Northern Michigan University men’s soccer player Alessandro Scialanga, right, vies for the ball with an opponent during a past Wildcats’ game. (Photo courtesy NMU)

MARQUETTE — The men’s soccer team has joined several other varsity teams at Northern Michigan University in earning a prestigious Commissioner’s Award from the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Senior captain Alessandro Scialanga became the first male soccer player to earn the honor, bestowed after the fall, winter and spring athletic seasons to six female and six male student-athletes of junior, senior or graduate student status across all the schools in the league who excel both in the classroom and in competition. 

The left-footed Scialanga, a 5-foot-11 defender from Sutri, Italy, was termed the heart and soul of a Northern team that climbed to numerous record-setting heights, according to an NMU Sports Information news release about the award.

Those heights included the Wildcats’ first NCAA Division II Tournament appearance, the GLIAC Tournament championship, earning a home conference playoff game, and going from “worst to first” in one season.

That last honor came about after NMU team missed the GLIAC tourney a year earlier as the league’s last-place team, then rose to the top of the tourney field this past fall.

As a defender, Scialanga’s statistical line doesn’t jump off the page — one goal, three assists and five points in 1,382 minutes — but he brought exuberance, leadership and defense to these Wildcats.

He played all 90 minutes in Northern’s first six games before a serious injury against Roosevelt on Sept. 28 sidelined him for four matches. He returned full-time to the pitch on Oct. 19, playing the full 90 minutes again in 13 of NMU’s remaining 17 games, and even in the other four, played at least 84 minutes.

“I can’t think of a more worthy candidate for the GLIAC Commissioners Award than ‘Ale’ Scialanga,” Northern head coach Alex Fatovic said in the NMU SI release. “Not only is he an exceptional player and leader who led us to our first-ever GLIAC title, but he’s also a fantastic student who holds himself to the highest standard in the classroom.

“A true mentor and example to our young team on the importance of balancing high standards in the classroom, locker room and the field of play. Well done, Ale; however, not surprised!”

Last fall, Scialanga was named a GLIAC First Team defender, an NCAA Division II Conference Commissioners Association and United Soccer Coaches All-Region Second Team selection, and earned a College Sports Communicators’ Academic All-District Team honor for his work in the classroom.

At the time of his nomination, Scialanga held a 3.90 cumulative grade-point average majoring in business. 

He departs NMU not only as its first GLIAC Commissioners Award recipient in men’s soccer, but also as a two-time GLIAC First Team defender, two-time D2CCA All-Midwest Region Second Team selection, United Soccer Coaches All-Region Second Team selection, and having earned CSC Academic All-District Team honors in three seasons. 

The GLIAC Commissioner’s Award began in the 2007-08 school year, and NMU won several the first two years.

Then Northern’s honors dried up with just one more presented to a Wildcat through the 2015-16 year, that to Alyssa Colla of the women’s basketball team in winter 2014-15.

Since then, NMU has won this award numerous times, including in back-to-back years by Marquette Senior High School graduate and Wildcats track and field athlete Shayla Huebner in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 years.

Other honorees have come from the men’s basketball, volleyball, women’s cross country, men’s swimming and diving, women’s lacrosse, women’s soccer, and the women’s swimming and diving teams.

Three Northern athletes were honored in 2024-25 school year last winter, a first for NMU — men’s swimmer Leo Nolles and women’s swimmers Camilla Carbone and Mia Strazny.

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