Great Lakes Wire

The Northern Michigan University Women's Soccer team is preparing for two Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) road games against Saginaw Valley State University and Davenport. The Wildcats, with a record of 3-4-4 overall and 3-3-1 in the GLIAC, are seeking to gain more conference points after a recent 1-0 loss to Michigan Tech.

Saginaw Valley State holds a 6-3-2 overall record and is currently on a two-game winning streak, having recently defeated Purdue Northwest and Roosevelt. Senior midfielder Kaley Douglass was named GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week after scoring in both games. The Cardinals are in good form, with only two losses in their last nine matches and are five points behind first place in the conference standings. Madi Bajis leads the conference in both points and goals, while Emily Kolodin has contributed with a goal and four assists over the past four games. Goalkeeper Lainey Garbarz has allowed one goal or fewer in four of her last six matches.

Davenport, with a 1-7-3 record and only one win this season, comes into the weekend after tying Ferris State and breaking a three-game losing streak. The Panthers have accumulated four conference points so far. Ella Chatfield leads Davenport in goals, assists, and points, while Sofia Coppola has scored twice this season. Goalkeeper Bailey Gauthier has a save percentage of .667. The Panthers have recorded 18 yellow cards and committed 152 fouls during the current campaign.

Northern Michigan has historically performed well against both opponents. Against Saginaw Valley State, the Wildcats hold an 18-12-5 all-time record, including an eight-win, seven-loss, and two-draw mark on the road. They are unbeaten in their last five meetings with the Cardinals but have not won at University Center since 2021. Against Davenport, NMU leads the all-time series 8-3-2, including three wins, two losses, and two draws on the road. In their last ten matchups, NMU has won eight times, drawn once, and lost once. However, their last road victory against Davenport was in 2023.

NMU Head Coach Egolf commented on the team's mindset: "For us, it's it's keeping our heads on straight, and understanding we've got to show up again and play one 15-minute segment at a time. And if we can build on those, we'll be all right."

The Wildcats will play Saginaw Valley State on Friday, October 17 at 1:00 p.m., followed by a match against Davenport on Sunday, October 19 at 2:00 p.m. Fans can follow updates on Instagram at @NMU_wsoc or on X (formerly Twitter) at @NMU_wsoccer.

During their recent game against Michigan Tech, NMU lost 1-0 despite holding possession for much of the match. Olivia Gette scored the game's only goal from a free kick for Michigan Tech. This was NMU's first home loss to Michigan Tech since 2018.