MIDLAND, Michigan -- The Lake Erie women's soccer team battled in a high-stakes match against the Northwood Timberwolves on Saturday night, ultimately falling 2-1. The Storm struck first when Alyvia Sanom scored in the 23rd minute, but the Timberwolves quickly responded just two minutes later, sending the game into halftime tied 1-1. It appeared the match was destined to end in a draw, but with only 14 seconds remaining, Northwood scored their first lead of the night—sending their stadium into a frenzy and handing the Storm an incredibly tough loss to swallow.
Entering the contest, Northwood held a one-point advantage over the Storm in the conference standings with just one match left to play. That meant a Timberwolves win would mathematically eliminate Lake Erie's chance to host a postseason match—and that's exactly what transpired. Now 9-4-4 overall and 6-3-4 in G-MAC play, the Storm will close their regular season at home against Ursuline on Tuesday before heading on the road next Saturday for the conference tournament quarterfinals.
Game Recap
The match opened as a defensive battle, with both sides settling in and struggling to create quality chances deep in opposing territory. Northwood didn't attempt a single shot through the first 20 minutes, as the Storm controlled possession early. That pressure paid off in the 23rd minute when Alyvia Sanom continued her impressive run of form, finding the back of the net. In Lake Erie's first seven games, Sanom took only two total shots—but she has since become a key offensive threat, taking nine shots over her last five matches and scoring in three straight contests. Northwood, however, wasted no time answering back, equalizing just two minutes later to make it 1-1 heading into halftime.
The second half began much like the first, with both teams feeling out adjustments and opportunities limited on both ends. As the match wore on, though, the tempo quickened. The Storm fired off four shots in the final 22 minutes, while Northwood recorded four of their own in the closing 12. With time winding down and the scoreboard still reading 1-1, it looked like the G-MAC standings would remain tightly packed heading into the final matchday. But in stunning fashion, the Timberwolves fired a shot with 14 seconds remaining that slipped through the Storm defense, sealing the heartbreaking loss.
The Matchup
The Storm have historically struggled against Northwood, entering the night on a five-game losing streak to the Timberwolves in which they hadn't scored a single goal. Lake Erie's last win in the series came back in 2014, a 3-2 victory.
Looking Ahead
Lake Erie will wrap up its regular season on Tuesday, November 4th, at 4 p.m., when Ursuline makes the short trip to Painesville. The Storm previously defeated the Arrows 2-1 earlier this season, with goals from Ainsley MacKenzie and Isabella Carvalho.
After their win over Tiffin earlier this week, Lake Erie officially clinched a spot in the G-MAC tournament—the program's first postseason berth since 2017. While today's loss ended their hopes of hosting, their final seeding and quarterfinal opponent are still undecided, making Tuesday's matchup and other conference results crucial heading into tournament play.
