The NMU men's soccer team has been selected to finish seventh ahead of the 2025 campaign, as voted on by the coaches. Head coach Alex Fatovic and assistant coach Chance Vang both return to the helm, Fatovic in his fourth season and Vang in his second. Despite missing the postseason last year, Fatovic guided the 'Cats to six wins, four more than the 2023 campaign, the second-most single-season wins in program history, and the most wins since 2019.
"[The student-athletes] know they were last place last year, and they've used that as fuel and motivation to work for three straight months in January, February, and March, the hardest months of the year, to get better and respond to the disappointment of last year," adds Fatovic, who enters his fourth year as the head coach after posting the most single-season wins since 2019 in 2024. "The poll is just another step in the path that we're on, and that's redemption."
"We have some really exciting players coming in that will add immediate depth to our rotation, but I am more excited about our returning players who put up seven goals against an NCAA Tournament team [in The Superior Dome] in April. They're driving the train, they're the one's who are fit and focused, and I am excited to see what they do."
Among the returners is senior captain Alessandro Scialanga, who is coming off a season that saw him earn Second Team All-Midwest Region honors and a spot on the First Team All-GLIAC team after leading the 'Cats in minutes played, assists, points, and second on the team in goals.
"The difference between us and the other teams in the conference is not big, we know that, and that brings a lot of hope that we can get there. We all know that we can get there, and it's important for the new players to understand that too... We have a lot of good technical abilities and tactical abilities, but we want our group to be humble and understand that work ethic comes before everything."
The 'Cats also return GLIAC Honorable Mention Quint Van Roij, NMU Breakthrough Athlete of the Year Davian Gumbs, and consistent starting-eleven squad members in Xhoel Lutaj, James Carr, and Jan Hoffmann.
"You see the ambition, the courage, and the power that our team brings," says senior midfielder Hoffmann, who has been a consistent feature for the Wildcats in his three-year tenure. " We need to bring that consistent foundation of energy, as well as intrinsic motivation. Everyone needs to come in hot."
The Wildcats continue its preseason with a double header today, in Superior, Wisconsin, to take on UW-Superior and UW-River Falls. The regular season opens at home on Thursday, September 4, taking on Northwood at noon.
