Northern Michigan University’s Madison Bilbia, right, dribbles the ball down field while pursued by Minnesota-Duluth's Savannah Gieseke during their college women’s soccer game played at the NMU Soccer Field in Marquette on Sept. 7. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

MARQUETTE — The women’s soccer team at Northern Michigan University begins its season with three preseason games, including one at home, in late August.

The Wildcats then quickly get to work in their 18-game regular season that opens with another two games played at home before that month ends.

That’s the beginning of a 10-game home part of the season, including the one preseason game, that culminates on the road on Halloween before the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament is held the first week of November.

Head coach Erin Egolf begins her second year at the NMU helm facing some rebuilding after two of her three All-GLIAC stars have graduated, Hannah Kastamo and Kenna Alexander.

However, senior returnee Madison Bilbia was an All-GLIAC honorable mention as a forward and midfielder, and was second on last fall’s team in goals, third in assists and fourth in points.

The Wildcats reached the GLIAC tourney semifinals before bowing out to tourney top seed and national top-10 Grand Valley State and compiling records of 7-8-5 overall and 6-6-2 in the conference.

This year’s preseason schedule opens in Wisconsin on Aug. 20 at Concordia University in Mequon and continues on Aug. 22 at the Milwaukee School of Engineering. Then comes the preseason home game vs. Wisconsin-Stevens Point at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 24, at the NMU Soccer Field.

The regular season opens just four days later, at 3 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 28, also at the NMU Soccer Field in a nonconference encounter vs. St. Cloud State. That home weekend continues at noon on Sunday, Aug. 30, vs. Minnesota-Duluth.

In the week leading up to Labor Day, which is Sept. 7 this year, Northern treks to southwestern Ohio for a pair of games at Cedarville University in Cedarville. The Wildcats take on the host Yellow Jackets on Sept. 3 and remain there for a neutral-site game against former GLIAC member Northwood on Sept. 5.

The remaining 14 games on the regular-season schedule are against the other nine schools comprising the GLIAC, some teams playing NMU twice and others just once.

In 2025, the conference included just nine schools; this year it will be 10 with Wayne State playing the sport for the first time on the varsity level. The Warriors don’t have a men’s soccer team.

Northern opens at home against Grand Valley at 3 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 11, with another home game vs. Saginaw Valley State at noon on Sunday, Sept. 13.

Then comes five straight road games, culminating with the first of two encounters vs. Upper Peninsula rival Michigan Tech.

The road swing opens on Sept. 18 in Chicago against Roosevelt, then Sept. 20 in Kenosha, Wisconsin, vs. Wisconsin-Parkside, with Sept. 25 in Detroit vs. Wayne State and Sept. 27 at University Center vs. SVSU.

Opening October will be the trip to Houghton to face Michigan Tech at noon on Sunday, Oct. 4.

The second half of the league schedule brings the Wildcats back home for five straight games at the NMU Soccer Field.

The first week of that homestand opens with the only game vs. Purdue Northwest at 3 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 9, then a game against Roosevelt at noon on Sunday, Oct. 11.

The following week is a single game against the MTU Huskies at noon on Sunday, Oct. 18.

The week after includes home games vs. Parkside at 3 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 23, and vs. Ferris State at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 25.

The regular season concludes back on the road for games in Grand Rapids vs. Davenport on Oct. 29 and in Allendale vs. GVSU on Oct. 31.

The GLIAC Tournament is scheduled to open Tuesday, Nov. 3, with the quarterfinals where the top four seeds host the next four seeds, followed by the semifinals and finals from Nov. 6-8.

The NCAA Division II Tournament for teams lucky enough to advance that far is scheduled to commence on Nov. 13.

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