Wildcat trio share in GLIAC women’s soccer honors
Trending
MARQUETTE -- Three players on the women's soccer team at Northern Michigan University have earned all-league honors, the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference announced on Thursday.
With regular-season champion Wayne State sweeping all six special awards, Wildcats freshman Sole Corley snagged one of the spots on the highest remaining award, the GLIAC First Team.
She made it as the lone at-large player, kind of a wild card to go with three forwards, three midfielders, three defenders and a goalkeeper.
Joining her receiving honors was NMU senior captain Madison Bilbia on the GLIAC Second Team and junior captain Madalyn Nissen with Honorable Mention.
Northern finished with 8-6-5 overall and 5-5-4 conference records, good for 19 points and sixth place in the 10-team league.
The special awards going to Warriors players include Sienna Mroue taking three -- Player of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year. Teammate Reagan Brengman was named Defensive Player of the Year, Kate Helfen as Goalkeeper of the Year, and the Wayne State six-person staff, headed by head coach Doug Steinard, as Coaching Staff of the Year.
By the way, in their only meeting of the season in Detroit on Sept. 25, NMU tied Wayne State 1-1.
Corley, a 5-foot-7 midfielder from Decatur, Illinois, made an immediate impact in the middle of the pitch for the Wildcats, starting all 19 games. She had five goals and an assist, all but one goal in GLIAC games, for 11 points, No. 2 on the team to Bilbia.
Her scores included the game winner in each contest against Michigan Tech on Oct. 4 and 18.
She rolled up 1,466 minutes playing time, including 1,077 in the GLIAC, the latter fifth on the team and tops among midfielders and forwards.
"Sole was not only one of the best freshmen in the league this season, but she proved herself to be one of the best players in the league," Northern head coach Erin Egolf said in an NMU Sports Information news release announcing the honors. "Her work rate is off the charts; she has an unmatched competitive drive, she contributed important goals in multiple games, and her consistency from game to game was next-level.
"This is a well deserved recognition for Sole, and I am extremely proud of her commitment to being elite every day and her desire to help the team succeed."
Bilbia, a 5-5 forward from Kalamazoo, had a breakout campaign while leading the Wildcats offense with career bests and 2026 Northern bests of seven goals and three assists for 17 points. She started every game and included two game-winners among her goals while logging the most minutes among NMU forwards.
Her seven goals, 16 points and 25 shots on goal in the team's 14 conference games each tied for second in the GLIAC, while her 44 total shots in league matches was third.
"Maddy was our most dynamic attacking threat this season, and it's great to see her recognized for her contributions," Egolf said. "She stepped up massively, not only scoring goals, but generating a lot of attacking threats -- such as assists, corners, set pieces and crosses -- that helped our team succeed.
"I'm proud of 'Billy' for the responsibility she took on this year. She was great in the attack, but she also committed to her defensive duties as well."
Nissen, a 5-3 defender from Houston, made her way back after being plagued with injuries early in her collegiate career.
One of the Wildcats' most important defenders, she started all 19 games and logged 1,594 minutes, her 1,201 in the GLIAC No. 4 on the team. She was an important cog in NMU's four consecutive shutouts and seven total during the season.
She was also entrusted with twice taking Northern penalty kicks, converting on both and scoring her first college goal -- and the team's only goal -- against league champ Wayne State on Sept. 25. Her other goal on her other penalty kick came against MTU on Oct. 4.
Nissen played the full 90 minutes 10 times in the GLIAC and only had two games with less than 78 minutes.
"Maddie contributed in a big way this season from the right outside back position," Egolf said. "After being sidelined with massive injuries throughout her playing career, it was amazing to see her fully healthy and fit, and she flourished.
"Not only did she set the standard for our team through her effort, but she was a tremendous vocal leader for us on and off the field. Nissen deserves this recognition for so many reasons, and I’m really proud of the work she puts in for herself and for the team."
Story contents based on a
Northern Michigan University's Sole Corley, right, puts a leg out to block a pass by Purdue Northwest's Melissa Mwaura during their GLIAC game played at the NMU Soccer Field in Marquette on Oct. 9. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)