By Taylor Syring

The NMU women’s club soccer team came out on the losing end of two matches last weekend. On Friday the Wildcats lost 1-0 to Northwestern University. They lost on Saturday to Purdue University, 1-0.

Senior goalie Bryanne Bellovary said the loss to Northwestern was perhaps the tougher of the two to accept.

It leaves NMU in a possible third-place spot in the division. This could keep the Wildcats from advancing to Regionals, Bellovary said.

“Northwestern is in our division. Purdue was a cross-divisional game,” Bellovary said. “We really needed to win that game to set our place in the division, but our next two games will determine that.”

Freshman midfield Beth McBee felt the Wildcats were the superior team on Saturday against Purdue.

“We lost 1-0, but we should have won,” McBee said. “ We were definitely a better team, but it was just one of those games where we couldn’t put the ball in the goal.”

Freshman center midfielder Morgan Bruzas said she felt NMU was playing hard against Purdue and the elements as well.

“It was not our best play,” Bruzas said. “But in our defense, it felt like we were playing against the wind, not just another team. We’d pass the ball to the left and it flies right.”

Despite recent losses, Bellovary said the team gets along great and works well together both in game situations and outside of soccer.

“This is definitely my favorite team that I have been on,” Bellovary said. “Van rides and overnight stays at each others’ homes for games are a blast. Not only do we have each other’s backs on field, but off the field too.”

McBee agreed the team members are all friends and said the team captains help keep the team focused and friendly.

“We have great team dynamics,” McBee said. “Everyone really gets along, and we all seem like great friends on and off the field. We have our captains that keep everyone in line and everyone knows when it’s time to have fun and when to be serious.”

Bruzas said the team bonds and works hard at practice to prepare for upcoming games.

“We do a series of ball handling drills and shout our name loud and proud to get pumped up,” Bruzas said.

The Wildcats have two more regular season games before the regional playoffs. NMU faces off against Central Michigan University on Saturday, Oct. 22, and they play Ball State on Sunday, Oct. 23. Both games are in Indian River, Mich., and times are to be announced.

The women’s club soccer regional competition is on Oct. 29 and 30 in Indiana. The lady Wildcats will need two wins next weekend to advance to regionals.

“For regionals we really need to win out, but overall we need to play our best and leave everything on the field,” Bellovary said. “If we do that like we have our whole season, then we can’t be unhappy with our season.”