UP Gazette

Northern Michigan University’s men’s soccer team opened its 2025 season with a scoreless draw against Northwood on Thursday in Marquette. The match, played at noon under shifting weather conditions, saw both teams contend with intermittent rain and strong winds.

The Wildcats controlled much of the first half, outshooting the Timberwolves 8-3, with three shots on target compared to one for Northwood. Most of NMU’s attempts came from inside the penalty area. In the second half, both teams had more balanced opportunities; NMU finished with a slight edge in shots (10-9) and both sides recorded three shots on goal. Over the full match, Northern Michigan earned seven corner kicks while Northwood managed just one.

Head coach Alex Fatovic credited his team’s defensive performance: "It was a good first performance. Our defending today was fantastic, that's all we worked on in pre-season. We would have loved to get the full three points, but I am really pleased with the overall effort. We have to get better [at finishing] in the attacking side, we know that, but as a first performance, I am really pleased with the group."

The clean sheet marked consecutive shutouts for NMU dating back to last season and continued their recent success against Northwood after defeating them 1-0 in last year’s opener.

Goalkeeper Asaf Kristal made his debut for Northern Michigan and stopped all four shots he faced to secure his first shutout with the team. Other newcomers featured in the starting lineup included freshmen defenders Terry Grimaldi and Asa Dean, sophomore midfielder Andrea Mercanti, and junior defender Owen Rutledge. Forward transfer Luca Rosen contributed 61 minutes and two shots off the bench.

Team captain Alessandro Scialanga played the entire match along with James Carr and Quint Van Roij. Jan Hoffmann (86 minutes), Tuen Van Gansewinkel (85), and Owen Rutledge (82) also logged significant time on the field. Both Van Gansewinkel and Davian Gumbs led all players with four shot attempts each; Gumbs also had a game-high three shots on target.

Fans can watch a replay of the game on FloSports.

Northern Michigan will next face Lawrence Tech at home on Saturday, September 6 at noon.