Northern Michigan University’s Brooke Pietila works the ball during a past Wildcats’ game at the NMU Soccer Field in Marquette. (Photo courtesy NMU)
MIDLAND — The Northern Michigan University women’s soccer team is off to a solid 2-1-1 start after opening the season on the road and coming home to start GLIAC play this week.
The Wildcats traveled to Midland last week and played a pair of games, defeating Cedarville University of Ohio 3-0 and tying host Northwood 1-1 on Saturday.
Northern plays a pair of games at the NMU Soccer Field, hosting Grand Valley State at 3 p.m. Friday and Davenport at 1 p.m. Sunday.
Here is a rundown of the games played in Midland:
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NMU 3, Cedarville 0
On Thursday, Wildcats fifth-year senior Brooke Pietila needed all of 70 seconds to break the scoreless tie by being in the right place at the right time, finding a loose ball and taking a shot from the right corner of the box that beat outstretched Cedarville goalkeeper Brooke Ackley on the left side.
Ackley would finish with four saves while NMU’s Sally Patton got the shutout after making three stops.
“We knew what we had to do going into the game, and I think we executed well,” Pietila said in an NMU Sports Information news release detailing the game.
Northern freshman Alyse Daavettila made her first appearance of the match around the 30-minute mark, then proceeded to score her first career goal with just over three minutes remaining before the halftime horn.
That goal was set up when teamamte Hannah Kastamo intercepted a pass and sent a right-footed cross into the box. The ball took a deflection and landed on Daavettila’s right foot as she made no mistake, making the strike to the lower left corner.
The game remained 2-0 until NMU’s Justina L’Esperance put the nail in the coffin with 10 minutes left.
The Wildcats’ Stephanie Trujillo corralled a pass into her body and made a nice move around her defender to generate space and make a perfect pass to find a breaking L’Esperance alone in the left side of the box, according to NMU SI. L’Esperance hit it left-footed and beat the keeper back to the right.
Pietila picked up her first goal and third point of the season, while Daavettila got her first goal on her first shot attempt. L’Esperance now has two goals and an assist for five points, while Patton picked up her first win in her first career start.
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NMU 1, Northwood 1
On Saturday, the Wildcats spent more than 50 minutes trailing before L’Esperance’s third goal this season in the 84th minute forced the deadlock.
From the opening whistle, Northern played with tenacity through relentless back-and-forth action, according to NMU SI.
The Timberwolves (1-0-2) took the lead in the 33rd minute with the first goal of the season by Grace Weitzel.
The Wildcats played from behind for more than the length of a half, getting the tying goal with good offensive pressure from Molly Pistorius that resulted in a shot on goal. While her kick didn’t go in, the rebound landed right to L’Esperance, who made no mistake in depositing the ball into the back of the net.
L’Esperance now has seven points as Patton again started in net, making one save. Pietila finished with five shots.
Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.
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