Great Lakes Wire

The Wildcats women's soccer team is set to face the Saginaw Valley State Cardinals in the GLIAC Championship. The match will take place on Sunday, November 17, at 1 p.m. at the NMU soccer field and is open to the public without charge. Fans can also follow the game via a live stream on FloFC or listen on 100.3 The Point radio.

The Wildcats secured their spot in the championship after a 4-1 victory over Davenport on Friday. This marks their third consecutive appearance in the GLIAC Tournament Championship. Players Justina L'Esperance, Madison Bilbia, Brooke Pietila, and Sami Brown contributed goals for the Wildcats. They are now aiming for back-to-back regular season and post-season GLIAC titles.

On the other side, the Saginaw Valley State Cardinals progressed to the final by defeating Grand Valley State Lakers 3-2 in a penalty shootout after regular time ended with a goal from Stephanie Strong. Goalkeeper Lainey Garbarz was instrumental with 14 saves during regular play and two more in extra time, followed by three crucial stops during penalties.

In their previous encounters this season, each team has claimed one victory against each other—the Wildcats winning 3-1 at home and drawing 1-1 away. This championship clash will be only their second postseason meeting and first in a conference final since their last encounter resulted in a narrow win for the Wildcats at GVSU's campus in 2022.