Great Lakes Wire

Justina L'Esperance delivered an impressive performance for the Wildcats, scoring a hat trick and providing an assist in their 4-1 victory over Ferris State. This achievement marks her first career hat trick and her highest single-game point total, surpassing her previous record of four points. L'Esperance's season totals now stand at nine goals and six assists, accumulating 25 points in 12 games.

Reflecting on the game, L'Esperance stated, "We knew what we had to do going in. Everyone showed up and we had a great team win." Her teammate Brooke Pietila also contributed by scoring her sixth goal of the season, bringing her total to 16 points.

The Wildcats dominated the match with a shot advantage of 21-9 over the Bulldogs and maintained control with six corners compared to three for Ferris State. Coach Jon Sandoval praised his team's effort: "Really proud of the effort from the entire group. I felt like there was a real sense of belief today, as was evident by the choices they made and work they put in on the field."

The Wildcats have extended their unbeaten streak to six games, holding a conference record of 6-1-1 and an overall record of 8-2-2. They continue to lead in the GLIAC standings with 19 points.

L'Esperance has now extended her point streak to four games, while Pietila has accumulated 13 points over her last seven contests. Other notable contributions came from Hannah Kastamo with an assist bringing her season total to nine points, Caitlyn Trombley recording back-to-back assists, and Alyse Daavettila earning her first assist this season.

The Wildcats are undefeated against Ferris State in their last seven encounters since their last loss on October 15, 2021.

In detailing how events unfolded during the match: L'Esperance scored twice early on through plays initiated by teammates Molly Pistorius and Alyse Daavettila. Pietila added another goal before L'Esperance completed her hat-trick with a cross from Trombley. The Bulldogs managed to score once just before full time.

Looking ahead, the Wildcats will face Davenport University in Grand Rapids as they conclude their weekend trip downstate.