HOUGHTON, Mich. – The Michigan Tech soccer team takes to the road for the first time in league play this week, facing Purdue Northwest Friday at 1 p.m. and first-year GLIAC affiliate Roosevelt on Sunday at 1 p.m.

About the Pride

Purdue Northwest has won three straight wins and opened GLIAC play at Saginaw Valley State, coming away with a 2-1 victory to hold a 4-0-1 record over and a 1-0 record in league play. 

The Pride are averaging two goals 14.8 shots and eight shots on goal per outing. Senior forward Amaris Gonzalez has had the golden foot for Purdue Northwest with a team-leading four goals for eight points. She produced two goals in the 3-2 victory over Tiffin to wrap up the non-conference slate. 

Gonzalez earned GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week honors in week two after helping the Pride to a 2-0 weekend with three goals and two game-winning goals. She ranks third nationally with three game-winning goals this season. Addison Thomas has accounted for a team-leading four assists ranking first in the league and eighth in the country.

The win at SVSU was the first in program history as junior midfielder Yoselin Garcia recorded a goal and an assist while Nayla Pena scored the game-winner in the 57th minute. 

The Pride have showcased two goalkeepers through five games with Jackson Poppy making two starts while Meta Fischer has the other two starts in net. Fischer has a 3-0 record in net with nine saves and a 1.2 goals against average.

About the Lakers

In their first year at the Division II level, the newest GLIAC affiliate has played to a 0-3-2 overall record while starting 0-2 in league play.

Following two ties to open the season, the Lakers are on a three-game losing streak, most recently dropping contests against Ferris State (5-2) on Friday and Saginaw Valley State (2-0) Sunday.

Forward Kyra Cruickshank and midfielder Paola Macias made history with the first goals for Roosevelt in conference play in the loss against Ferris State. Macias paces the Lakers offense with two goals and one assist for five points. Freshman forward Cami Butler has also netted a goal for Roosevelt.

Junior goalkeeper Roxy Herrera has started all five games for Roosevelt, making a GLIAC-leading 35 saves while averaging 2.2 goals against average.

About the Huskies

Michigan Tech takes to the road for the first time in conference play with an overall record of 3-2-0, and 1-1 in the GLIAC, following a weekend split at home, besting Davenport 2-1 on Friday before falling to No. 1 nationally-ranked Grand Valley State 2-1 at Kearly Stadium Sunday.

Senior Forward Julia Pietila is on pace to record a career-high in goals, already posting four goals through five games. The Hartland, Michigan, native had a three-goal weekend, accounting for both goals against the Panthers, including the game-winner in the 83rd minute. She also scored the first goal of the game against Grand Valley State in the 12th minute. It marked the first goal Michigan Tech has scored against the Lakers at home in 11 seasons. 

Pietila is tied at the top of the GLIAC with four goals (33rd nationally) and 12th nationally with two game-winners.

Offensively, MTU averages 1.2 goals on 13.2 shots per game as Pietila paces the offense with 15 total shots and seven on goal. Reilly Lovercheck has recorded the Huskies' other goal as Taylor Noble has a team-leading two assists.

Junior goalkeeper Bri Barrows has four starts this season and a 3-1 record in net with two shutouts while recording 16 saves.