UP Gazette

In a dramatic conclusion to the season, the Wildcats secured a 1-0 victory over the Parkside Rangers. The decisive moment came with just over a minute remaining when Jaziel Sainz de Vilmorin scored from outside the penalty area, finding the upper left corner of the net.

Harry Gray contributed to this victory by earning his first career shutout. His goal kick landed deep in the Wildcats' attacking zone, where Teun Van Gansewinkel controlled it on the right side. After maneuvering past two defenders, Van Gansewinkel passed to Sainz de Vilmorin, who was positioned just outside the penalty area.

Jaziel made a strategic move to get onto his strong foot and struck confidently. The ball curled into the upper 90 past Parkside's goalkeeper. In celebration, Jaziel ran towards his teammates who joined him enthusiastically.

The Wildcats played spoiler by preventing Parkside from securing home-field advantage for their playoff opener. Following Jaziel's goal, excitement took over as players stormed onto the field, resulting in multiple yellow cards and one red card being issued—the highest single-game total for yellow cards in program history.

Despite being outshot in the first half with only one shot on target compared to Parkside's three, the Wildcats intensified their efforts after halftime. They recorded eight shots with six on target while Parkside failed to register any shots on target in that period. Senior captain Tommaso Lami led this offensive push with six shots and four on target.

The Wildcats conclude their season with an overall record of 6-8-2 and a conference record of 3-8-1 totaling ten points. This marks their most successful season since 2019 under head coach Alex Fatovic but leaves them just shy of playoff qualification.

"NMU men's soccer would like to thank fans and community for their unwavering support throughout the 2024 campaign," stated team representatives, expressing anticipation for next season.