Northern Michigan University’s Tommaso Lami, left, takes a shot during a college men’s soccer exhibition game played against Bryant & Stratton at the Superior Dome in Marquette on March 29. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

MARQUETTE — The Northern Michigan University men’s soccer team opens its regular season with a pair of home matches this week at the NMU Soccer Field.

After playing a trio of exhibitions over the final 10 days of August, these Wildcats start for real at noon today against former Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference member Northwood.

They follow it up with another home match at noon, this time on Saturday, against Lawrence Tech.

Northern won’t be back home again until Sept. 19 when the Wildcats open their conference campaign against Wisconsin-Parkside.

Northwood is now a member of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, still in NCAA Division II, while Lawrence Tech is from the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference in NAIA Division II, similar to the NCAA Division III.

In Alex Fatovic’s three previous seasons as NMU head coach, the Wildcats have split against Northwood, losing 4-2 in Northern’s home opener in 2023 before taking a 1-0 victory at the Timberwolves’ home in Midland in that season opener in 2024.

All-time, NMU has just a 3-11-1 record against NU dating back to 2016, mostly when Northwood was in the GLIAC.

Northwood was only picked to finish ninth in the G-MAC poll after a 4-11-2 record in 2024. Senior forward Nathan Casal leads the Timberwolves after pacing them in scoring with six goals and 12 points last season.

It’s the first meeting between the Wildcats and Lawrence Tech, which has already played three regular-season games and lost them all to nationally ranked opponents.

Led by coach Will Dyer in his 15th season, Lawrence Tech was 7-8-4 in ’24, losing several key players to graduation but returning senior captain Timo Murcko.

The Blue Devils’ losses to start this season were to NAIA No. 21 Marian, vote-receiving Georgia Gwinnett and No. 12 Lindsey Wilson, not scoring in any of those games.

Fans can follow the Wildcats @NMU_Msoc on Instagram and @NMU_Mens_Soccer on X (formerly Twitter) for updates leading up to and during the games, or visit the NMU athletics website at nmuwildcats.com and look under the men’s soccer schedule for links to live video, live statistics and previews.

“How can you set the tone and set the energy level in every match, no matter who you play, and when you do get knocked down, can you get up and keep playing?” Fatovic said in an NMU Sports Information news release previewing the weekend. “That is our mentality, and we don’t take any game lightly.

“You have to be resilient, and you have to be able to get back up.”

The Wildcats were chosen seventh among seven teams in the GLIAC in the coaches preseason poll, not surprising as that’s where they finished last season.

Saginaw Valley State was a unanimous choice to win the league with six of seven first-place votes — coaches don’t vote for their own team, so the six first-place votes is the maximum — with Roosevelt picked second and getting the other first-place vote.

After that was Parkside in third, Davenport fourth, Purdue Northwest fifth and St. Cloud State sixth.

Fatovic is back for his fourth year and assistant coach Chance Vang is in his second season.

Despite missing the postseason last year, Fatovic guided the Wildcats to six wins, four more than 2023, and the second-most wins in program history.

“(The student-athletes) know they were last place last year, and they’ve used that as fuel and motivation to work for three straight months in January, February and March, the hardest months of the year, to get better and respond to the disappointment of last year,” Fatovic said. “The poll is just another step in the path that we’re on, and that’s redemption.

“We have some really exciting players coming in that will add immediate depth to our rotation, but I am more excited about our returning players who put up seven goals against an NCAA tournament team (in The Superior Dome for exhibition matches) in April.

“They’re driving the train, they’re the ones who are fit and focused, and I am excited to see what they do.”

Leading the returners is senior captain Alessandro Scialanga, who is coming off a Second Team All-Midwest Region and First Team All-GLIAC honors after leading Northern in minutes played, assists and points, and also coming up second on the team in goals.

“The difference between us and the other teams in the conference is not big, we know that, and that brings a lot of hope that we can get there,” Fatovic said. “We all know that we can get there, and it’s important for the new players to understand that, too.”

NMU also returns GLIAC Honorable Mention Quint Van Roij, NMU Breakthrough Athlete of the Year Davian Gumbs, and consistent starters Xhoel Lutaj, James Carr and senior captain Jan Hoffmann.

“You see the ambition, the courage and the power that our team brings,” Hoffmann said. “We need to bring that consistent foundation of energy, as well as intrinsic motivation. Everyone needs to come in hot.”

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