The Northern Michigan men’s soccer team put together one of its most electric weekends of the season, taking down nationally ranked No. 17 Saginaw Valley State 1–0 Friday night before grinding out a 1–1 draw with Davenport on Sunday.
Friday’s win wasn’t just another result. It was a statement. The Wildcats (4-2-4, 3-2-1 GLIAC) stunned the reigning GLIAC champions and 2024 NCAA Elite Eight team, marking just their second-ever victory over SVSU, and the first time they’ve done it on home field.
“It doesn’t get any better than that,” head coach Alex Fatovic said after the final whistle. “We’ve been building toward this moment, and that’s the win we’ve been waiting for. It’s a big one against a big team, and we used everything— our field, our conditions, our energy, to our advantage. Tonight, we became a force.”
The lone goal came from forward Luca Rosen, who’s been continually excelling since the start of conference play. In the 38th minute, he capitalized on a misplayed clearance from the SVSU keeper, getting to the loose ball and firing home his fourth goal in five games.
“As soon as he got it on his left foot, I knew it was a goal,” Fatovic said. “He’s been getting sharper every week in training. He’s our finisher, and we just have to keep putting him in those positions because he’ll make something happen.”
For Rosen, the moment felt like proof that the work is paying off.
“We’ve been putting in a ton of time on finishing drills,” he said. “I started the season kind of slow, but once conference play hit, something just clicked. Right now, everything feels like it’s falling into place.”
That one-goal lead had to hold for more than half an hour after Tyler Kowalczyk was sent off in the 55th minute following a VAR review that upgraded his yellow card to red. The ‘Cats spent the rest of the match down a man, leading to relentless pressure, including 19 shots and six corners, yet somehow, they never broke.
A huge reason why was goalkeeper Asaf Kristal.
The junior stood strong, turning away 12 shots and recording his fifth shutout of the season, his third in four games.
“He was unbelievable, again,” Fatovic said. “If your number ten and your number one both show up, you’re going to win. Asaf made two monster saves in the final minutes. Another clean sheet, another clutch performance. Couldn’t ask for more.”
Two days later, the Wildcats came right back onto the field, taking on Davenport in a harsh Sunday showdown that ended 1–1.
Rosen stayed strong, drawing a red card in the 68th minute and then getting the free kick himself for his fifth goal in six games. But just when it looked like NMU would sneak back-to-back wins, the Panthers found themselves with a goal after the ball bounced around the box before being headed in.
“We got the goal, we were up a man, and we thought we had it,” Fatovic said. “But it came down to a silly foul. We talked all game about not giving them free service with that wind in our face. You give a team enough chances like that, something’s bound to go in.”
Despite firing off 10 shots in the final 15 minutes, the Wildcats couldn’t find a winner. Kristal once again stayed strong, finishing with another 10 saves, his second straight game with double digits.
“That’s the GLIAC for you,” Fatovic said. “Every game is a battle. It doesn’t matter where teams are in the standings they’re all fighting. Now we go play them again next week on the road, and you can bet we’ll be ready.”
With three weeks left in the regular season, NMU sits right in the thick of the GLIAC title race fueled by a team that’s peaking when it matters most.
