The Wildcats and Lakers are in a virtual tie atop the conference, but NMU’s 9-2-2 record gives it 29 points compared to GVSU at 8-1-4 and 28 points, since wins are worth three points and ties just one.

Each school has one game left in the regular season, so Northern’s contest at third-place Saginaw Valley State at noon today can wrap up its second consecutive league title. A win would guarantees the Wildcats the championship, or simply matching what Grand Valley does at 1 p.m. today against visiting eighth-place Michigan Tech would also take care of it.

NMU (10-3-3 overall) put itself in this advantageous position when the Wildcats’ Maria Storm scored the late equalizer in the 83rd minute on Thursday.

Her second goal of the season started when a well-placed delivery from teammate Kenna Alexander was sent into the GVSU box, and amid the chaos, Storm was able to get loose from her defender and get a clear look at the net to knock in her team’s only goal of the day, according to a game report from NMU Sports Information.

Northern Michigan University’s Maria Storm, front center in green, takes a shot that goes wide after the ball was deflected during a GLIAC women’s soccer game played against Purdue Northwest at the NMU Soccer Field in Marquette on Oct. 27. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

Grand Valley (10-1-5 overall) took the lead near the midpoint of the first half, in the 26th minute, with a scrappy goal by Ella Kleiver, who was the Laker who scored against Northern in a 1-0 defeat suffered earlier in the season at the NMU Soccer Field in Marquette.

Once the Wildcats brought the score level, they locked the game down defensively, only allowing two Lakers shot attempts in the final seven minutes, both coming with under 30 seconds left to play and both blocked by the defense.

Storm’s score was her only shot of the match, though the entire game was fairly wide open. NMU had small edges in both total shots, 17-15, and shots on goal, 8-7.

NMU netminder Sally Patton made six saves for her side, while teammate Brooke Pietila, the two-time reigning GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week, took six shots to lead all players.

Grand Valley held a 10-5 advantage in corner kicks, though the Lakers were also called for eight fouls and the only yellow card to Northern’s three fouls.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.