Great Lakes Wire

The Northern Michigan University (NMU) women's soccer team is preparing for a significant road trip as they aim to maintain their lead in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC). The Wildcats, currently leading the conference with a record of 5-1-1 and 16 points, will face Ferris State and Davenport.

Ferris State, holding a 4-1-1 GLIAC record, poses a challenge for NMU. The Bulldogs are just one win away from tying with the Wildcats in conference points. Reflecting on their previous encounter, where NMU secured a 3-0 victory over Ferris State, head coach Jon Sandoval remarked, "Ferris is a very quality team who just got a [2-1 win] on the road at Purdue Northwest, and they've got good weapons in their attacking and how they build out."

Following their match against Ferris State, NMU will travel to Grand Rapids to play against Davenport. The Panthers are currently on a five-game unbeaten streak and rank fifth in the GLIAC standings. Coach Sandoval emphasized focusing on one game at a time: "We have to fully focus on Friday's match first before we get to Davenport."

The Wildcats are enjoying a six-game unbeaten streak during which they have achieved five shutouts and outscored opponents 17-1. Notably, Sally Patton ranks ninth nationally in goals against average while Justina L'Esperance leads the GLIAC in several offensive categories.

Historically, NMU has performed well against both upcoming opponents. They hold an unbeaten record of 5-0-1 against Ferris State in recent encounters and have not lost to Davenport since September 2022.

As for Ferris State's offense, Katherine Welch leads with three goals and four assists this season. Meanwhile, Davenport's Haley Diekevers was recently named GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week after scoring four goals this season.

Fans can follow @NMU_wsoccer and @NMU_Wildcats on X for updates during the games scheduled for October 18th at Ferris State and October 20th at Davenport.