Great Lakes Wire

The Northern Michigan University (NMU) women's soccer team is preparing for a crucial Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) match against the Parkside Rangers on November 1. This will be the Wildcats' last home game of the regular season.

Currently leading the conference with a record of 8-2-1 and 25 points, NMU is two points ahead of Grand Valley State. With only one game scheduled for the weekend, the Wildcats aim to maintain their top position in GLIAC standings by securing a win on Friday.

"There is no secret to success. It's a lot of work, a lot of consistency, and intensity," said head coach Jon Sandoval during his mid-week press conference. "Hopefully that all shows up in the week leading up to the game because that's where it all stems from."

This match against Parkside is critical for NMU as they look to solidify their standing in the conference and build momentum for the playoffs. The Wildcats are currently on a nine-game unbeaten streak against Parkside, boasting seven wins and two draws.

NMU's impressive statistics place them among the nation's top teams in several categories, including assists and goals per game. Notable players include Justina L'Esperance and Molly Pistorius, who rank highly in individual national statistics.

Parkside enters this matchup with a conference record of 1-5-4. Scoring has been challenging for them this season; they have scored more than one goal only once in their games so far. Key players such as Emily Mikkelson and Nadiya Ivanchenko have contributed to their scoring efforts.

The upcoming match is crucial for both teams as NMU seeks to maintain its lead while Parkside aims to improve its playoff chances.

For live updates on this matchup, follow @NMU_wsoccer and @NMU_Wildcats on X (formerly known as Twitter).