MARQUETTE, Mich. - Coming off of a historic 2023 season that saw the Wildcats capture the GLIAC regular season and tournament crowns, the Northern Michigan University women's soccer team will look to start the new season on the right foot as the team heads to the Land of 10,000 Lakes for two non-conference matchups this weekend.
The Wildcats open the season at Minnesota Duluth on Thursday, September 5 at 7 p.m. ET. The opening weekend will wrap-up with a clash at St. Cloud State on Saturday, September 7 with first kick set for 1 p.m. ET.
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 5 - at Minnesota Duluth at 7:00 p.m. ET
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Live Stats
Saturday, September 7 - at St. Cloud State at 1:00 p.m. ET
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Live Stats
A Word from Jon Sandoval
"It's important to stay to our principles and the things that have got us to this point to begin with. The way that we continue to build is to train hard, play for each other, and continue to embrace the chip that we have here at Northern Michigan."
Cat Nips
- The Wildcats boast a handful of key returners, including All-American's Molly Pistorius and Maria Storm, and All-District selection Brooke Pietila. Pistorius and Storm return as reigning GLIAC Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, and Pietila was a first-team All-Conference selection.
- NMU also returns Second Team selections Stephanie Trujillo and breakout goalkeeper Jillian Thompson, who led the nation in shutouts last season, along with GLIAC Honorable Mention forward Hannah Kastamo.
- Sidelined with an injury last year, the Green and Gold also welcome back Justina L'Esperance, who was an All-GLIAC Second Team member in 2022 with seven goals and a pair of assists
- Along with 13 seniors and 20 total upperclassmen, the Wildcats introduce nine freshmen into the fold for 2024.
- Sandoval has led the Wildcats to four straight winning seasons with an overall record of 48-17-11, a conference record of 31-8-10 in that time, and has turned the pitch at Marquette into a major home-team advantage, where the team is 28-2-7 in his tenure.
- Three alumni joined the coaching staff in assistant coach Natalie Stampfly, volunteer assistant Haley Viitala, and goalkeeper coach Bryce Beckley. Vince Rodkey also enters year two of his duties as a data analyst.
Last Season
The Wildcats went 16-2-4 in 2023, tying the program record for single season victories. The Green and Gold won the regular season GLIAC title and the GLIAC Tournament for the first time in program history. The All-American accolades earned by Pistorius and Storm were also program firsts.
Northern also hosted the NCAA Tournament regional round for the first time. The 'Cats have now made the big dance in back-to-back seasons.
A Look at Minnesota Duluth
Minnesota Duluth went 6-7-6 in 2023 and the Bulldogs have been picked to finish 8th in the NSIC Preseason Poll. The two sides met in Marquette last August to open the 2023 season, a 4-3 victory for the Wildcats. Pistorius scored a hat trick for NMU.
Returning for the Bulldogs includes senior forward Anna Tobias, who scored five goals and 12 points in 2023, and senior midfielder Baamlak Haugen, who totaled nearly 1,200 minutes in 19 matches a year ago.
A Look at St. Cloud State
Coming off of a 14-5-2 campaign a year ago, the SCSU Huskies have been picked to finish 2nd in the NSIC, its highest preseason ranking since 2008. The Huskies earned its first-ever conference championship and NCAA Tournament appearance last year, breaking several program records in the process.
Head coach Greta Macdonald was named the NSIC Coach of the Year and forward Linsey Trapino was named the conference Freshman of the Year following a seven-goal, 17-point season in 2023.
Last September, NMU shut out the Huskies 3-0 in Marquette, with Kastamo scoring twice.
