Great Lakes Wire

Northern Michigan University’s women’s soccer team, following a landmark 2023 season, is set to commence the new season with two non-conference matches in Minnesota. The Wildcats will face Minnesota Duluth on Thursday, September 5 at 7 p.m. ET and conclude the weekend against St. Cloud State on Saturday, September 7 at 1 p.m. ET.

Head coach Jon Sandoval emphasized the importance of adhering to the team's core principles: "It's important to stay to our principles and the things that have got us to this point to begin with. The way that we continue to build is to train hard, play for each other, and continue to embrace the chip that we have here at Northern Michigan."

The Wildcats return several key players including All-Americans Molly Pistorius and Maria Storm, along with All-District selection Brooke Pietila. Pistorius and Storm were last year’s GLIAC Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year respectively, while Pietila was a first-team All-Conference selection. Additionally, Stephanie Trujillo and goalkeeper Jillian Thompson are back after notable performances last season.

Sandoval has guided NMU through four consecutive winning seasons with an overall record of 48-17-11 and a conference record of 31-8-10 during his tenure. The coaching staff sees new additions in alumni Natalie Stampfly as assistant coach, Haley Viitala as volunteer assistant, and Bryce Beckley as goalkeeper coach.

Last season saw NMU achieving a record of 16-2-4, securing both the regular-season GLIAC title and the GLIAC Tournament for the first time in program history. They also hosted their first NCAA Tournament regional round.

Minnesota Duluth ended their previous season with a record of 6-7-6 and are predicted to finish eighth in the NSIC Preseason Poll. Senior forward Anna Tobias and senior midfielder Baamlak Haugen are among their key returning players.

St. Cloud State concluded last year with a record of 14-5-2 and has been picked second in the NSIC Preseason Poll following their first-ever conference championship and NCAA Tournament appearance. Head coach Greta Macdonald received NSIC Coach of the Year honors while forward Linsey Trapino was named Freshman of the Year.

NMU previously defeated St. Cloud State last September with a scoreline of 3-0.