Despite heartbreaking loss, support for NMU Women’s Soccer soars

MARQUETTE, Mich. (WLUC) - This season, the NMU Women’s Soccer team has soared to new accomplishments and the fan support has grown too.

“It was a very good crowd for a Friday 1 p.m. game,” said Jon Sandoval, NMU Women’s Soccer Head Coach. “The community really showed up. The amount of support we have received from Marquette has been extraordinary.”

NMU Women’s Soccer won both the GLIAC regular season and postseason championship, earning them a DII NCAA Tournament berth.

For the first time in program history, the Wildcats hosted an NCAA Tournament match, with players’ families there every step of the way.

“When my daughter was a freshman, they only won four or five games,” said Cindy Brusilow, Isabelle Brusilow’s mother. “To watch the team grow and see the program have so much success, it has really been fun to watch for my daughter. She has really had a great time here.”

Brusilow’s daughter is defensive captain Isabelle “Izzy” Brusilow. Cindy Brusilow said being able to watch her daughter grow on the field has been exciting.

“She has worked really hard these last five years,” Brusilow said. “She loves the team, she loves all of her fellow players and it was a really fun role for her.”

Many Wildcat parents will sit and cheer together after traveling from out of town, including Maria Storm’s father Jim.

“I have gotten to know a lot of the parents,” Storm said. “It has been a lot of fun.”

Maria Storm was named the GLIAC Defensive Player of the Year this season. Her dad said he travels six hours from lower Michigan to proudly see his daughter play.

“I am going to go broke following them around,” Jim Storm said. “I am up here every weekend, but it has been a lot of fun.”

While NMU fell 2-1 to Maryville in Friday’s game, the fan support remains steadfast.

“It has really helped us through a lot of tough matches,” Sandoval said. “We hopefully created some more soccer fans and we look forward to seeing everyone next year too.”

Brusilow is one of five graduating seniors for NMU who will not return next year.

Copyright 2023 WLUC. All rights reserved.