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Men's Soccer Braden Golisek - Assistant Director of Sports Information

PREVIEW: #5 Wildcats travel to #4 Findlay for NCAA Second Round

The Wildcats will play in the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history

MARQUETTE, Mich. -- The NMU men's soccer team continues its historic 2026 campaign, earning a bid into the NCAA Tournament.

The Wildcats (10-6-2) earned the #5 seed in the NCAA Tournament thanks to the success the squad saw in the regular season, as the Wildcats finished second in the GLIAC regular season standings, marking the highest finish in program history.

And while the bounces didn't go in the Wildcats' favor in the GLIAC Tournament, falling 1-0 to Purdue Northwest on a deflected game-deciding goal, head coach Alex Fatovic knows what his team has done this season is bigger than a GLIAC semifinal loss.

"At the end of the day, we've done enough over the course of the season to still be playing," said Fatovic in his weekly media availability. Of the 202 NCAA DII men's soccer programs, the Wildcats were good enough to solidify itself as one of the best in the region, and one of just 40 teams to still be playing. 

And the Wildcats compete in one of the toughest conferences in the region, as four of the 10 teams selected were from the GLIAC, and SVSU is a site host for the first and second rounds.

"I think that's really the story. It's not just the difficulty of the GLIAC tournament, but really the body of work that these guys have put in for the last three months."

As the fifth seed in Super Region 3, the Wildcats will head to Findlay, Ohio, to face the #4-seeded Findlay Oilers on Sunday, November 15, at noon ET. Fans can purchase tickets to watch the Wildcats and Oilers clash at DeHaven Field here. 

Along with tickets to the match, fans will be able to live stream the match through NCAA.com, follow along with live stats and coverage through nmuwildcats.com, and follow the official NMU men's soccer social media pages for continued updates.

After winning the G-MAC Tournament, the Oilers (13-5-2) earned the #4 seed and the right to host the second-round matchup between the two sides. This marked the second time in the last three seasons the Oilers have made the NCAA Tournament, and the first time in its history to host a match. 

Two highly decorated squads, the Wildcats boast GLIAC Freshman of the Year Sergio Cano Castro, who will return to the lineup after sitting out the GLIAC Semifinal match with a suspension, along with seven all-conference selections, including fellow first-team honorees Luca Rosen and Marcos Gallardo Rosano. 

A senior defender from Portugal, Andre Sardinha became the first Oiler to earn G-MAC Defensive Player of the Year honors after his stellar season with Findlay. Senior Carson Oberski earned an All-GMAC First Team honor after finishing second in the conference with eight goals and five game-winners, and fifth-year forward Tom Middleham earned second-team recognition.

The Wildcats and Oilers have met twice, both coming as GLIAC conference matches in the Green and Gold's inaugural 2016 season. The program's first shutout came in a 2-0 win over the Oilers on September 25, 2016, and the 'Cats downed the Oilers 1-0 in the final host contest of the campaign on October 23, 2016.

While the Wildcats have not played the Oilers in the Fatovic era, the 'Cats are familiar with the Findlay area, having stayed there when the team traveled to play Tiffin earlier this year. Head coach Fatovic noted that it will be "an interesting matchup" against a team that is "spirited" and "plays for each other". The Oilers were on a three-game winless streak before cruising through the G-MAC Tournament and earning its second tournament title in the past three seasons.

"There's a bit of pedigree there in terms of their culture and how hard they play. It is going to be a similar GLIAC (kind of) game in terms of it being a direct game and trying to deal with a lot of long balls and headers and the ball in the air. And so I think we're prepared for that. We like that matchup because we train it, we understand it, and we know what's coming. We just got to get used to the surroundings." 

It is now one and done for the Wildcats, who will meet the Oilers in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, where there will be only 32 teams left standing by the time the game gets underway on Sunday. One win, and the 'Cats are on to the sweet 16 the following weekend.

"For us, it's not about trying to play the way we necessarily want to play. It's about surviving and advancing. That's the time of the year it is. 

"We also got a full week to prepare this time," adds Fatovic, noting last season's quick turnaround time and lengthy travel for its first round matchup. Last season, the 'Cats won the GLIAC Tournament on a Sunday, then had to get through buses and flights to Claremore, Oklahoma, for a game on Thursday. This time, the game is on a Sunday, and the bus ride to Findlay is much more manageable.

"It's about that full focus all week being in the right headspace. It's all about the mentality. We have the skill, we have the ability to perform at this level. It's about the mentality; that's that will be the true test… We're going to go down there and battle, and I think that's what it's all about."




 
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Players Mentioned

Luca Rosen

#10 Luca Rosen

F
5' 7"
Senior
Sergio Cano Castro

#7 Sergio Cano Castro

F
5' 4"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Luca Rosen

#10 Luca Rosen

5' 7"
Senior
F
Sergio Cano Castro

#7 Sergio Cano Castro

5' 4"
Freshman
F