Northern Michigan University’s Alessandro Scialanga, center, and Davian Gumbs, left, get the ball away from Northwood's Josh Rowland during their college men’s soccer game played at the NMU Soccer Field in Marquette on Thursday. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

MARQUETTE — In a sport where scoring is at a premium, the Northern Michigan University men’s soccer team gets involved in a lot of shutouts.

That was what the Wildcats did Thursday afternoon in their season opener, actually posting two shutouts for the price of one as they played to a scoreless deadlock with Northwood at home.

Last season in a 6-8-2 campaign, NMU blanked its opponent five times but was also left with zero on the scoreboard itself another five times.

However, none of those games ended in a 0-0 deadlock like Friday’s.

Northwood, a former Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference member and now in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, played the Wildcats between bouts of rain and sun with a crosswind for much of the contest at the NMU Soccer Field within sight of Lake Superior.

“It was a good first performance,” said head coach Alex Fatovic, who is starting his fourth year on the Northern bench, to NMU Sports Information in its news release reviewing the game. “Our defending (Thursday) was fantastic, that’s all we worked on in preseason.

“We would have loved to get the full three points (for a win), but I am really pleased with the overall effort. We have to get better (at finishing) in the attacking side, we know that, but as a first performance, I am really pleased with the group.”

Northern carried much of the action in the first half, outshooting NU 8-3 overall and 3-1 in shots on goal. All but one of the Wildcats’ shots came from inside the penalty area then, too.

Despite nobody scoring, the offense ramped up even more in the second half, NMU holding a 10-9 overall shooting edge as each team got off three shots on goal.

Northern also was able to generate more set plays, taking seven corner kicks over the full 90 minutes to just one for the visitors.

But “blame” the goalkeepers for doing their job, and a good one at that.

Junior transfer Asaf Kristal debuted in the Wildcats’ goal by stopping all four shots Northwood had on target to earn his first shutout at NMU and the team’s second consecutive blanking going back to the final game of 2024.

The T’wolves’ Albie Perez stopped all six Northern shots on goal for his own shutout in what was also Northwood’s season opener.

NMU SI also noted that game replays can be watched online on FloSports.

Other Wildcats making their debuts as starters were freshmen defenders Terry Grimaldi and Asa Dean, sophomore midfielder Andrea Mercanti and junior transfer defender Owen Rutledge. And junior transfer forward Luca Rosen also made an impact coming off the bench, tallying 61 minutes and two shots, each statistic the tops for both teams’ nonstarters.

Northern captain Alessandro Scialanga, along with teammates James Carr and Quint Van Roij, each turned in a full 90 minutes on the pitch, while the Wildcats’ Jan Hoffmann tallied 86 minutes, Tuen Van Gansewinkel 85 and Rutledge 82.

Van Gansewinkel and NMU’s Davian Gumbs led all players with four shots apiece, while Gumbs’ three shots on goal made him the only player on either team with more than one.

The Wildcats complete this season debut week at home at noon today when they host Lawrence Tech of the NAIA at the NMU Soccer Field. Northern’s next home game after that is at noon on Friday, Sept. 19, to open the GLIAC campaign against Wisconsin-Parkside.

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