The eight-game unbeaten streak for Northern Michigan University Men’s Soccer team was snapped last week after they lost two conference matches at home to the Northwood University Timberwolves 2-1, and in a last-second heartbreaker to first-place University of Wisconsin-Parkside Rangers 1-0.
“It was typical GLIAC play,” head coach David Poggi said. “We were just on the short end of it both days.”
The home losses are a huge blow to the Wildcats’ chances of hosting a home playoff game with five games left. However, Poggi remains confident about earning that game.
“We’re still in it as far as I know,” Poggi said. “We’ve been training indoors just to save our field, whether it’s first, secondor the third seed, we’ll be happy just to host.”
Senior midfielder Carson Burmeister, who’s been out of the lineup due to injury, said they’ll play to their full potential no matter the playoff spot.
“It did hurt our chances for hosting a game,” Burmeister said. “In terms of our playoff chances, it doesn’t matter if we fall in the standings, all we want is to play our best soccer at the end of the year.”
Before last Wednesday’s contest, NMU registered over 500 consecutive shutout minutes. Northwood ended that shutout stretch after notching a free kick goal at the 10-minute mark. The Wildcats would answer back in the 26th minute as sophomore Ben Hoffman netted a goal off a deep cross pass from senior defenseman Kevin Hoof. The score was tied at one entering halftime.
The Wildcats outshot the Timberwolves throughout much of the game. However, NMU committed a foul in the goal box late in the game, resulting in a penalty kick goal by Northwood’s Lirim Shekfu. Northwood held the Wildcats in check defensively to seal the game 2-1.
Freshman goalkeeper Val-entin Kliebe only recorded one save in the contest. Sophomore midfielder Luca Lippert and junior midfielder Callum Olpin each led the team with four shots each.
“We did make some strides this is weekend,” senior forward Nic Harenda said. ‘We kept control of the ball real well, something we struggled for the much of the season.”
Friday’s game-time conditions were wet and slippery due to rain, but exciting on the field. Both NMU and Parkside were held scoreless in the first half with both sides recording nine shots. Kliebe recorded three of his four saves in the half, but NMU strikers only connected for one shot in the first 45 minutes of action.
NMU controlled the ball in the second half, outshooting the Rangers 12-7. Mistakes took their toll on both teams as they were both called offsides within the last 15 minutes of the game. The Rangers caught a lucky break and beat the clock in the 89th minute with a goal from Jack Mittelsteadt to shock the Wildcats 1-0.
“Both teams were pushing so hard to get that goal,” Burmeister said. “We had our opportunities, we hit the posts several times, but theirs just went in.”
Despite the weekend’s losses, Kliebe retains a GLIAC-best .907 save percentage with a healthy 4-2-2 record.
With their last home games this weekend, the seniors are looking to cap off their last homestand on a high note, starting this Friday, Oct. 12, against the Saginaw Valley State University Cardinals and on Sunday, Oct. 14, against the Ashland University Eagles on Senior Day.
Harenda said it’ll be an emotional day for all four seniors playing their last regular season home game.
“Being the first senior class here and being here for all three years is good for this team. We’re hoping we can go forward and leave something special behind,” Harenda said.
This past week, the team also received the United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award after sustaining a 3.27 team GPA for their hard work in the classroom.
“It really shows what the guys on this team are about,” Harenda said. “We’ve all got talent on the soccer field, but putting that extra work in the classroom, taking care of business over there is what we can do without worrying about soccer.”
