Alex Fatovic Head Coach | Northern Michigan University Athletics Website
Alex Fatovic Head Coach | Northern Michigan University Athletics Website
The Northern Michigan University men's soccer team experienced its first loss of the season in a closely contested match against St. Cloud State, conceding a late goal that resulted in a 2-1 defeat.
The Huskies opened the scoring within the first 10 minutes, with Philip Caputo finding the back of the net after receiving a pass from Andrew Holmes. Despite this early setback, NMU responded early in the second half when Alessandro Scialanga scored, leveling the match and energizing his team.
For much of the second half, NMU maintained offensive pressure. However, in the 84th minute, St. Cloud State secured victory with a decisive goal by Matthew Greenland following a free kick that deflected multiple times before reaching him.
This result leaves NMU with an overall record of 3-1-1 and 0-1-0 in GLIAC play. The Wildcats now look forward to two home matches next weekend against Purdue Northwest and Parkside.
Key performances included sophomore defender Alessandro Scialanga's equalizer, marking his third goal in two games. Goalkeeper Nils Cedergren made five saves from seven shots on target. Several players, including James Carr and Finn van den Berg, played the full 90 minutes.
St. Cloud State outshot NMU 13-7 and had more shots on target (7 to NMU's 4). However, NMU held an advantage in corner kicks (5-4) and committed fewer fouls than their opponents.
In terms of game progression, Caputo's early goal came from a well-executed pass by Holmes that split NMU's defense. Despite conceding early, NMU generated several offensive opportunities but could not capitalize before halftime.
In the second half, Scialanga’s goal was followed by continued pressure from NMU. A notable chance came when Jan Hoffmann’s shot was saved but led to a corner kick opportunity for NMU.
Ultimately, it was Greenland’s late goal that decided the match after a series of deflections off a free kick.
NMU will aim to bounce back in their upcoming home fixtures against Purdue Northwest and Parkside on September 27 and September 29 respectively.
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