Carly Sides makes five saves for Wildcats
CEDARVILLE, Ohio — The NMU women’s soccer team opened its Ohio road trip with a 0-0 draw to the Cedarville University Yellow Jackets.
Two of the Midwest region powerhouses, the #4 regionally-ranked Wildcats (2-0-1, 0-0-0 GLIAC) and #6 regionally-ranked Yellow Jackets (1-1-1, 0-0-0 G-MAC), were the nightcap for a triple-header at the Yellow Jacket Soccer Complex, featuring the Yellow Jacket men’s team and a neutral-site contest between Michigan Tech and Northwood on a hot Thursday night in Ohio.
The contest featured the second-career shutout for goalkeeper Carly Sides, who turned aside all five shots on target, marking her most saves in a shutout performance, including an excellent full-extension save to ensure the draw with just minutes to go. Sides, who has played every minute between the pipes for NMU, moves to 2-0-1 with a 1.00 GAA and .833 SV% through three matches.
A big contributing factor for the clean sheet was the stout defensive play from the Wildcat starting back line of Irene Kiilunen (90 minutes), Ava Buhlman (90), Riley Hill (90), and Madalyn Nissen (84), along with midfielders Sole Corley and Gretchen Ellis. The Wildcats held the Yellow Jackets to seven shot attempts, its lowest mark of the season.
“Another great contest for us against a quality opponent, and we were up for it!” added head coach Erin Egolf in a post-game comment when talking to nmuwildcats.com. “This was the best I’ve seen us play defensively; we were organized, tough to break down, and disciplined.”
Senior captain Madison Bilbia stood out on the attack, as she recorded four of the five Wildcat shot attempts, including both on target, and produced a dangerous opportunity early in the second half that was narrowly kept out by an outstretched Anna Taylor. Bilbia’s four shot attempts and two on target paced all field players.
Head coach Egolf and staff used their squad depth to their advantage on this hot fall night, using eight bench players, featuring lengthy shifts from freshmen Izzy Armstrong (41 minutes) and Cecelia Wille (39), as well as sophomore Lily Senese (33). Sophomore Christina Roberts earned her first Wildcat appearance of 2026, logging 16 minutes in eight-minute shifts toward the ends of both halves.
“On the ball, we moved it well and created a handful of real chances, and I can’t say enough about how the girls competed tonight. We had major contributions from every player who entered, and everyone gave a massive effort and a deserved point on the road. Delighted with the performance!”
Looking at the box score, tonight’s match was fairly even for the whole, as the ‘Cats were edged out 5-7 in shots, 2-5 in shots on target, and 2-3 in corner kicks. Both teams were issued two yellow cards, with NMU’s Ellis and Emma Kastamo receiving bookings, and the Yellow Jackets were whistled for three more fouls, 10-7.
The Wildcats now turn their attention to the Northwood University Timberwolves, who earned its first win of the season thanks to a 3-1 win over Michigan Tech earlier today at the Yellow Jacket Soccer Complex.
“Now we have to recover and prepare to face another solid team in Northwood, and the expectation is to come back with the same energy and intensity we showed tonight. If we show up like this in every game, we will always give ourselves a chance. Well played by our girls – very proud of their effort and commitment to a full 90 minutes!”
Kickoff from Ohio is set for 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, September 5. Fans can live stream the match through FloCollege, and follow along with live stats provided through nmuwildcats.com.
