Wildcats visit Michigan Tech on Sunday
UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – The Northern Michigan (NMU) women’s soccer team (5-3-2, 2-3-1 GLIAC) earned an impressive 4-1 victory on the road against the Saginaw Valley State (SVSU) Cardinals (6-4-0, 4-2-0 GLIAC) behind a hat trick from Addison Frantti on Saturday.
Frantti opened up the scoring in the 14th minute with a shot low and to the right of the SVSU goaltender in transition, and a few minutes later, Madison Bilbia headed in a Gretchen Ellis corner kick to double up the score.
In the 25th minute, Frantti intercepted a Cardinal pass in their own box before immediately making them pay for it with her second of the day.
The Cardinals managed to get on the board in the 30th minute with a goal from Isla MacGregor who finished off a cross from Emily Kolodin.
Late in the game, after fending off 12 second-half shots by SVSU, including 7 that were on target, Frantti was able to put the game away with two minutes remaining to complete the first hat trick of her career.
Defensively, Carly Sides picked up the win in goal after recording 6 saves on the day.
How it happened
The Wildcats were able to put on the pressure early with the first shot on target of the day by Marena Maceroni, but SVSU goaltender Ava Wilberding was able to fend it off. The Cardinals would then apply some pressure of their own, forcing possession inside the NMU box, but the Wildcats defended well, not allowing a single shot during the stretch. Then, in the 14th minute, the ‘Cats forced a turnover near midfield, and a through ball from Madison Bilbia found its way to Addison Frantti who worked around the nearby defender and fired the ball past the right side of the goaltender. A few minutes later, NMU was able to earn a corner kick opportunity, and they would capitalize as Gretchen Ellis fired the ball into the box where a waiting Bilbia was there to head it in to double up the score. However, the Wildcats were not done with their first half onslaught as deep pressure from Frantti allowed her to intercept a Cardinal pass inside their own box before immediately making them pay for it by beating the goaltender to the right for the second time on the day. The Cardinals did manage to get on the board in the 30th minute as Isla MacGregor finished off a cross from Emily Kolodin, but NMU would take a commanding 3-1 lead into the halftime break.
While the offense came alive in the first half, it would be the NMU defense that proved to be the story in the second. The Cardinals were able to give themselves chance after chance, but while the Wildcat defense may have bent, it did not break as Sides recorded multiple diving saves to preserve the lead. Then, with two minutes to play, Frantti would beat her defender in the box and complete the hat trick, the first of her career, to put the game away.
Up Next
The Wildcats return to action on Sunday, Oct. 4 when they travel to Houghton, Mich. to take on their rival Michigan Tech Huskies with the first kick scheduled for 12 p.m.
