Northern Michigan University’s Justina L’Esperance kicks the ball to a teammate during a GLIAC women’s soccer game played against Wisconsin-Parkside at the NMU Soccer Field in Marquette on Friday, Nov. 1. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

By Journal Sports Staff

MARQUETTE — The Northern Michigan University women’s soccer team set itself up for a winner-take-all game this week for the GLIAC regular-season championship after the Wildcats defeated Wisconsin-Parkside 5-0 in its final home game on Friday afternoon.

The Wildcats have a one-point lead over second-place Grand Valley State as they will face each other in Allendale at 5 p.m. Thursday in each team’s second-to-last game of the regular season.

Both those squads, however, are assured of hosting games in the opening round of the GLIAC Tournament.

NMU (11-3-2 overall) has 28 points in 12 league games based on its 9-2-1 record, where wins count three points and ties one point. GVSU (11-1-4) is 8-1-3 in the GLIAC for 27 points, even though both are listed with a .792 winning percentage.

The Wildcats also have one more game after facing GVSU, that one at fifth-place Saginaw Valley State at noon Saturday.

The GLIAC Tournament opens a week from today with the quarterfinals at the four highest-seeded campus sites. The highest-seeded survivor should host the semifinals and finals on Nov. 15 and 17.

That is all set up after Northern dominated Parkside on Friday in Marquette. Not only did the Wildcats score five times, but held a huge advantage on the Rangers of 26-10 in total shots and 17-5 in shots on goal, along with taking seven of the game’s nine corner kicks.

Scoring was spread around as five players each had a goal. While goal scorers Brooke Pietila and Molly Pistorius also had two assists apiece, a couple other players also had assists for seven players earning points.

NMU goalkeeper Sally Patton made three saves in her 59 minutes, while Jillian Thompson came on for the final 31 minutes and added another two saves to combine for the shutout.

Despite the relative high score, nothing went up on the scoreboard for the game’s first half-hour.

Then in the 32nd minute, Pistorius, Pietila and Hannah Kastamo began a beautiful sequence, according to a game account from NMU Sports Information. Pistorius delivered a stunning cross into the box, rebounding right into Pietila’s path. The latter timed her strike to score.

It remained 1-0 at halftime, but it didn’t last long once action resumed.

Less than two minutes after the restart, Pietila took a corner kick that found the head of Maria Storm, who powered it home.

Barely two minutes later, Pietila had another corner kick, getting it to Pistorius, whose shot was redirected by Calihan Bearden for another score.

Now 3-0 less than four minutes into the second half, Northern poured it, scoring again about 10 minutes after the previous goal. Pietila sent a ball to Kastamo, who carried it down the right flank before taking a shot that Pistorius redirected in.

And the last goal was the product of two other players not involved in the earlier scoring. Alyse Daavettila displayed her playmaking ability with a perfect pass to Ashley Koch, who seized her chance and knocked the ball home in the 77th minute.

Pietila led all players with six shots total and five shots on goal, while Pistorius chimed in with five total shots and three on goal. In addition, Bearden had three shots, all three on goal, while Kastamo had two shots, one on goal.

In all, 14 Wildcats took at least one shot, nine getting at least one shot on goal.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.