MARQUETTE, Michigan – After a 2023 season in which the Wildcats captured the GLIAC regular season title, the GLIAC tournament title and hosted an opening round NCAA tournament appearance, the Wildcats were named as projected conference champions for the 2024 season.
The Wildcats recorded the best season in NMU women’s soccer history under head coach Jon Sandoval in 2023, where Sandoval was named conference coach of the year and the team set records for single-season wins, fewest losses in a season and highest winning percentage in a season. Sandoval has led the Wildcats to four consecutive winning seasons with an overall record of 48-17-11 and a conference record of 31-8-10 during that time, turning the field into a major home-field advantage at Marquette, where the team is 28-2-7 during his tenure.
“Our team has made a habit of playing against teams on their best day,” said head coach Sandoval. “The last few years we have been nationally ranked and in very good positions, and when you do something like that, every team wants to knock you out. We want to continue to prove teams wrong.”
Sandoval’s 2024 staff includes first-year assistant coach Natalie StampflyA 2022 graduate of NMU and five-year honoree and two-year captain of the NMU soccer team from 2018-2022. Stampfly spent the 2023 season as an assistant coach for the Georgie College & State University women’s soccer team.
Together with Stampfly Haley Viitala continues to work as a volunteer assistant coach, Vince Rodkey begins his second year as a football data analyst and Bryce Beckley joins as a trained assistant goalkeeping coach.
“I’m really happy for the team. Natalie, Bryce and Haley are three alumni. When you have alumni on the team, they automatically bring that dedication, commitment and love for the program. I noticed that right away with Natalie. She hit the ground running, her communication style will fit well with our players and I think she brings a lot of knowledge.”
The Wildcats have a handful of key returnees, including All-American’s Molly Pistorius And Maria Stormand All-District selection Brooke Pietila. Pistorius and Storm return as the GLIAC’s reigning Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, respectively, and Pietila was named to the conference’s first team. NMU also returns to the second team Stephanie Trujillo and outstanding goalkeeper Julia Thompsonwho led the nation in shutouts last season, along with GLIAC honorable mention forward Hannah Kastamo.
“I came into a program that was on the rise in my first season and continues to rise. I would say last year was a great year for us, but now that we’re heading into preseason, nothing really matters anymore,” Pistorius said. “I think this team can’t get complacent and we need to continue to stay strong.”
“Last year we were so successful because we trained hard from August to November,” says Pietila. “Every year we come up with goals that we want to achieve and it seems like every year we build on those goals.”
In addition to 13 seniors and a total of 20 seniors, the Wildcats are also adding nine freshmen to the team for 2024; a group that, according to Sandoval, will have a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
“Any time you come in in a situation like this, you have an opportunity to learn from a group that won a conference championship and got us to the national tournament. We’re excited to see these players and hope they make an immediate impact, but also understand the challenge they have because we have so many All-American, All-Region and All-Conference returnees. I see this as a huge opportunity for these young players to come in and learn from the players that have been through this.”
The Wildcats will open the 2024 season with a preseason game against Lewis in Marquette on Saturday, August 24th at 1 p.m. The regular season will begin on September 5th in Duluth, Minnesota, and the first home game is scheduled for Friday, September 20th at 3 p.m. for Grand Valley State.
Preseason interview with Jon Sandoval, Molly PistoriusAnd Brooke Pietila
