Northern Michigan women’s soccer rides winning streak into NCAA Tournament rematch with Maryville
The Wildcats haven’t suffered a loss since Sept. 24.
MARQUETTE, Mich. (WLUC) - Northern Michigan women’s soccer will welcome Maryville to the shores of Lake Superior Friday, seeking revenge against the Saints, who eliminated the Wildcats in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last year.
Coach Jon Sandoval said the Saints play a style of soccer they’re prepared for.
“They’re a team that’s returning a lot of the same players from last year as well, and so are we,” Sandoval said. “They’re a very organized and very well-coached program.”
NMU enters the tournament riding a five-game winning streak, and the ‘Cats haven’t suffered a loss since Sept. 24, amassing a record of 16-1-4 during the regular season and conference tournament.
They won’t be deviating much from what’s gotten them to this point.
“I think what we’re ultimately trying to do is just keep them sharp, keep the positivity high, keep heading in the right direction, and really sticking to what we’ve done all year long,” Sandoval said.
In addition to Sandoval being named GLIAC Coach of the Year, Molly Pistorius earned Offensive Player of the Year honors, and Maria Storm won the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year award.
The ‘Cats are a group with a lot of experience, and they’ll try to lean on their leaders going forward.
“They’ve been through high pressure matches,” Sandoval said. “They’ve been playing in them the last week, and they know what the process is like.”
Friday’s match will get underway at 1 p.m. in Marquette and will be available to watch on flofc.com.
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