Eight from the U.S., eight international players
MARQUETTE, Mich. — The Northern Michigan University men’s soccer program has announced its incoming recruiting class, which includes ten student-athletes, ahead of the 2026 season.
The class comprises 16 student-athletes, including 9 freshmen and 7 transfer student-athletes. Of the 16, it’s a perfect split between domestic and international student-athletes: four from Michigan, two from Wisconsin, one from Illinois, and one from Idaho. The international students comprise two from England and Spain, and one from each of Wales, Germany, the Netherlands, and Canada.
“We are incredibly excited to welcome this class to Northern Michigan University and our men’s soccer program,” adds head coach Alex Fatovic, who enters his fifth season as head coach after guiding the Wildcats to the program’s first GLIAC Tournament Title and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2025. “This group represents another major step forward in the continued growth and development of our program. After winning our first GLIAC Championship, the challenge was to continue building a championship-caliber culture, and I believe this class reflects that vision.
I’m extremely proud of the work our staff has put in to identify, recruit, and build relationships with these players. Recruiting is a year-round process, and the commitment from our staff has allowed us to bring in another talented group of student-athletes who believe in what we are building here at NMU.”
Head coach Fatovic and assistant coach Chance Vang, who is set to embark on his third season with the Green and Gold, have recruited talent from around the world as they prepare to defend the GLIAC Tournament Championship. The class includes a wide range of backgrounds, including NCAA Division I transfers, MLS Next athletes, and student-athletes competing in the highest tiers of youth soccer internationally.
“What makes this class special is the variety of experiences and pathways represented. We have talented young players coming in from the youth level, NCAA transfers who bring collegiate experience, NAIA and junior college players who have proven themselves, as well as international players who bring different backgrounds and perspectives into our locker room. Every player brings something unique, but the common theme is their hunger, competitiveness, and belief in our championship vision.
Our goal has always been to continue climbing and raise the standard of NMU Soccer. This class allows us to continue pushing this program to new heights while maintaining the culture, identity, and expectations that have helped us reach this point. We can’t wait to welcome them to Marquette and see the impact they will have on our program.”
(List of names below is in alphabetical order by last name)
Forwards:
Tony Campos (McFarland, WI) // Edgewood University / Chicago Sockers MLS Next
Vinicius Cruz DaSilva (Lombard, Illinois) // SC Wave MLS Next Homegrown
Noah Preston-Watkins (Pontypool, Wales) // Rogers State University / Newport County
Caesar Soma (Royal Oak, MI) // Detroit City FC
Brody Stanton (Pocatello, Idaho) // Utah State Eastern
Midfielders:
Sergio Cano Castro (Cudillero Ovinana, Spain) // Real Oviedo Juvenil A
Julius Lemm (Meckenheim, Germany) // FC Viktoria 08 Arnoldsweiler
Sam Pilgrim (Willaston, England) // Oakland City University / Liverpool & Burnley Academy
Matteo Przysucha (Thunder Bay, Canada) // Thunder Bay Chill
Defenders:
Sam Cooper (Cambridge, England) // St. Ives Town FC
Marcos Gallardo Rozano (Madrid, Spain) // AD Union Adarve / Atletico de Madrid
Leo Korski (Washington, MI) // Vardar MLS Next Homegrown
Jack Meyer (Northville, MI) // Michigan Jags MLS Next Homegrown
Jonah Wallace (Madison, WI) // FC Wisconsin ECNL
Goalkeeper:
Carson Shene (Allen Park, MI) // University of Wisconsin-Green Bay (NCAA D1) / Vardar MLS Next Homegrown
2026 Schedule Release
After going from last place in 2024 to tournament champions in 2025, the Wildcats will have a challenging schedule in 2026, starting with a strong non-conference slate.
“The fall schedule will be the toughest we’ve faced in my time here, and it is exactly what we need to prepare for the grind of the GLIAC regular season and the defense of our tournament title,” says Fatovic, who returns to the helm for his fifth season after guiding the ‘Cats to a program-first GLIAC Tournament title and NCAA Championship appearance.
NMU gears up for the season with three pre-season exhibitions, starting a pair at home. NMU welcomes Division One UW-Green Bay on Thursday, August 13, followed by Schoolcraft College for Community / SSA / MQT United Day on Sunday, August 16, before rounding out the non-conference schedule on the road at UW-Superior.
The ‘Cats then open the regular season with five non-conference matches, starting with a weekend on the road. NMU begins with Northwood before rounding out the weekend with the Tiffin Dragons, who are four-time defending GMAC Regular Season champions, have won the GMAC Tournament twice in that span, and have been to the NCAA Tournament the past three seasons.
NMU returns home for a lone match against Lake Erie College on Thursday, September 3, before a quick turnaround for a road non-conference match against GLIAC power Saginaw Valley State, who were the GLIAC Regular Season champions in 2025, GLIAC Tournament champions in 2024, and both the regular season and tournament champion in 2021. The ‘Cats then round out the non-conference slate at home against Jamestown on Saturday, September 12.
“We’ll have every opportunity to test ourselves against some of the top teams in the country before opening conference play with four straight road GLIAC matches. It doesn’t get much tougher than that, but with six of our final eight at home, including the last four, we know we control our fate. August can’t get here soon enough!”
The ‘Cats open the conference slate with four straight on the road, starting with another trip to University Center, Michigan, to take on SVSU on September 18.
From there, six of the final eight games are at home, starting with Purdue Northwest and Parkside on Friday, October 2, and Sunday, October 4. NMU ends the season with consecutive home matches against St. Cloud State on October 16, Roosevelt on October 18, Davenport on October 23, and senior day on Sunday, October 25.
The GLIAC Postseason tournament is set to begin on Saturday, October 31, and run through the championship match on Sunday, November 8. The NCAA Tournament begins shortly after, with the first round beginning Friday, November 13.
The full 2026 schedule is live and can be found on the men’s soccer schedule page.
