Northern Michigan University’s Teun van Gansewinkel kicks the ball past Purdue Northwest's Demien Martinez during their GLIAC men’s soccer game played at the NMU Soccer Field in Marquette on Nov. 2. (Photo courtesy of Cara Kamps)

MARQUETTE — Everybody starts over with a 0-0 record.

That should suit the men’s soccer team at Northern Michigan University just fine with this being the Wildcats’ first-ever appearance in the national NCAA Division II Tournament.

NMU is one of 40 teams that were selected for the event, which for Northern begins at 2 p.m. EST Thursday in Claremore, Oklahoma. The No. 10 seeded Wildcats will face No. 7 Cedarville (Ohio) in the first round.

The field was split into four super-regions, and while there wasn’t an official name listed with each region, “Midwest” would certainly be appropriate for the one that the Wildcats are in, with teams spread around Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma.

Another region features teams primarily in California but also including the West Coast and Hawaii; a third in the Deep South with a Florida flavor, but also in Mississippi and South Carolina; and the fourth and final region out East with teams in states that include Connecticut, New Hampshire, Delaware and Pennsylvania.

NMU, bringing a 9-4-6 record into the national tourney, is not only the bottom seed at No. 10 in the 10-team region, but the only representative from the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

GLIAC regular-season champion Saginaw Valley State, which Northern defeated 1-0 for the conference tournament title on Sunday, didn’t make the field, nor did second-place Roosevelt.

Instead, the Wildcats will face a school from the Great Midwest Athletic Conference in the first round in Cedarville (11-1-7).

There are four conferences represented in this region, NMU from the GLIAC, two from the G-MAC in Ohio, two from the Great American Conference out of Oklahoma and Kansas, and the other five from the Great Lakes Valley Conference spread around Indiana, Illinois and Missouri.

Northern’s half of the “Midwest” bracket includes the No. 2, 3, 6, 7 and 10 seeds, with only the Nos. 7 through 10 seeds having to play an extra round. Host in their half of the bracket is the highest seed, No. 2 Rogers State (12-3-5), which is why the Wildcats are headed to Oklahoma.

In fact, if NMU wins Thursday, its next game is a regional quarterfinal against the host Hill Cats at 2 p.m. EST Saturday. The other regional quarterfinal pits GLVC member and No. 3 Lincoln (11-1-6) vs. G-MAC member and No. 6 Tiffin (13-2-4) at 4 p.m. EST Sunday.

A win over Rogers State would put the Wildcats in the regional final that won’t be played until Sunday, Nov. 30, likely at No. 1 seed Fort Hays State of Hays, Kansas, though the bracket doesn’t state that specifically.

The first-round game on the other side of the region pits a pair of GLVC teams, No. 8 McKendree (10-5-5) vs. No. 9 Indianapolis (10-5-3). The winner faces GAC member Fort Hays (17-0-3), with the other quarterfinal pitting two more GLVC squads, No. 4 Rockhurst (12-4-3) vs. No. 5 Maryville (12-6-2).

The four super-regional winners converge on Colorado Springs, Colorado, for the national semifinals on Dec. 12 and the national championship game on Dec. 14.

Though NMU looks to be a decided underdog in this field, the Wildcats are currently riding a seven-game unbeaten streak, five of them wins and in one of the ties Northern prevailing in free-kicks shootout in the GLIAC quarterfinals over Purdue Northwest.

NMU has outscored the opposition 13-4 in those seven games.

Meanwhile, Cedarville lost its most recent game after going undefeated — though with seven ties — through the regular season. The Yellow Jackets bowed out of the G-MAC Tournament in the semifinals to Kentucky Wesleyan 1-0.

Story contents based on Northern Michigan University Sports Information press release reviewing/previewing the games/meet. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.