Halonen of Women’s Soccer Named GLIAC Player of the Year, Makes All-GLIAC First Team

Courtesy: NMU

BAY CITY, Mich. – Northern Michigan University Women’s Soccer junior Caroline Halonen was named the 2021 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Offensive Player of the Year after leading the Wildcats women’s soccer team in goals (11), points (23), shots (55), shots on goal (23), and game-winning goals (3), the conference announced Saturday.

The Hartland, Mich. native was also named All-GLIAC First Team.

The junior led NMU to an 8-2-1 overall record so far, the best for the program since 2011, and her mark of 11 goals thus far this season tied her for fifth in goals in a season in the Wildcat record book and moved her to seventh in career goals with 22.

The midfielder moved up in several other categories in the NMU record book. She is now tied for fifth in career multiple-goal games (4), holds seventh in career points (56), seventh in career shots (182), tied for seventh in season game-winning goals (3), and tied for ninth in career shots on goal (72).

Halonen finished the regular season leading the GLIAC in goals (9) and shots (47). She also took second in points (19).

There have been six different winners of the GLIAC Women’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Year since 2013 and they have come from only two schools. NMU has two of those winners with Paula Hafner taking home the award in 2014 and Caroline Halonen in 2021.

One more student-athlete from the team took home honors. Brooke Pietila was also named to the 2021 All-GLIAC Honorable Mention Team.

The freshman midfielder has scored one goal so far in the season while also dishing out three assists. Her three assists tie for the team-high for the Wildcats this season.

Pietila, hailing from Brighton, Mich., also provided the match-winning goal in NMU’s first win of the season against Davenport.

The Wildcats play in the GLIAC Tournament Championship at 1 p.m. tomorrow against the Lakers of Grand Valley State University.