This story was written by NMU Sports Information. Photos, video highlights by RRN's Casey Ford, and to hear comments from Coach Alex Fatovic.
MARQUETTE, Mich. -- It was another quick start for the Wildcats, and two early goals propelled the Green and Gold to a 3-2 decision over the No. 9 team in the Midwest Region, the Lake Erie Storm.
The Wildcats (2-1-0, 0-0-0 GLIAC) earned its second win of the season and first win at home thanks to another hot start.
Freshman Vinni DaSilva earned his first start in the starting 11 and scored his first goal of the season at the five-minute mark, followed by junior transfer Noah Preston-Watkins doubling the Wildcat advantage just two minutes and 12 seconds later.
"Wonderful start, obviously," said head coach Alex Fatovic in his post-match media availability. "A work of art from the first goal and the second goal, just the way we drew it up, but it's college soccer; Lake Erie's good. They got back in the game, and I thought we did a really good job of managing that down moment in the end of the first half."
The Storm would then get a goal back, as Veljko Radovanovic converted on a perfect cross from Alex Banjac, bringing the Storm within one and bringing momentum back in favor of Lake Erie in the final moments of the opening 45 minutes.
There were a total of seven yellow cards shown today, four of which were shown to the Wildcats: Gallardo Rozano, Pilgrim, Fatovic, and Carr. Six of the seven cards were shown in the final 14 minutes of play, and mixed with stoppages for fouls, the end of the half was choppy, with a lot of stopping-and-starting.
Out of the halftime break, Luca Rosen added his third goal of the season in three games, converting on a stunning tally thanks to a wonderful combination play from Sergio Cano Castro and Sam Pilgrim. Dario Stadler added his first goal of the season from another bang-bang pass from Piet Mertens, and the Storm had life with 10 minutes to play. The Wildcats would close out the match and improve to 2-1 on the early season.
"We got to halftime, sorted ourselves out, came back out, established ourselves, got the goal, went up 3-1, and we were doing well. I thought we were in control; we tried to see the game out, but [Lake Erie] is a tough team, and they got themselves back in the game, and we really had to dig. In the end, we found out a lot about our team, and I am really happy with all the effort and grit, because that's what it really requires when we're not at our best yet. Fantastic teamwork, and I couldn't be happier for the guys."
The Storm fired five shots in that final 12 minutes, and had a really big chance to equalize with only 20 seconds left on the clock. A loose ball fell to the foot of William Hjelte near the six-yard area, and it was senior captain Asaf Kristal who was on the spot to not only make a critical save, but secure the critical non-conference result.
When asked about his performance, head coach Fatovic led with just one word.
"Huge."
Kristal made seven saves, his most of the 2026 season and most since the home GLIAC Quarterfinal win a season ago, all while keeping his team organized and composed down the stretch.
"You don't always have to make diving saves to make a huge impact. It's the crosses that they send in, your composure, your distribution, helping the guys calm down, and that's why he's our leader and our captain; he's so solid in goal."
After a 0-2 loss to Tiffin on Sunday, there were questions about how this team would respond to an unfavorable result.
The Wildcats responded with phenomenal shifts from the typical starters: Marcos Gallardo Rozano played the full 90 while registering an assist on the opening goal, Davian Gumbs and Julius Lemm both logged a tough 80+ minutes, and Sam Pilgrim, James Carr, and Xhoel Lutaj could be found all over the park. Ian Weimer (55) and Tyler Kowalczyk (45) both made impacts off the bench as well.
"It means a lot, because for them, this was the first adverse moment [of the season], and they signaled that 'hey, we're here to play', and not just fold when things get tough, and I think it's a big, big message for their own confidence. I know they're good, but they need to know they're good, and it was fantastic… To come back after a tough loss on the road and put themselves in a good position to win this game, it just shows they're professionals and how much they care.”
The offensive story continues to be the goal-scoring and chance-creation of senior captain Rosen, who added the game-winning goal and an assist from five shots with four on target in his 55 minutes of playing time.
"He was causing trouble all day long. Every time we get the ball to [Rosen], he's electric, and because we have so much other talent, it's going to open up spaces for the other guys like Noah Preston-Watkins and Vinni [DaSilva]. That's what Luca does. He can do it on his own, like the winning goal, which was fantastic, but he's going to draw attention; he's going to draw combinations, and we're going to get nice matchups with our other quality players, and that's what's really electric about our front line."
The 'Cats now look ahead to a Sunday clash with the #1 ranked team in the Midwest Region and #6 team in the country, GLIAC powerhouse Saginaw Valley State, as the two sides clash in a non-conference meeting just before conference play.
"[Saginaw] look fantastic. They're number six in the country, they tied Tiffin on the road where we lost the other day, so it tells you that they're going to be very, very good. A tie on the road there would basically be a win."
Kickoff from Robbert C. Braddock Field on the campus of Saginaw Valley is set for 12 p.m. ET on Sunday, September 6. Fans can watch through FloCollege, and follow along with live stats provided by nmuwildcats.com.
