UP Gazette

The Northern Michigan University Men's Soccer team is preparing for its first away games of the 2025 season, with matches scheduled against Lewis University and Lake Erie College. Both opponents have reached the NCAA Tournament Final Four in recent years.

Northern Michigan enters these contests after earning its first win of the season last weekend, defeating Lawrence Tech 2-1. The Wildcats are looking to maintain their momentum as they head into this significant road trip, which will take them to Illinois and Ohio—their longest journey of the season.

Lewis University started its season with a win over Purdue Northwest (3-0) and a draw against Wisconsin-Parkside (2-2). Following these results, Lewis was ranked sixth in the Midwest Region. The Flyers have qualified for the NCAA tournament each of the past four seasons, including a Final Four appearance in 2023.

Lake Erie College began its home schedule with ties against Gannon (3-3) and UIndy (0-0), entering this weekend ranked eighth in the Midwest Region. The Storm have also had recent NCAA Tournament success, reaching as far as the Final Four in 2022.

The Wildcats are set to play Lewis on Thursday, September 11 at 2:00 p.m., followed by Lake Erie on Sunday, September 14 at 1:00 p.m.

Head coach Alex Fatovic commented on the upcoming trip: "This is the type of trip we want, it gives us a chance to be competitive in the region... this is going to be a huge test for our guys. They're up for it, we're up for it, and these are the kind of games we want to be in."

Recent individual performances for NMU include Asaf Kristal earning his first shutout during his debut match against Northwood (0-0), Teun Van Gansewinkel scoring his first goal of the season against Lawrence Tech, and Davian Gumbs recording his third career tally—his first game-winner—to secure last weekend's victory. Luca Rosen, Alessandro Scialanga, and James Carr each contributed assists in that match. Kristal, Scialanga, and Carr have played every minute so far this season.

Lewis University's Mikey Revell leads his team in points after recording a goal and an assist last weekend. For Lake Erie College, sophomore Nicolas Vagujhelyi scored twice over their opening weekend.

Fans can follow updates through NMU's social media accounts on Instagram (@NMU_Msoc) and X (@NMU_Mens_Soccer).