The NCC women’s soccer team displayed growth, resilience and a spirit of competition in every game. This allowed them to conclude the 2024-2025 season with pride and achievement. The Cardinals built on their foundation under head coach Andrew Gamarra. Gamarra’s focus was on development and teamwork in the very competitive CCIW conference.
Season overview
The Cardinals faced a challenging schedule this season. They competed against good programs within the CCIW, as well as some of the best programs across the Midwest. The team’s overall performances demonstrated their ability to dominate against high-level competition.
NCC finished with a 16-5-1 overall record and a 7-1 mark in CCIW play, earning their ranking in the CCIW Tournament. They would compete against the number one seed Carroll University where the game was tied 1-1. NCC would defeat the Pioneers in a 7-6 PK shootout. This CCIW win would punch NCC’s ticket into NCAA tournament play. Traveling to Philadelphia for first round play, the Cardinals would fall to the Scarlet Hawks of Illinois Institute of Technology 1-3. The Cardinals would finish the season with 10 shutout games, not letting the opponent score any goals in a match.
Key players
Leading the charge for the Cardinal offense was graduate student Elle Sutter ’24/M ’25. Sutter accumulated 27 goals and 14 assists. Sutter would also win back-to-back CCIW Offensive Player of the Year, First Team All-Conference and CSC Academic All-District. Following behind was fellow graduate student Sarah Andrey ’24/M ’26, with 12 goals and 8 assists.
Defensively, goalkeeper Olivia Mattison, ’28, stood tall, recording 60 saves. Her save percentage was 72.3%. Her heroic performances includes a career-high 9 saves against University of Wisconsin Eau-Claire. She would also receive season accolades, earning Second Team All-CCIW and CCIW Defensive Player of the Week. Also on the defensive end was junior Kassandra Salviola, ’26. Salviola would earn CCIW Defensive Student-Athlete of the Year and First Team All-CCIW, while scoring 9 goals and 5 assists with 25 shots on goal.
Looking ahead
With the departure of key players in Sutter and Andrey, the Cardinals will start shifting their focus to the offseason where they will aim to build on this year’s progress. With a strong core of players returning to the field in Salviola, Mattison, Madison DeVriendt, ’27, and many others, plus a promising recruiting class in the works, North Central looks poised to take another step forward in 2025-2026.
“The biggest thing I liked about this season is through endless hours of practice and the continuous support of one another, we’ve achieved success at CCIW Championship and earned a bid to the NCAA Playoffs. It’s moments like this that make me grateful for such an amazing group of girls,” said DeVriendt.
Continuing to build a strong foundation
While the 2024-2025 season may have ended with a CCIW championship and a heartbreaking first round exit, the NCC women’s soccer team has established a foundation for future success. With a focus on development and a hunger to compete, the Cardinals are determined to make their mark in the seasons to come.
As fans and supporters reflect on this season, one thing is clear: the NCC soccer program is on the rise, fueled by determination, talent and a vision for sustained excellence.
