Northern Michigan University Wildcats women’s soccer team posts pair of shutouts in win, tie last weekend
MARQUETTE — The extremes of soccer showed up in the play of the Northern Michigan University women’s soccer team on the road over last weekend — the Wildcats won a “wild west” shootout with a half-dozen goals, then there was something a bit more sedate with a scoreless tie.
The win and deadlock lifted NMU’s record to 4-2-2 overall and 2-1-1 in the GLIAC. Northern defeated conference newcomer Roosevelt 6-0 before playing Purdue Northwest to the 0-0 tie.
That leaves NMU in fourth place in the nine-team GLIAC, but only a half-game behind second-place PNW and one full game behind league leader Grand Valley State.
This week, the Wildcats play a pair of home games at the NMU Soccer Field, hosting Ferris State at 3 p.m. Friday and Saginaw Valley State at noon Sunday.
Then they hit the road for two weeks, including a game at Michigan Tech at 4 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 11 — a matchup that has been televised on WLUC-TV6 or Fox-U.P. the past several years — and won’t return home till the final weekend of this month.
Here are details from last weekend:
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NMU 6, Roosevelt 0
On Friday afternoon in Chicago, six Wildcats scored a goal with 10 Northern players picking up at least one point.
Leading the way was Brooke Pietila and Lucy Burk, each getting a goal and an assist.
The final score didn’t even tell the total story of NMU’s domination, as Northern held an advantage of 29-2 in overall shots and 14-0 in shots on goal.
That meant that Wildcats first-half goaltender Jillian Thompson and second-half netminder Sally Patton didn’t have to make a save in order to share the shutout. Meanwhile, Roosevelt keeper Roxana Herrera had to make eight stops.
Pietila now has eight points in seven games, scoring three goals and adding two assists, while Burk, a freshman, came off the bench to score in just her second game on the field.
Considering the final score, things started a bit slowly for NMU as Hannah Kastamo notched her third goal of the season in the 15th minute off a perfectly placed set piece, according to a game account provided by NMU Sports Information.
Pietila booted a free kick that found Kastamo in the box in stride, and she was let undefended and redirected the ball past Herrera and in.
More than 15 minutes elapsed before the Wildcats made it 2-0. That’s when Allison Kroll corralled the ball just inside the right corner of the box off a shot deflection, according to NMU SI. She made a move to the outside of a defender before laying a perfect left-footed pass along the ground to Burk, who was at the penalty spot and booted it right-footed into the lower right corner of the net.
Then less than four minutes later, Northern forced a turnover on the far touchline and went on the attack. A cross from Caitlyn Trombley was played in the box and off a Roosevelt head before Ashley Koch directed it to an incoming Stephanie Trujillo, according to NMU SI. The latter took the volley just inside the box and fired a screamer into the bottom right corner of the net.
Now ahead 3-0 at halftime, the Wildcats needed less than 20 minutes of the second half to complete their scoring and double their lead.
In the 56th and 58th minutes, two similar goals were scored. Justina L’Esperance lifted a cross from the left side of the box that found the head of Molly Pistorius, who redirected it in, and Madison Bilbia lifted a cross from an almost identical spot on the right side that found Pietila’s head as she bounced it in.
NMU’s scoring was completed in the 63rd minute when Caitlyn Trombley scored her first goal this season off a beautifully placed service ball from Burk in the box. Trombley beat Herrera back door.
Assists were credited to Pietila, Kroll, Koch, L’Esperance, Bilbia and Burk.
Northern set season highs in goals, assists with six, points with 18, shots with 29 and corner kicks with 10 — actually all 10 awarded during the game.
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NMU 0, Purdue Northwest 0
On Sunday afternoon in Hammond, Indiana, the Wildcats held a slight edge in most statistics, outshooting the Pride 8-5 overall and 4-3 in shots on goal, and also took eight of the game’s 11 corner kicks.
NMU held a 5-1 advantage in first-half shots, though the shots on goal edge was just 1-0.
Northern’s first good chance came when Angelina Perritano corralled the ball and sprinted past her defender, according to a game account from NMU SI. From just outside the box, she got off a shot with her right foot that looked good but sailed high and hit the crossbar.
Soon after, Pietila played a perfect in-swinging corner kick that landed on a Wildcat attacker’s foot just outside the keeper area. While the shot beat goalkeeper Meta Fischer, a defender was there to clear it away.
NMU’s best chance early in the second half when L’Esperance received a perfect cross to her right foot. Her deflection was true but into Fischer’s chest.
With just over 10 minutes to go, Northern had a free kick that was sent on target, but Fischer made a diving save in front of the bottom right corner, giving up a rebound in tight that was then sent just wide.
And in the final minute, the Wildcats had a corner kick, but the ball was played short and eventually NMU was whistled offsides.
Patton was credited with her third shutout this season as she made three saves. Bilbia led NMU players with three total shots, as she, L’Esperance, Burk and Calihan Bearden each had a shot on goal.
Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.