North Michigan News

Northern Michigan University’s women’s soccer team marked Senior Day with a 1-0 victory over the Parkside Rangers in Marquette. The win followed a 5-1 result against Roosevelt, giving the Wildcats their first six-point weekend of the season.

Head coach Erin Egolf described the weekend as significant for the team. "For us to come out and get a positive result on Friday and then follow it up with that performance, it's really great."

The match was played in cold conditions, with temperatures around 36 degrees and strong winds from Lake Superior. Despite several close chances in the first half—including two shots that hit the posts—the teams remained scoreless at halftime. Egolf said her message during the break was to maintain pressure: "We had a great first half… I thought we put them under a lot of pressure and we defended well, and the message was to come out and have that same performance in the second half, and we'll walk away happy."

Senior Kenna Alexander scored what proved to be the game-winning goal, potentially capping her home career with Northern Michigan. "Kenna's goal was an encapsulation of the entire team's performance today. It was super gritty and tough, and everyone gave everything they had. I'm really happy for them," Egolf said.

Goalkeeper Jillian Thompson recorded six saves for a clean sheet. Captain Hannah Kastamo contributed three shots over 84 minutes, while captain Addison Wargo played all ninety minutes. Olivia Moreno also provided support off the bench.

Egolf praised this senior group’s impact on the program: "This group has put a lot of building blocks in place that we want future teams to be able to springboard off of. It's been great getting to know those kids; they care a lot and have given a lot to this program, and for our team to get this win on senior day is a great ode to them."

Despite being outshot 18-10 by Parkside and facing more corner kicks (7-4), Northern Michigan secured three points—improving their position ahead of postseason play.

The Wildcats will finish their regular season on the road against Purdue Northwest in Hammond, Indiana.