North Michigan News

Northern Michigan University’s women’s soccer team will travel to face Purdue Northwest in the final game of the regular season before entering postseason play.

The Wildcats, who hold a 5-7-5 overall record and are 5-6-2 in GLIAC competition, recently secured back-to-back home wins against Roosevelt and Parkside during senior weekend. The first victory was a 5-1 result over Roosevelt on Halloween, followed by a narrow 1-0 win against Parkside.

Purdue Northwest enters the matchup with a 5-9-2 overall record and is 3-9 in conference play. The Pride are currently on a four-game losing streak, with recent defeats coming from Saginaw Valley State and nationally ranked Grand Valley State.

This weekend's match holds significance for both teams as it marks the end of the regular season. Northern Michigan has already clinched a spot in the GLIAC postseason and can secure the fifth seed with a win. Purdue Northwest is competing for one of the remaining postseason spots alongside Roosevelt and Michigan Tech.

Coach Egolf commented on his team's performance: "I said it early on in the season, [our team] is a group that never gives up and never quits, and this weekend we added a lot of quality to that."

In their last games, Northern Michigan scored twice before halftime against Roosevelt, with Alyse Daavettilla netting an early goal. The Wildcats continued to score throughout the match while conceding only once. Against Parkside, Kenna Alexander scored the lone goal in challenging weather conditions marked by cold temperatures and strong winds.

Purdue Northwest sits eighth in the conference standings with nine points. Sophomore forward Mia Davis leads their offense with six goals and one assist this season. Junior Sarah Scaling has contributed defensively while leading her team in minutes played. In goal, Poppy Jackson has made 35 saves across 14 games but Meta Fischer has started the most recent matches.

Northern Michigan leads the all-time series between these teams with a record of 13 wins, one loss, and one draw since 2017. The Wildcats remain unbeaten when playing at Purdue Northwest’s home field in Hammond, Indiana.

The match is scheduled for Thursday, November 6th at 1:00 pm EST.

Fans can follow updates via @NMU_wsoc on Instagram or @NMU_wsoccer on X (formerly Twitter).