NMU Athletics: A Weekend in Review

A full weekend of NMU sports came and went, with some exciting finishes and disappointing losses. Let’s talk about it.

Football

After an excruciating blowout loss to Minnesota-Duluth, the Wildcats lose again to Lake Erie College 21-24. It was a much closer game, and NMU showed steady improvements in areas such as red zone execution and first downs. However, with a 21-7 lead headed into the fourth quarter, the Wildcats collapsed to an 0-2 start to the season.

Mariano Valenti had an uneventful day behind center. He completed just 15 of his 34 attempts for 156 passing yards. No touchdowns, but no turnovers either. 

NMU found the most success running the ball. Tyquan Cox ran for 120 of the Wildcats’ 190 rushing yards. Valenti and RB2 Brock Franklin scored touchdowns on the ground. 

The Wildcats will face 

Women’s Soccer

The Wildcat women of soccer continue to dominate. They beat Illinois Springfield 2-0 and haven’t allowed a goal in over three games. They have outscored their opponents 8-0 over those games, and 12-3.

Molly Pistorius has been on an absolute tear. She scored two hat tricks during the first three matches, and took home GLIAC’s first 2023 Offensive Player of the Week. She is on pace for a GLIAC MVP-like season.

On Friday, September 15, the ladies of the north face Parkside at 3PM at home to kick off Alumni Weekend.

Men’s Soccer

Men’s Soccer has continued its inconsistency at Northern Michigan. They lost 1-2 to Thomas More in Kentucky on Saturday. The lone goal was scored by Erik Lotysz on a pass from Jan Hoffmann. This closed the 0-2 gap, but did not execute after. They will face Davenport at home this Friday.

Volleyball 

The Volleyball team had a disappointing weekend at the Minnesota-Duluth Tournament. After winning their season-opening match, they have now lost seven matches in a row. The Wildcats not only went 0-4 at the tournament, but they did not win a single set all weekend. They play back to back this Friday and Saturday.