The Northern Michigan University men's soccer team is preparing for its final regular season road trip this weekend. The Wildcats will face off against two GLIAC opponents: the Saginaw Valley State Cardinals and the Davenport Panthers.
Currently, the Wildcats hold a record of 2-8-2 overall and 1-5-1 in the GLIAC. They are set to play against the Saginaw Valley State Cardinals, who have a record of 3-5-3 overall and 1-3-2 in the GLIAC, on Friday at noon. The match against the Davenport Panthers, who stand at 3-4-3 overall and 2-3-1 in the GLIAC, will take place on Sunday at 3 PM.
This weekend is crucial for NMU as they aim to improve their standing within the conference. They are currently one point behind Saginaw Valley State and three points behind Davenport. Notably, one of their two wins this season was against Davenport, while they narrowly lost to Saginaw Valley State earlier in the season with a score of 0-1.
Head Coach Alex Fatovic commented on his team's approach: "The message has to be 'continue to fight, and continue to assert this new identity we have'... We have to buy into this new identity that's going to allow us to get some success in the postseason."
In recent performances, Fernando Abascal leads NMU with four points from one goal and two assists. Jan Hoffmann has been notable for leading in shots (26) and minutes played (1007). The Wildcats rank second in goals-against average (1.18) and saves (49) within their conference.
Last week saw NMU host Parkside Rangers and Purdue Northwest Pride but ended with a loss of 2-1 against Parkside and a goalless draw with Purdue Northwest. Goalkeeper Bryce Beckley was instrumental with seven saves against Parkside and recorded his first shutout with five saves against Purdue Northwest.
Looking ahead at their opponents, Saginaw Valley State recently suffered a defeat by Davenport with a scoreline of 0-2. Jonathan Monney leads them in scoring within GLIAC ranks third for goals scored. Their defense has rotated through three goalkeepers over eleven games achieving an average GAA of 1.45.
Davenport comes off their victory over Saginaw Valley State where Bobby Curran was named GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week following his performance which included earning a shutout. Forwards Vitalis Takawira Jr., along with Eoin Broughan lead Davenport's scoring efforts this season.
NMU previously secured victory over Davenport earlier this year winning by one goal margin; they hope to maintain that record as they meet again.
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