The Sentinels have a big challenge on their hands as they headed over the Mackinac Bridge to play Lower Peninsula opposition three times Friday and today.

MSHS played at Traverse City St. Francis on Friday afternoon, then was headed to the Petoskey Invitational for a pair of games today, facing the Pontiac area’s Lake Orion at 10 a.m. followed by the host Northmen at 11:40 a.m.

Next week, the Sentinels are back home at the Kaufman Sports Complex to take on Iron Mountain at 4 p.m. Thursday.

On May 1, Marquette took out Sault Ste. Marie 4-0 during a game marred by cold and rain.

Sophomore Cora Wernholm scored a pair of goals and added an assist, while sophomore Olivia Stade scored a goal. Yet another 10th-grader, Preslie Mason, along with freshman Alli Kreis each had an assist.

The sun came out not quite a week later on Tuesday when the Sentinels dropped Houghton 4-1.

The Gremlins scored the opening goal before Marquette’s Anabel Ollila tied it with one of her own. Stade then went on a flourish, scoring three goals in a row for the “natural” hat trick, as it would be called in hockey when one player scores three in a row by themselves. Assists on those scores went to Ollila, Wernholm and Kreis.

“The past two games have been great for us,” head coach Colleen McKay said in an email detailing the results. “We are really implementing what we have been focusing on in training sessions, and I think the girls are finding their groove.

“We have many girls out with injuries right now, but I am very proud of our younger girls for stepping up and leading the team to two wins.

“Our energy has been great at trainings and I know the girls are ready to play Traverse City St. Francis again.”

The Sentinels opened their season with a 3-0 loss at TC St. Francis on April 4, when the Marquette squad hadn’t even been outdoors on a field yet due to winter stubbornly clinging to the Upper Peninsula.

Story contents based on email received from Marquette Committee for High School Soccer representative Meredith Ollila. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.