Fatovic is happy with scoreless draw
ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – The NMU men’s soccer team played tough regional foe and reigning GLVC Champions, the Lewis University Flyers, to a 0-0 draw in Illinois.
“Extremely proud of the group today. They battled all game long for a deserved point on the road,” added head coach Alex Fatovic, who has now guided his team to three consecutive draws against the GLVC powerhouse, including a 0-0 draw in Romeoville two seasons ago. “We had our chances and need to produce more in the attack, but when you can defend and lock down teams of this caliber on the road, we know we’re in every game. Now on to leg two of the trip against Lake Erie on Sunday for a game that won’t be any easier, but I know our squad will be up for the challenge.”
The Wildcats (1-0-2 overall, 0-0-0 GLIAC) remain unbeaten through their first three matches as they head into Sunday’s clash against a winless Lake Erie squad. The Storm, the eighth-ranked team in the Midwest ahead of the weekend, are now 0-0-3 on the season, most recently playing to a 1-1 draw with Salem on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the Flyers (1-0-2 overall, 0-0-0 GLVC) were held scoreless for the first time this season after netting three and two goals, respectively, in their opening matchups against GLIAC opponents Purdue Northwest and Parkside. The sixth-ranked team in the region now host Quincy on Sunday for its first conference match of the season.
Wildcat netminder Asaf Kristal had an impressive outing today, earning his second shutout in an NMU shirt and recording a season-high five saves. This marked the first time Lewis was held scoreless in nine games, dating back to a 1-0 loss against Maryville at home on October 27, 2024. Lewis goalkeeper Yoan Zagorov made two saves for his second shutout of the season as well.
The Flyers out-shot the Wildcats 12-7, including five on target to NMU’s two. The Flyers held NMU without a shot attempt while recording four of its own in the final 24 minutes of play, but the NMU defense stepped, blocking two of those and forcing the others off target.
Forward Teun Van Gansewinkel led the offensive charge for NMU, recording three of the ‘Cats shot attempts with one on target. Tyler Kowalczyk came off the bench and made an impact, recording two shots, with one on target, and logging a total of 54 minutes, the most of any substitute. He played a key role down the stretch, including a feature in the final 15 minutes of the match.
Along with the netminder Kristal, all of the Wildcat defenders played the full ninety minutes: Alessandro Scialanga, James Carr, Terry Grimaldi, Quint Van Roij, and Owen Rutledge. Scialanga and Carr have played every minute this season, with van Roij and Rutledge close behind, only missing three and seven minutes of game time, respectively.
The Wildcats earned the games’ first corner just five minutes into the match, a chance that would turn out to be its only opportunity all game, as opposed by Lewis garnering five. The Wildcats were slightly less disciplined compared to the Flyers, amassing 17 fouls to 10, and both Carr and Kowalczyk were shown yellow cards, their first of the season.
Up Next
The Wildcats now set their sights on a seven-hour bus ride east, traveling from the Chicago suburbs to Painesville, Ohio, for a matchup against the Lake Erie Storm. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. on Sunday, September 14.
