Emily Spiess Athletic Trainer | Northern Michigan University Athletics Website
Emily Spiess Athletic Trainer | Northern Michigan University Athletics Website
The Northern Michigan University men's soccer team experienced their first home defeat of the season, losing 1-0 to Parkside, ranked No. 21. The match took place in Marquette, Mich., on September 29, 2024.
Parkside scored the only goal of the game from a set piece 19 minutes into the match. The ball took an unfortunate bounce for NMU and ended up in their net.
NMU faced further challenges when they received a straight red card just one minute later, forcing them to play with ten men for the remaining 55 minutes. Despite this disadvantage, NMU dominated much of the play. They outshot Parkside 10-3 and committed fewer fouls (three compared to Parkside's ten) in the first half but were unable to equalize.
"At the end of the day, tremendous effort from our guys," said head coach Alex Fatovic. "They just played down a man for 55 minutes and had a ton of chances to tie it, but we also put ourselves in a bad position and gave them some chances."
In total, NMU outshot Parkside 23-10 and had eight corner kicks compared to Parkside's one. The match saw three red cards: one for NMU's William Uchenna in the 19th minute and two for Parkside players late in the game.
Freshman goalkeeper Nils Cedergren made five saves during the match. "[Nils] has been solid all year long," said Fatovic. "Stellar play from a freshman; he kept us within striking distance."
The Wildcats now hold a record of 5-2-1 overall and are 1-2-0 in conference play. They will next face St. Cloud State at home on Wednesday.
"Every GLIAC match is a battle," added Fatovic. "We need the community out for support, but our guys will respond."
Key statistics from the game include:
- NMU outshot Parkside 23-10.
- Both teams had six shots on target.
- NMU had eight corner kicks compared to Parkside's one.
- Three red cards were issued during the match.
Alessandro Scialanga continues to lead NMU with eight points this season (three goals and two assists). Tommaso Lami led NMU with five shots while Teun Van Gansewinkel led with two shots on goal.
Next up for NMU is St. Cloud State on October 2 at home.
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