Northern Michigan University’s Madalyn Nissen, right, runs at a full sprint with the ball during a GLIAC game played against Davenport at the NMU Soccer Field in Marquette on Sept. 28. (Photo courtesy NMU)

MARQUETTE — Without as much scoring as in most other sports, soccer is a hard game to win coming from behind.

But the women’s soccer team at Northern Michigan University did just that against visiting Ferris State on Friday afternoon at the NMU Soccer Field.

Hannah Kastamo scored two goals in the final 10 minutes to erase a 1-0 deficit and defeat the Bulldogs 2-1, marking just the second time the Wildcats have come from behind to defeat FSU in Northern’s program history. The other time was back on Oct. 1, 2005, also a NMU 2-1 victory.

The victory gives the Wildcats a perfectly balanced and even symmetrical .500 record of 3-3-3, while they also improved to 3-2 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Ferris slipped to 2-2-4 and 2-1-1.

Due to the premium put on wins, NMU is tied for second place in the GLIAC while Ferris is fourth.

Friday marked the second game in a row that Kastamo had a hand in two Northern goals as she had a goal and assist in its previous game, a 4-0 home win over Davenport on Sept. 28.

Despite the dramatics, most of the game against Ferris was scoreless; the Bulldogs didn’t break that 0-0 deadlock until the 62nd minute when Grace Sampson took Ferris’ eighth corner kick of the game — the Bulldogs finished with a 10-3 advantage in that statistic — and sent a curling ball into the box to find the head of teammate Bella Vallone, whose header directed it past NMU netminder Carly Sides, who made five saves.

That was according to a game account provided by NMU Sports Information.

Ferris kept that lead for almost 20 minutes until a quality shot by Northern’s Madison Bilbia forced Bulldogs goalkeeper Korrine Ihrke to knock the ball out of play and give NMU a corner kick.

On that kick, the Wildcats’ Gretchen Ellis delivered a perfect ball to the back post that found Kastamo, who converted it for the tying goal with 9:06 to go.

Then barely more than four minutes later, Bilbia again started a scoring chance, playing the ball over several FSU defenders’ heads to Kastamo, who collected the ball, settled it and went one-on-one with Ihrke and used her left foot in close to beat the goalie on the far side.

For the day, Ferris held a 13-12 advantage in total shots, though Northern held an 8-6 edge in shots on goal. NMU was whistled for twice as many fouls, 8-4, though it was Ferris that was presented with all three of the game’s yellow cards.

As one of the GLIAC’s top shooters, Bilbia led the Wildcats with five total shots as she, Ellis and Kastamo each had two shots on goal.

Vallone also had five total shots for the Bulldogs, with teammate Isabella Baron taking four, including a game-high three on goal.

Ihrke finished with six saves.

This was Kastamo’s third career multi-goal game, while Ellis had her team-leading third assist this season, as NMU is now 7-0-1 vs. Ferris in their most recent encounters.

Before any goals were scored, Ferris had the first scoring chances only about two minutes in. The initial one was when the Bulldogs’ Ava Fuller drove deep and drew a foul for a free kick just outside the box. Vallone took the kick and headed it on target as Sides made her first save.

Not long after, Ferris again worked the ball into the Wildcat box as a pass went to Baron, who took a good shot that Sides was forced to stop with an acrobatic dive to her left, according to NMU SI.

At about the midpoint of the first half, Bilbia gained control of the ball near midfield, working to the top of the penalty box and booted a hard shot that sailed just over the crossbar.

In the dwindling minutes just before halftime, Northern’s Irene Kiilunen from her own end started another chance with a free kick that made it to teammate Alyse Daavettila, who passed it to Kastamo, playing a waist-high cross to Bilbia at the back post. The latter’s header just missed the post.

Early in the second half, Daavettila forced an FSU turnover near midfield, with Kastamo driving toward the box and sliding a pass to Addison Frantti. Frantti caught it near the right edge of the penalty area, but her strike just missed the net.

Ferris got the last good attempt before the Bulldogs actually scored when Annie Hartley played a cross-field pass to Baron, who made a good run before her shot was stopped by Sides.

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