Wildcats will learn about qualifyig for the NCAA Tournament Monday
UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. — The #2 Northern Michigan University men’s soccer team fell to the #3 Purdue Northwest Lions in a GLIAC Semifinal match on Friday.
The Wildcats (10-6-2, 7-3-2 GLIAC) now await the NCAA Tournament selection show to determine their fate for the NCAA Regional bid. The ‘Cats entered the weekend as the #4 seed in the region with six at-large spots available in Super Region 3. That selection show is Monday, November 9, at 6:30 p.m. ET, and will be live-streamed at NCAA.com.
The Lions (11-5-2, 6-5-1 GLIAC) got a first-half goal from Landon Potts, who scored off a deflection with 90 seconds to go in the opening half. Purdue Northwest will now face Roosevelt in the GLIAC Championship match on Sunday, November 8, after the Lakers defeated #1 seed and host Saginaw Valley in a penalty shootout.
The first half was adverse and challenging, as the Wildcats opened the contest into a cold and strong west wind, and were without GLIAC Freshman of the Year Sergio Cano Castro and defensive mainstay Noah Girard, both serving one-game suspensions for yellow-card accumulation. Noah Preston Watkins, who was in the starting eleven for Cano Castro, went down with an injury 20 minutes in after trying to chase down a pass.
The action picked up in the final 10 minutes of the half, starting with a quick counterattack from GLIAC Honorable Mention Davian Gumbs, who stole the ball at half before rushing into a dangerous position. His centering pass into the area was too heavy for GLIAC Second Team selection Xhoel Lutaj, and the Lions escaped unscathed from a dangerous opportunity.
GLIAC Second Team selection Asaf Kristal was excellent to start, including making two massive back-to-back desperation saves on Landon Potts approaching seven minutes to go in the half. The Lions kept pressure, outshooting NMU 12-2 in total on the half, and after hitting the crossbar, were able to break through on a fortunate bounce. Potts put one on the turf toward goal, and GLIAC First Team selection Marcos Gallardo Rozano went to put his boot on it, but the ball took an unfortunate deflection and kicked up and over the outstretched hand of Kristal with just a minute and a half to go in the opening frame.
Just before the halftime whistle sounded, Gumbs went down hard after attempting a tackle and was subbed off with just seconds remaining in the first. Gumbs would return to the starting eleven to open the second half.
Kristal was tested early into the second half, getting his full extension on a dangerous shot to keep his team within one.
One of the best Wildcat chances of the game came from a free kick earned just outside of the left penalty area. Sam Pilgrim stepped over it, and his confidently struck free kick curled nearly over the bar, and the Lions escaped unscathed again. That chance was followed up by a trio of opportunities on a corner kick, with Luca Rosen, James Carr, and Gallardo Rozano getting looks from in tight.
Vinni DaSilva hit a ball from near the penalty spot just over the bar in the dying minutes, and Kristal made a last-ditch effort save one-on-one with Potts with 90 seconds remaining. The Lions would gather into the near corner, and time would run out for the Wildcats.
Up Next
The Wildcats now await the NCAA Tournament selection show to determine its fate for the NCAA Regional bid. That selection show is Monday, November 9, at 6:30 p.m. ET, and will be live-streamed at NCAA.com.
