (6), total points (20), and PPG (10.00).
A Look at Cedarville
Cedarville went 16-5-1 in 2023, followed by the Yellow Jackets making a repeat appearance to the second round of the NCAA tournament.
Returning for the Yellow Jackets includes senior midfielder Megan McClish, who scored 11 goals and 27 points in 2023, and senior forward Payton Fraley, who totaled nearly 1,247 minutes in 22 matches a year ago.
Cedarville opened the season by facing two familiar faces to NMU, producing a 2-2 draw at Ferris State before dropping a 1-0 defeat to Grand Valley State.
A Look at Northwood
Last season Northwood went 15-4-3 overall and 12-1-1 in G-MAC play, followed by a repeat appearance to the second round of the NCAA tournament. The Timberwolves clinched both the regular season and tournament titles en route to making their first-ever appearance in the NCAA tournament. The two teams met last season ending in a 1-1 draw at Match on the Mack.
The Timberwolves welcome back several familiar faces. Seniors Brooke Dolkowski, Brooke Honeycutt, Stephanie O'Keefe, Audrey Rademacher, and Sydney Rizo are poised to take on leadership roles for the Timberwolves.
The Timberwolves have had one regular season contest to date, a 2-1 win at California (PA.), and will match up against Davenport on Thursday before meeting the 'Cats on Saturday, where they will have their 2023 G-MAC Championship Ring Ceremony.
