UP Gazette

The Northern Michigan University men's soccer team is set to return home for two important matches this weekend, following a 2-0 win against St. Cloud. The Wildcats, currently fourth in the GLIAC standings with a conference record of 2-2-0 and an overall record of 3-2-3, will host Saginaw Valley on Friday and Davenport on Sunday.

Saginaw Valley enters the weekend as the top-ranked team in the conference and is ranked 17th nationally. The Cardinals have an undefeated conference record of 4-0-0 and an overall record of 5-0-3. They are also on a five-game winning streak and have scored the most goals in the conference this season.

Davenport holds the last spot in the GLIAC with a conference record of 0-3-1 and an overall record of 1-5-2. Their only win came in their first match against Ohio Dominion.

Friday's match against Saginaw Valley will be part of NMU's Student Athlete Mental Health Week and is designated as a "Mental Health Match" to promote mental health awareness. Youth Sports Day will also take place at NMU Soccer Field during Friday's game. Sunday's match against Davenport will feature Faculty & Staff Appreciation Day, along with special concessions for Family Weekend.

The Wildcats' offense is led by Teun Van Gansewinkel and Luca Rosen, who are both among the top three in shots taken within the conference. Rosen has three goals this season, ranking fifth in the GLIAC, while Van Gansewinkel has two assists, placing him fourth in that category. Goalkeeper Asaf Kristal leads the GLIAC with four shutouts and ranks first for saves (24) and save percentage (0.80). He also has a goals-against average of 0.75.

For Saginaw Valley, Matty Telfer leads with five goals and one assist for a total of 11 points. Evan Baker and Lui Ingavi each have eight points this season. Ingavi is second in the GLIAC for shots on goal per game (2.17) and leads in total shots (20). Eoin Farrell has two game-winning goals, leading that category in the conference.

Cardinals goalkeeper Nick Kay has allowed just five goals this season, with four shutouts and a save percentage of 0.792.

Davenport’s Charlie David leads his team with four points, nine shots on goal, and has played every minute so far this season alongside Ryan Sheffer who also has four points. The Panthers average 0.75 goals per game while conceding an average of 1.38 per match.

The Wildcats will play Saginaw Valley on Friday at noon Eastern Time and Davenport on Sunday at noon Eastern Time at NMU Soccer Field.

Fans can follow updates via @NMU_Msoc on Instagram or @NMU_Mens_Soccer on X (formerly Twitter).