Constantly putting up a fight to hold off and battle Lewis University in Illinois, the Wildcats ended their game on Thursday with a 2-2 tie against Lewis. During the first half, Lewis showcased their impressive skills on the field, however, Northern Michigan University came prepared and determined to match their competition.

Northern led shots on goal, though few shots were taken during the midfield-dominated game. Lewis and the Wildcats had a consistent back-and-forth throughout the first half. With a total of six yellow cards between the two teams throughout the game, this match proved to be fast-paced and aggressive.

After halftime, both teams worked to rack up some points. Lewis scored first, followed by another goal soon after. Just when it felt impossible for the Cats to catch up, Freshman William Uchenna made his first career goal at 66 minutes.

After this, Northern was still behind but desperate to tie up the score. Finally, at 82 minutes, Sophomore Davian Gumbs scored the final goal for the Wildcats, tying up the game as his teammates rallied on the sidelines to cheer him on. Lewis University is a nationally ranked team that the Wildcats have yet to beat, but the two teams have now tied in back-to-back matches.

In their previous game, the Wildcat men’s soccer team defeated the Quincy Hawks on Sunday with a final score of 2-0. Starting off strong, Captain Tommaso Lami scored first at 22:58 in the first half, followed by freshman Teun Van Gansewinkel, who marked his first career goal in the second half. Although it may not be obvious from watching, of the 28 players on this year’s team, 11 are freshmen.

While other teams see this as a disadvantage, the Wildcats view it as an opportunity to grow and showcase their new talent. Even though the new freshmen do not have as much experience as their upperclassmen teammates, that hasn’t mattered on the field. Though it’s early in the season, three of this year’s freshmen have already scored their first college career goal. These freshmen are destined to be a force to be reckoned with in games and seasons to come.