Great Lakes Wire

Northern Michigan University athletic teams faced a challenging weekend across several sports from September 11 to September 14.

The football team lost 20-7 to Division I St. Thomas, despite holding a lead halfway through the fourth quarter. This game was notable as the first-ever contest against a Division I opponent inside the Superior Dome since it opened in 1991. The Wildcats' defense limited St. Thomas to just 54 rushing yards and kept their scoring well below average, with three sacks and seven tackles for loss. Jax Hertel led with a career-high 14 tackles, while Duke Shovald threw for 133 yards and Jahi Wood scored NMU’s only touchdown.

Northern Michigan University also announced that Steve Mariucci's No. 18 football jersey will be retired. "The news was first revealed in a surprise video message from Mariucci's lifelong friend, Hall of Fame basketball coach and fellow NMU alum Tom Izzo, which aired on NFL Network's GameDay Morning on Sunday, September 14." The ceremony is scheduled for October 11 during NMU’s celebration of the 50th anniversary of its 1975 National Championship team.

The volleyball team participated in the Husky Volleyball Classic but fell in four straight matches against Barry, Adelphi, St. Cloud State, and Minnesota Duluth—all by straight sets. Madison York led with 11 kills against Barry, while Allie Barlow posted a double-double in assists and digs. Freshman Kaylie McIntosh recorded a season-high six kills against Adelphi and later tallied 15 kills versus Minnesota Duluth.

In women’s soccer, Northern Michigan lost narrowly to Northwood before earning a scoreless draw against Cedarville. Goalkeeper Jillian Thompson matched her season-high saves total in the tie with Cedarville.

Men’s soccer ended both of its games on the road in draws: a scoreless match against Lewis—where Asaf Kristal earned his second shutout—and a 1-1 result at Lake Erie after Teun Van Gansewinkel scored off an assist from Davian Gumbs.