The Northern Michigan University men’s soccer team continued conference play with a win-loss weekend split, earning a crucial win in Hammond, Ind. before dropping a contest to the defending champions in Arlington Heights, Ill.
On Friday, the Wildcats (2-2-3, 1-2-0 GLIAC) battled to a sweet 1-0 victory over Purdue Northwest, their first conference win of the season and first at PNW since 2021. Luca Rosen provided the game’s only goal, finishing off a sharp sequence from Teun Van Gansewinkel and James Carr, while goalkeeper Asaf Kristal recorded his third shutout of the season.
Despite being outshot 20-7, Northern matched the Pride with three shots on goal apiece. Both sides tallied two saves, while Purdue Northwest dominated the corner count 13-2. Each team was called offside once, and the Wildcats committed 21 fouls compared to PNW’s 10.
“Extremely proud of the boys today,” head coach Alex Fatovic said after the win. “There is no such thing as an easy road GLIAC game, and this game was no different. Massive team effort from everyone to get our first conference win under tough conditions, and now we turn our attention to a huge game against the defending champions on Sunday.”
Sunday’s matchup brought a different challenge, as NMU traveled to Roosevelt to face the reigning GLIAC regular season and co-tournament champions. In a bitter and exceedingly physical contest featuring 37 fouls and eight yellow cards, the Wildcats fell 0-1 after conceding on a bicycle kick just before halftime.
Northern proved to be tough competition, keeping pace with the Lakers in the run of play, finishing with eight shots to Roosevelt’s nine and holding a 5-4 edge in corners. The Wildcats also produced two shots on goal, while Kristal made three saves to keep the match close. The game was riddled with fouls as the Lakers were whistled for 19 compared to NMU’s 18, and Roosevelt had just one offside to Northern’s four.
Despite the conflicting results, Fatovic praised his squad’s resilience after losing senior leaders Alessandro Scialanga and Jan Hoffmann to early injuries.
“I’m extremely proud of the guys today, another amazing performance and hard-fought battle against the reigning GLIAC champions and a ranked regional opponent,” Fatovic said. “The guys are rightly frustrated, but the passion, fight, and spirit is something I have never seen with this club. The guys are really fighting for each other, and it’s amazing to be a part of.”
Fatovic emphasized that while the team continues to show defensive discipline and collective effort, the next step is finding individual moments to separate games.
“When you’re in a game between two good teams, it takes a moment of brilliance. Roosevelt had theirs,” Fatovic said. “For us, it’s about taking chances when they come. Championship teams have players who step up in those moments, and that’s where we need to grow.”
Looking ahead, NMU will travel to St. Cloud, Minn., for a single match against the Huskies on Sunday, Oct. 5. With a full week to recover and prepare, Fatovic noted the importance of the schedule shift.
“It changes it big time because we can give the guys extra rest today,” Fatovic said. “We’ll train at St. Cloud after we travel, which is an advantage. They’re a good defensive team, sit in a low block, and are tough to break down. It’s going to be another tough GLIAC road game, but I know they’ll perform on Sunday. I know they will.”
