Men's Soccer 8/26/2026 3:30:00 PM Braden Golisek - Assistant Director of Sports Information

Men's Soccer Tabbed Third in GLIAC Preseason Poll

MARQUETTE, Mich. -- The NMU men's soccer team has been selected to finish third in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC), announced by the league today.

2026 GLIAC Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll
1.    Saginaw Valley State                36 (6)
2.   Roosevelt                                        30 (1)
3.   Northern Michigan                    23
4.   Parkside                                           22
5.   Davenport                                      18
6.   Purdue Northwest                     11
7.   St. Cloud State                             7

The NMU men's soccer program is coming off its most successful season in program history, capturing the GLIAC Tournament Championship and earning an appearance in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the program's inception in 2016.

Head coach Alex Fatovic returns to the helm for his fifth season after guiding the 'Cats to a 9-5-6 overall record and a 6-4-2 GLIAC mark to finish third in 2025, where the team set records for the best winning percentage in a season and the highest GLIAC regular season finish. Assistant coach Chance Vang returns for his third season with the Green and Gold; in his time with the program, each season has seen improvements in the win column, going from two in 2023, six in 2024, and nine in 2025.

The 'Cats welcome 13 returners back to NMU, and maybe none more important than the two captains: Luca Rosen and Asaf Kristal. Both came to Marquette as upperclassmen transfers ahead of 2025 and were immediate impact makers and critical pieces in the Wildcat success. Rosen earned an All-Conference First Team honor and an All-Region First Team selection after scoring nine goals and four assists. His goal totals were one away from the NMU single-season record, while he recorded an assist on Tyler Kowalczyk's game-winning-goal in the GLIAC Championship. Kristal rewrote NMU's single-season goalkeeping record book by setting new program marks for games played/started (20), minutes played (1,818:17), saves (104), save percentage (.852), goals-against average (0.891), shutouts (8), wins (9), and ties (6).
Along with the returning captains, the Wildcats boast key returners in the backfield in seniors James Carr, who enters the year as the highest returner in minutes played, and Davian Gumbs, who looks to add a spark in his senior campaign. NMU also welcomes back a group of talented juniors: Ian Weimer, who was one of the 'Cats' most important goal scorers down the stretch, Kowalczyk, who scored the game-winning goal in the GLIAC Championship and plays a key role in the midfield, and Xhoel Lutaj, who rotates in the midfield with Kowalczyk and provides a boost both attacking and defending for the Green and Gold.

While the Wildcats are defending tournament champions, head coach Fatovic describes this team as completely different from last year's squad. The 'Cats welcomed 16 new student-athletes to Marquette for 2026 after losing a handful of key players to either graduation or the transfer portal, including senior captains Alessandro Scialanga and Jan Hoffmann, along with Teun Van Gansewinkel, Owen Rutledge, Quint Van Roij, to the transfer portal, and Terry Grimaldi departing from the club.

NMU opened the preseason with a 1-1 draw to UW-Green Bay and 3-0 win over Schoolcraft College at home before hitting the road to the University of Wisconsin-Superior over the weekend. The regular season begins on the road for NMU, starting with Northwood and Tiffin on Thursday, August 27, and Sunday, August 30.

2026 Recruiting Class

The class comprises 16 student-athletes, including 9 freshmen and 7 transfer student-athletes. Of the 16, it's a perfect split between domestic and international student-athletes: four from Michigan, two from Wisconsin, one from Illinois, and one from Idaho. The international students comprise two from England and Spain, and one from each of Wales, Germany, the Netherlands, and Canada.

"We are incredibly excited to welcome this class to Northern Michigan University and our men's soccer program," adds head coach Alex Fatovic, who enters his fifth season as head coach after guiding the Wildcats to the program's first GLIAC Tournament Title and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2025. "This group represents another major step forward in the continued growth and development of our program. After winning our first GLIAC Championship, the challenge was to continue building a championship-caliber culture, and I believe this class reflects that vision.

I'm extremely proud of the work our staff has put in to identify, recruit, and build relationships with these players. Recruiting is a year-round process, and the commitment from our staff has allowed us to bring in another talented group of student-athletes who believe in what we are building here at NMU."

Head coach Fatovic and assistant coach Chance Vang, who is set to embark on his third season with the Green and Gold, have recruited talent from around the world as they prepare to defend the GLIAC Tournament Championship. The class includes a wide range of backgrounds, including NCAA Division I transfers, MLS Next athletes, and student-athletes competing in the highest tiers of youth soccer internationally.

"What makes this class special is the variety of experiences and pathways represented. We have talented young players coming in from the youth level, NCAA transfers who bring collegiate experience, NAIA and junior college players who have proven themselves, as well as international players who bring different backgrounds and perspectives into our locker room. Every player brings something unique, but the common theme is their hunger, competitiveness, and belief in our championship vision.

Our goal has always been to continue climbing and raise the standard of NMU Soccer. This class allows us to continue pushing this program to new heights while maintaining the culture, identity, and expectations that have helped us reach this point. We can't wait to welcome them to Marquette and see the impact they will have on our program."

(List of names below is in alphabetical order by last name)

Forwards:

Tony Campos (McFarland, WI) // Edgewood University / Chicago Sockers MLS Next
Vinicius Cruz DaSilva (Lombard, Illinois) // SC Wave MLS Next Homegrown
Noah Preston-Watkins (Pontypool, Wales) // Rogers State University / Newport County
Caesar Soma (Royal Oak, MI) // Detroit City FC
Brody Stanton (Pocatello, Idaho) // Utah State Eastern

Midfielders:

Sergio Cano Castro (Cudillero Ovinana, Spain) // Real Oviedo Juvenil A
Julius Lemm (Meckenheim, Germany) // FC Viktoria 08 Arnoldsweiler
Sam Pilgrim (Willaston, England) // Oakland City University / Liverpool & Burnley Academy
Matteo Przysucha (Thunder Bay, Canada) // Thunder Bay Chill

Defenders:

Sam Cooper (Cambridge, England) // St. Ives Town FC
Marcos Gallardo Rozano (Madrid, Spain) // AD Union Adarve / Atletico de Madrid
Leo Korski (Washington, MI) // Vardar MLS Next Homegrown
Jack Meyer (Northville, MI) // Michigan Jags MLS Next Homegrown
Jonah Wallace (Madison, WI) // FC Wisconsin ECNL

Goalkeeper:

Carson Shene (Allen Park, MI) // University of Wisconsin-Green Bay (NCAA D1) / Vardar MLS Next Homegrown

2026 Schedule Release

After going from last place in 2024 to tournament champions in 2025, the Wildcats will have a challenging schedule in 2026, starting with a strong non-conference slate.

"The fall schedule will be the toughest we've faced in my time here, and it is exactly what we need to prepare for the grind of the GLIAC regular season and the defense of our tournament title," says Fatovic, who returns to the helm for his fifth season after guiding the 'Cats to a program-first GLIAC Tournament title and NCAA Championship appearance.

NMU gears up for the season with three pre-season exhibitions, starting a pair at home. NMU welcomes Division One UW-Green Bay on Thursday, August 13, followed by Schoolcraft College for Community / SSA / MQT United Day on Sunday, August 16, before rounding out the non-conference schedule on the road at UW-Superior.

The 'Cats then open the regular season with five non-conference matches, starting with a weekend on the road. NMU begins with Northwood before rounding out the weekend with the Tiffin Dragons, who are four-time defending GMAC Regular Season champions, have won the GMAC Tournament twice in that span, and have been to the NCAA Tournament the past three seasons.

NMU returns home for a lone match against Lake Erie College on Thursday, September 3, before a quick turnaround for a road non-conference match against GLIAC power Saginaw Valley State, who were the GLIAC Regular Season champions in 2025, GLIAC Tournament champions in 2024, and both the regular season and tournament champion in 2021. The 'Cats then round out the non-conference slate at home against Jamestown on Saturday, September 12.

"We'll have every opportunity to test ourselves against some of the top teams in the country before opening conference play with four straight road GLIAC matches. It doesn't get much tougher than that, but with six of our final eight at home, including the last four, we know we control our fate. August can't get here soon enough!"

The 'Cats open the conference slate with four straight on the road, starting with another trip to University Center, Michigan, to take on SVSU on September 18.

From there, six of the final eight games are at home, starting with Purdue Northwest and Parkside on Friday, October 2, and Sunday, October 4. NMU ends the season with consecutive home matches against St. Cloud State on October 16, Roosevelt on October 18, Davenport on October 23, and senior day on Sunday, October 25.

The GLIAC Postseason tournament is set to begin on Saturday, October 31, and run through the championship match on Sunday, November 8. The NCAA Tournament begins shortly after, with the first round beginning Friday, November 13.

The full 2026 schedule is live and can be found on the men's soccer schedule page.

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Players Mentioned

#2 James Carr: D; 5' 10"; Junior

#15 Davian Gumbs: D; 5' 9"; Junior

#13 Jan Hoffmann: MF; 5' 6"; Senior

#21 Tyler Kowalczyk: MF; 5' 9"; Sophomore

#8 Xhoel Lutaj: MF; 5' 9"; Sophomore

#3 Alessandro Scialanga: D; 5' 11"; Senior

#7 Teun Van Gansewinkel: F; 6' 0"; Sophomore

#6 Quint Van Roij: MF; 6' 0"; Sophomore

#1 Asaf Kristal: GK; 6' 0"; Redshirt Junior

#4 Terry Grimaldi: D; 6' 1"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#2 James Carr
: 5' 10"; Junior
: D

#15 Davian Gumbs
: 5' 9"; Junior
: D

#13 Jan Hoffmann
: 5' 6"; Senior
: MF

#21 Tyler Kowalczyk
: 5' 9"; Sophomore
: MF

#8 Xhoel Lutaj
: 5' 9"; Sophomore
: MF

#3 Alessandro Scialanga
: 5' 11"; Senior
: D

#7 Teun Van Gansewinkel
: 6' 0"; Sophomore
: F

#6 Quint Van Roij
: 6' 0"; Sophomore
: MF

#1 Asaf Kristal
: 6' 0"; Redshirt Junior
: GK

#4 Terry Grimaldi
: 6' 1"; Freshman
: D