Each Wildcat team will play its first of three exhibition games that amount to a preseason for their sports, though in most ways the contests will look like regular games at the NMU Soccer Field.

The Northern women kick off the day by hosting Wisconsin-Stevens Point at 2 p.m. before the men take on Wisconsin-Green Bay at 5 p.m.

A major part of Community Day will be the soccer programs showing off renovations made since last fall to both the pitch — the playing field — and surrounding stadium.

“I think the community should come out because it’s a community day for all of the soccer players and fans in Marquette,” NMU men’s head coach Alex Fatovic said in an NMU Sports Information news release announcing the event.

Northern Michigan University’s Hannah Kastamo, at left center in white, gets a shot off while being defended by Grand Valley State’s Alex Williams, left, and Daan Louwerse, No. 18 at center, that goes just a little bit wide during their college women’s soccer game held at the NMU Soccer Field in Marquette on Sept. 20, 2024. (Photo courtesy of Cara Kamps)

He is entering his fourth season as head coach after the Wildcats went 6-8-2 last season, finishing the season with a 1-0 win at Wisconsin-Parkside. It was this Northern team’s highest win total since 2019.

“Whether they’re girls players, boys players, men’s players, women’s players, we have a huge soccer community in Marquette,” Fatovic said. “There’s a barbecue, there’s a tailgate in the lot, two games back to back, and we play (an NCAA) Division I opponent in Green Bay.”

Echoing those sentiments is new women’s coach Erin Egolf, who will coach the Wildcat women for the first time on the outdoor pitch.

“The excitement will be real,” she said to NMU SI. “If we can’t get up for Friday, I don’t know what we’re doing.

“We’re going to have a lot of fans at the match and the men play after us, so it should be a great day for soccer. I’m excited for our girls…. For us being so new, I think it will be really healthy for (our team).

Northern Michigan University’s Madison Bilbia, center, gets double teamed by Ferris State’s Katherine Welsh, left, and Brinley Bell but is able to get control of the ball to pass it to a teammate during their GLIAC women’s soccer game played at the NMU Soccer Field in Marquette on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

“For everyone to get some minutes under their belt early, see what the level is like, and what the expectation is, I think that will be really helpful.”

Egolf and the Northern women will try to follow in the footsteps of now-departed head coach Jon Sandoval, who became head women’s soccer coach at Division I Loyola of Chicago in December.

Last year’s Wildcats went 14-4-4 and reached the Division II national tourney before bowing out to Drury 4-1 in Ashland, Ohio, about a week before Thanksgiving.

On Friday, festivities begin an hour before the first ball is kicked. At 1 p.m., the Northern teams will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially recognize the field enhancements, specifically a new “ore dock” main entrance and walkway, new goals at the ends of the field, a state-of-the-art public address system and a NMU-branded fence wrap.

Fans will be able to access the spectator area after the ribbon is cut.

As part of the festivities, Marquette United and the Superiorland Soccer Association will host a sponsored tailgate and barbecue in Lot 55, while young players mostly from those groups will walk out during pregame team and player introductions.

Both Wildcat teams will pose for team photos between games, slated for around 4 p.m.

Each NMU team plays a three-game exhibition schedule before jumping into the regular season just after Labor Day.

The women also host Carroll University at noon Sunday at the NMU Soccer Field before traveling to Marian University in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, on Tuesday.

Their regular season opens with a nonconference four-game homestand, beginning with a contest against St. Cloud State (Minnesota) at 1 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 5.

Following Friday’s encounter, the Northern men play two exhibitions in Superior, Wisconsin, on Monday. They face host Wisconsin-Superior at 3 p.m. EDT before taking on Wisconsin-River Falls right after at 5 p.m. EDT.

Like the NMU women, the Wildcat men open their regular season at home. The first of back-to-back games at the NMU Soccer Field will be against Northwood at noon on Thursday, Sept. 4.

The entire schedule for both teams and other Northern sports for throughout the upcoming school year can be found on the NMU athletics website, nmuwildcats.com.

Story contents based on Northern Michigan University Sports Information press release previewing Community Day. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.