The Northern Michigan University soccer team ended their season with a 2-0 loss to the Ferris State University Bulldogs in Big Rapids on Tuesday. The loss ended the Wildcats’ postseason run in the GLIAC championships.

After a 0-0 tie in the first half, the Bulldogs scored two goals in the first two minutes of the second half. The first goal came from Maegan Smith as she kicked in a pass past a diving junior goalkeeper Kara Music. The second came just 21 seconds later, as Tammy Unsworth hit the right corner for the final score.

“I thought it was the best we played against them all season,” said sophomore forward Kari Buckel, the leading scorer for the ‘Cats this season. “We did really well against them besides that minute and a half that they scored.”

Both the Wildcats and the Bulldogs were 7-6-1 in GLIAC play this week. NMU was 0-2 against Ferris in the regular season, losing at Ferris 3-0 and 1-0 in Marquette. Because of the prior losses, NMU was the No. 5 seed and Ferris was seeded No. 4 in the six-team GLIAC Championship Tournament.

In the GLIAC, the top two teams get a bye for the opening round, and the third and fourth teams get home field advantage for the opening round of the tournament.

The loss to FSU also means that NMU will not make up the ground in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll to get to the NCAA regional tournament, missing their preseason goal.

The ‘Cats were previously No. 9 with Ferris State No. 10. The top six teams will advance to the next round.