MARQUETTE, Mich. - The Northern Michigan University men's soccer team is back home this weekend, with its sights set on matches against GLIAC opponents the Parkside Rangers, and the Purdue Northwest Pride.
The Wildcats (2-7-1 overall, 1-4 GLIAC, 3 pts.) have its work cut out for them this weekend, as the Rangers (6-1-2 overall, 4-0-1 GLIAC, 13 pts.) come into the weekend first in the GLIAC table, and Pride (6-1-3 overall, 3-1-1 GLIAC, 10 pts.) sit second in the table.
Both of the Wildcat wins on the season have come at home (1-0 vs Quincy, 1-0 vs Davenport), and the Wildcats will look to use its home pitch to its advantage.
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Friday, October 6th - vs. Parkside at 3 PM
Live Stats | Watch on FloFC
Sunday, October 8th - vs. Purdue Northwest at 1 PM
Live Stats | Watch on FloFC
Hear From Head Coach Alex Fatovic
"For us, its about just keep pushing and keep getting better… we're going to stick to the same model and see if we can finish our chances."
Cat Nips
- Goalkeeper Florian Palmowski is second in the conference for saves (37), third in save percentage (.771) and goals against average (1.22) and fourth in goals against (11).
- Jan Hoffmann leads the Wildcats in points (1g, 1a, 3pts), shots (23), and minutes played (849).
- The Wildcats as a team are third overall in the GLIAC for shots (95).
Last Week
The Wildcats were on the road again last week to face off against the UW Eau Claire Blugolds, falling in an 0-1 decision and St. Cloud State Huskies, dropping the match in a 0-2 decision.
In the match against the Blugolds, Goalkeeper
Bryce Beckley had his first Wildcat start making 7 saves. The Wildcats were outshot (24-12) and dropped the match in the 88th minute to a penalty kick by the Blugolds.
On Sunday against the Huskies, Owen Worsdell scored for the Huskies in the first half but NMU outshot St. Cloud 6-4.
Fernando Abascal had four shots on goal for the Wildcats but was unable to put points on the board. The Huskies scored again late in the second half to end the game 0-2.
A Look at Parkside
The Rangers come into the weekend with an overall record of 6-1-2 and atop the GLIAC table, most recently snagging a 2-1 decision with the Davenport Panthers. Forwards, Heredia Victoria, Edgar (3g, 3a, 9pts), Alejandro Martinez (4g, 1a, 9pts), and Bryan Torres (3g, 0a, 6pts) lead the attack for Parkside. The Rangers goalkeeper, Daniyal Rana, has played in all nine matches with 12 goals against, a GAA of 1.33, and a .684 SV%. The Wildcats drew a 0-1 decision against Parkside earlier this season.
The Wildcats squared away against the Rangers earlier this year on September 24 in Kenosha, Wisconsin, where they dropped the decision by a score of 0-1. The 'Cats don't have a good matchup with the Rangers historically, as the 'Cats are 1-8-1 in the last 10 meetings, being outscored 20-7 in that frame.
A Look at Purdue Northwest
The Pride come into the weekend with an overall record of 6-1-3 and sit in second place among the GLIAC, most recently beating the Saginaw Valley Cardinals in a 2-0 decision. Forwards Hugo Lorenzo (9g, 3a, 21pts) and Jacob Battista (5g,3a,13pts) lead the Pride in points for the season, and Lorenzo leads the GLIAC in goals. Two keepers have shared the net over 10 matches, holding seven goals against, a 0.70 GAA, and a .825 SV%.
The 'Cats have lost four straight contests to the Pride, but are 5-5-0 in the last 10 meetings, scoring nine goals to the Pride's 11. The 'Cats will be determined to turn the favor back to the green and gold this weekend at home.
