Storm scores in third straight contest
UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – The Northern Michigan University women’s soccer team wrapped up its regular season with a 1-1 draw against Saginaw Valley State, earning the program its second-consecutive GLIAC Regular Season Championship.
With the Wildcats earning a point against the Cardinals and the Huskies shutting out the Lakers in a 0-0 draw from Allendale, the ‘Cats have been crowned back-to-back regular season champions.
With a final record of 9-3-2 in conference play, the Wildcats have now claimed the top spot in the GLIAC for the second in program history and marks the first time in program history that NMU has secured the regular season title two years in a row.
As the one-seed in the GLIAC, the Wildcats will now be home for as long as they are in the tournament. The first-round match will be held on Tuesday, followed by the highest remaining seed school hosting the semi-finals and championship matches on Friday and Sunday.
The Wildcats found themselves down 1-0 after a second-half goal from the Cardinals, who broke the tie with just over half an hour left to play. NMU showed resilience, responding just over seven minutes with an equalizer from Maria Storm who headed in a loose ball from a corner kick to level the score.
Maria Storm scored the lone goal today, giving the defender goals in three consecutive matches.
NMU outshot the Cardinals 27 to nine with 11 on target to six, and held seven corners to SVSU’s two. Sally Patton played the full 90, making four saves on the day. Brooke Pietila, Hannah Kastamo, Kenna Alexander, Irene Kiilunen, and Angelina Perritano all played the full 90.
How It Happened
A quick transition caught the Wildcats off guard, and SVSU was able to exploit the space on the left side. The ball was delivered into the attacking third, where a well-timed pass found the feet of an open Cardinal forward. With a powerful strike, the ball was sent soaring into the net, putting the Cardinals up 1-0.
The Wildcats didn’t take long to equalize, drawing a corner kick in the 60th minute. The delivery from the corner swung into the box but bounced loose, momentarily not under control. Maria Storm was in the right place at the right time, positioned herself perfectly to get in front of the loose ball, and with a well-timed header, Storm powered the ball past the SVSU goalkeeper to tie the game 1-1 and giving the Wildcats new life.
