MARQUETTE, Mich. - The Northern Michigan University men's soccer team prepares for its final weekend of regular conference play with vital matchups on the road against the Pride of Purdue Northwest and the Rangers of Parkside.

Friday's match against Purdue NW will likely decide which team makes it to the postseason, as the Wildcats and the Pride fight for the final GLIAC Tournament Berth. The Pride enters the weekend ranked 6th in the conference with 8 points, and NMU enters the weekend ranked 7th with 7 points.

NMU holds a record of 8-6-1 against Purdue and has gone 3-5 against the Pride on the road.

With a win on Friday, NMU will look to guarantee its spot in the GLIAC Tournament in its matchup against Parkside on Sunday. NMU has gone 1-3-1 against Parkside on the road. 

In the event of a tie on Friday, the Wildcats aren't statistically out of making the postseason; Sunday becomes a must-win game, and Purdue must lose or tie. 

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Friday, November 1 - vs. Purdue Northwest at 3 p.m.
Watch | Live Stats

Sunday, November 3 - vs. Roosevelt at 2:30 p.m.
Watch | Live Stats

Hear from Alex Fatovic
"The guys know that everything is still in front of us, and I think that's the approach that they're going to take… If we win this game then we're in control of our destiny."


Cat Nips

• Tommaso Lami and Alessandro Scialanga lead the Wildcats in points (9). Lami has recorded four goals and one assist, while Scialnaga has recorded three goals and three assists.
• Lami enters the weekend 2nd in the conference and 32nd in the nation in shots (41, 2.93/G). Lami currently sits 3rd in the conference in SOG (20, 1.43/G) as well.
• Scialanga and Teun Van Gansewinkel enter the weekend tied for 6th in shots (31, 2.21/G). Van Gansewinkel is 5th in the conference in SOG (17, 1.21/G).
• Nils Cedergren is currently tied for 3rd in the conference and is 39th in the nation in shutouts (4).
• NMU is 1st in the conference and 31st in the nation in shots (204, 14.57/game) and 1st in the conference in SOG (82, 5.86/G).
• NMU is 1st in the conference and 17th in the nation in corner kicks (86, 6.14/G).

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A Look at Purdue Northwest
The Pride are currently ranked 6th in the conference, with records of 2-6-2 in conference play and 5-7-2 overall.

The Pride's offense is led by Jacob Battista and Christian Booth. Battista has earned 14 points through five goals and four assists, while Booth has earned 12 points with five goals and two assists.

Goalkeeper Tomas Rozman has recorded 18 goals allowed and 40 saves, with a save percentage of 0.690.

Last Time Out Against Purdue Northwest
The Wildcats last matchup against the Pride ended in a 3-1 decision at home. 

The Wildcats outpaced the Pride in shots 17(9) to 10(5). NMU dominated Purdue Northwest's defensive zone, earning seven corner kicks while only allowing one corner kick for Purdue NW.

Purdue NW put the first point on the board with a goal from Rami Hassan Zantout in the 26th minute.

NMU took the lead back in the second half with back-to-back goals from Tommaso Lami in the 62nd minute and William Uchenna in the 63rd minute. 

A third and final goal from Davian Gumbs in the 72nd minute secured the win for the Wildcats, followed by a red card against Flavio Nardecchia that left the Pride a man down for the remainder of the contest.

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A Look at Parkside
The Rangers are currently ranked at 5th in the conference, with records of 4-4-2 in conference play and 6-5-3 overall. The Rangers trail close behind the Wildcats in shots with 183(81).

The Rangers' offense is paced by Chris Estrada, Jules Peycelon, Paco Piscaglia, and Matteo Quintero, all with 9 points.

Goalkeeper Daniyal Rana is  2nd in the conference with a GAA of 1.083. Rana is currently 1st in the conference with 5 shutouts.

Last Time Out Against Parkside
The Wildcats fell to the Rangers in a 0-1 decision at home. 

The Wildcats outpaced the Rangers in shots 23(6)-10(6) and corner kicks 8-1, but were unable to produce a goal.

Senior defender Mario Bolado found the back of the net scoring the only goal of the match in the 19th minute. 

An early red card against William Uchenna put the Wildcats down a man for the majority of the contest. 

A red card against Parkside's Eduardo Perez in the 75th minute leveled the playing field, but the Wildcats failed to capitalize.