GLIAC CHAMPIONS! Men's Soccer Shuts Out No. 16 Saginaw Valley 1-0 For League Title

OVERVIEW

SCORE: Northwood Timberwolves 1, Saginaw Valley Cardinals 0
RECORDS: Northwood (11-3-3, 9-1-2 GLIAC), Saginaw Valley (12-3-1, 9-2-1 GLIAC)
LOCATION: Braddock Field – University Center, Mich.
RECAP: Grillo's goal lifts Northwood over No. 16 Saginaw Valley to win the GLIAC Championship 1-0 Friday (October 27).

INSIDE THE GAME

• The first half was a back and forth defensive battle as both teams saw limited scoring opportunities. Saginaw held a 5-1 and 5-0 advantage in shots and corner kicks respectively, while Northwood held a 1-0 edge in saves.
• Northwood found a new level of intensity in the second half and created more opportunities throughout the final 45 minutes.
• Sebastian Grillo's first collegiate goal of his career was a memorable one as it was the game-winning goal for the Timberwolves. The freshman received a pass from James Vaughan and had a brilliant shot to put the ball over the goalie and into the back of the net 30 yards out to give Northwood the 1-0 lead in the 82^nd minute.
• The Timberwolves were able to hold the Cardinals in the closing minutes to claim the victory and the GLIAC title.

GAME STATS

• SHOTS: Saginaw Valley 11, Northwood 7
• SAVES: Northwood 5, Saginaw Valley 1
• CORNER KICKS: Saginaw Valley 6, Northwood 1
• FOULS: Northwood 11, Saginaw Valley 5

GAME NOTES

• Northwood won its second GLIAC Championship in school history. The first title came in 2015.
• The last time Northwood won the GLIAC championship was 2015, when the Timberwolves won at Saginaw Valley 1-0 to conclude the regular season.

• The Timberwolves lead the season series dating back to 2013, going 7-5-1 in the past 13 matchups.

UP NEXT

• Northwood University will host the GLIAC Men's Soccer Tournament Semifinals and Finals on Friday (November 3) and Sunday (November 5) as the No. 1 seed, with times to be determined.