Of those 16 players, nine are newcomers to the program. Sandel joined the program after serving for three seasons as an assistant coach at the University of South Carolina. NMU has 13 days between the open of practice and its first regular-season match at Concordia on September 2. This year's roster will feature approximately 40 players, including 34 newcomers. The 2000 campaign will also see the debut of a sub-varsity development team for players who may not make the varsity squad.
All players have the ability to float between the two teams.
Head coach Carl Gregor is in his second year at the helm of the NMU soccer program. Northern opens the season next week with a three-match road trip to Minnesota. The Labor Day weekend will see the women's cross country , football, and women's soccer teams open their respective seasons. On Saturday, Sept. 2, the cross country team hosts the Wildcat Open, their only home meet of the season, while the NMU football team travels to Kirksville, Mo., to face Truman State, the alma mater of head coach Eric Holm. The soccer team will also play its first regular-season contest of 2000, traveling to St. Paul, Minn., for a match against Concordia.