MARQUETTE, Mich. - The Northern Michigan University men's soccer team will be home this week, as they get ready for a pair of matchups with the Lewis Flyers and the Indianapolis Greyhounds.
On Thursday (September 1), the 'Cats will have their home opener against Lewis at 3 p.m. from the NMU Soccer Field. They will get two rest days before a matchup with UIndy on Sunday (September 4) at 2 p.m.
Follow Along
Fans can follow the action using live stats and video.
Follow @NMU_Wildcats on Twitter for continued coverage throughout the week.
Thursday vs. Lewis
Live Stats: https://nmuwildcats.com/sidearmstats/msoc/summary
Video: bit.ly/3Rd83aA
Program: nmuwildcats.com/documents/2022/8/29/Program_MSOC_9-1-22.pdf
Sunday vs. Indianapolis
Live Stats: https://nmuwildcats.com/sidearmstats/msoc/summary
Video: bit.ly/3Rd83aA
A Look at Lewis
Lewis is 1-1 on the young season. They defeated Purdue Northwest 2-0 and then fell to Parkside 2-0. The Wildcats are 0-2 in matchups with the Flyers.
A Look at Indianapolis
The Greyhounds are 1-0-1 on the season. They tied against Lake Erie 2-2 and defeated Ohio Dominican 5-0. NMU won the lone game against UIndy 1-0 back in 2017.
Last Week
The Green and Gold defeated Wisconsin-Lutheran 1-0 to start the year. Freshman
Baruc Delgado scored. They then tied 2-2 at Quincy with goals from Delgado and
Keegan Schmidt.
Head Coach Alex Fatovic Interview
Preseason Poll
NMU enters the 2022 season selected to finish No. 7 in the GLIAC Preseason Poll.
Northern received 9 points in the poll. Returning conference champion Parkside sits atop the vote, followed by Davenport, Saginaw Valley State, Purdue Northwest, Upper Iowa, St. Cloud State, and NMU.
2022 Roster Breakdown
The Wildcats return some key contributors from a season ago. In net, senior
Alex Weaver is back after starting 13 games last season, stopping 43 shots and posting a 1.38 GAA with a .694 save percentage.
Jonas Vorbau also returns in goal after a season in which he made five starts and claimed a .771 save percentage.
Jackson Bowers and
Mason Walsh round out the goalkeeping room.
In the midfield, seniors
Alex Scott,
Quinn Putt,
Isaac Ward, and
Keegan Schmidt are back to provide experience and leadership for the 'Cats. On defense, junior
Niko Scheibal is back after starting 15 games last season and will look to lead the defensive group. Forward
Cian Tunney returns to help lead the attack after 15 appearances a season ago.
Among the newcomers include
Philipp Rimmler, a Division I transfer from Wright State, who will also bring experience to the midfield. Freshmen
Jan Hoffmann,
Tomasso Lami, and Jorge Uriate will also look to make their mark on the program in their first season.
New Coaching Staff
New head coach
Alex Fatovic begins his first season as a head coach, but the 2022 campaign marks his 15th preseason between his playing days at Long Island and his assistant coaching gigs. Along with new assistant
Adam Kelemet and returning goalkeeping coach
Peter Griggs, the NMU staff has established a new culture for NMU soccer and has high expectations for their group in 2022.
A Season Ago
Last season, the Wildcats finished with a 4-11-3 record and a 4-8-2 GLIAC mark. The 'Cats fell at Saginaw Valley State 1-0 in the GLIAC Quarterfinals.
