How could that be? The decisions were neither wins nor losses; instead, they were ties — a 1-1 draw vs. St. Cloud State at the NMU Soccer Field on Friday, then a 0-0 tie against Minnesota-Duluth on Sunday.

The Wildcats complete their four-game, season-opening home stand with two more nonconference games, vs. Northwood at 1 p.m. today and vs. Cedarville at noon Saturday.

After that, NMU jumps into Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action, first in Chicago against Roosevelt on Sept. 19. Northern’s opening league game at home will be at 1 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 26, against GLIAC power Grand Valley State.

NMU’s new head coach Erin Egolf says her team is facing two regional powers, with results potentially making a big difference at the end of the season when NCAA Division II national tournament bids are decided.

Northern Michigan University’s Madison Bilbia, right, keeps the ball in bounds against the challenge of St. Cloud State’s Izzy Halunen during their college women’s soccer game played at the NMU Soccer Field in Marquette on Friday,. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

Northwood is ranked No. 5 in the Midwest Region and Cedarville is No. 6.

Marquette Senior High School graduate and NMU junior Isabella Lorens scored the Wildcats’ lone goal last week, knotting the opener 1-1 in the second half not quite 10 minutes after St. Cloud State took the game’s only lead.

Goalkeeper Jillian Thompson played three hours — 180 minutes clock time — and allowed just one goal to earn GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week. She had eight saves combined in two games with her first shutout this season.

Previously, Thompson set the program record with 14 shutouts in 2023.

Northwood’s lone game was a 1-0 win at nearby Saginaw Valley State last weekend as Great Midwest Athletic Conference Defender of the Week Ava Kettler scored the Timberwolves’ goal.

Cedarville is 1-1 and will have played a third game — at Michigan Tech today — by the time the Yellow Jackets come to Marquette on Saturday. So far, they’ve played two GLIAC teams, defeating Ferris State 1-0 and losing 3-2 to GVSU.

Fans can follow @NMU_wsoccer on Instagram and @NMU_wsoccer on X (formerly Twitter) for updates leading up to and during games, or visit the NMU athletics online site at nmuwildcats.com and look under the women’s soccer schedule for links to live video, live statistics and game previews.

“(We prepare) for every game like it’s going to be the hardest team we play all year,” Egolf said in an NMU Sports Information news release previewing this week’s games. “Everything is geared toward being the best we possibly can be on game day, no matter who we play. Last year doesn’t matter, the year before that doesn’t matter; what matters is the here and now.”

Last week, freshman Lily Senese was credited with the assist on Lorens’ goal, her first point as a Wildcat.

Eighteen players got on the field over the two games, including four who played all 180 minutes — Thompson, Hannah Kastamo, Irene Kiilunen and Addison Wargo.

Current sophomore midfielder Alyse Daavettila scored her first career goal in Northern’s 3-0 win over Cedarville on almost the same date a year ago, Sept. 12, 2024.

And this is the first time in the 29-year history of the program that these Wildcats have opened their season with two draws, the closest before this being two ties in the first three games of 2010, the year NMU made its first NCAA tourney appearance.

Story contents based on Northern Michigan University Sports Information press release reviewing/previewing the games/meet. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.