The NMU men’s soccer team struggled to finish games last season resulting in a 5-8-4 record and a first-round exit in the GLIAC tournament. This season, the Wildcats are in their second year under Head Coach Alex Fatovic, who has been focused on improving the team each year since his arrival.
“It’s not always going to be a good day for us on the ball,” Fatovic said. “We have to be willing to do the dirty work and defend and fight and battle for second balls and this stuff that is not the most fun, but that’s the reality of GLIAC soccer. If we can do that, then we should be in every single game.”
During the weeks leading up to the season, the team was focused on getting into shape and training hard in order to improve. When the Wildcats played an early scrimmage before week one, Fatovic was happy with the results late in the match and likes where the team is to start the season. With the new group of athletes coming in, Fatovic thinks they are meshing well and believes working on the program culture from day one helps the team improve overall.
“They’re all hungry, you could tell they did their job over the summer, but there’s nothing that replicates game fitness like games,” Fatovic said.
The first test of the season was against Northwood University, a team the Wildcats have struggled against in the past. NMU started the match down 0-2 early in the second period but Jan Hoffman and Cian Tunney each scored a goal for the Cats, tying the match with under 20 minutes left. Northwood took advantage of a red card assessed to the Wildcats, scoring two goals and winning the match 4-2.
The Wildcats will have another chance to come away with a home win this Sunday, Sept. 3, against Quincy University. With both teams playing tough games this week, this will be a good chance for Fatovic to assess the team’s fitness and adjust final lineups.
“It’s who is going to be able to recover the best and be able to perform on Sunday,” Fatovic said. “We have the advantage that we’re at home and they’re traveling, but that doesn’t really change much and once the whistle goes, [for] everybody it’s a fair game.”
