North Michigan News

In a closely contested match, Northern Michigan University (NMU) and Grand Valley State University (GVSU) ended in a 1-1 draw. The game saw an early lead from GVSU with Ella Kleiver scoring midway through the first half. Kleiver's goal came after a scramble near the NMU net, reminiscent of her performance in their previous encounter.

The Wildcats responded late in the game when Kenna Alexander delivered a precise ball into the GVSU box. Maria Storm capitalized on the opportunity, shaking off her defender to score and equalize with just over seven minutes remaining.

Following Storm's goal, NMU focused on defense, allowing only two shot attempts from GVSU in the final moments of the match. Both attempts were blocked by NMU's defense, preserving the draw.

With this result, NMU holds a narrow one-point lead over GVSU in standings. A victory against Saginaw Valley on Saturday would secure NMU its second consecutive regular season championship.

Maria Storm scored from her only shot of the evening and played the entire match alongside teammates Brooke Pietila, Hannah Kastamo, Irene Kiilunen, and goalkeeper Sally Patton. Pietila led all players with six shots.

Patton recorded five saves from 15 shots faced during the match. The Wildcats took 17 shots with eight on target compared to GVSU's 15 shots with seven on target. GVSU had more corner kicks but committed more fouls than NMU.

The game's opening goal came from a cross by Grand Valley that resulted in a header finding its way into NMU's net after an initial save attempt by Patton. Later, Alexander set up Storm for NMU’s equalizer with a well-timed pass that Storm converted into a goal without hesitation.