The Milwaukee men's soccer team takes a quick break from Horizon League play midweek, starting a two-game road trip to close out the month with a drive to Dekalb, Ill., for its yearly battle with Northern Illinois Tuesday. Then, on Saturday, the trek continues east to take on Robert Morris on the weekend.

The matchup against the Huskies will have the "LeWang Cup" on the line and will get underway at 7 p.m. under the lights. The contest will be streamed on NIU All-Access.

The conference clash Saturday afternoon against the Colonials will kickoff at 11 a.m. CT and can be seen on ESPN+. Both matches this week will also have live statistics available and all links are posted on the Milwaukee website.

The Panthers lead the all-time series against Northern Illinois by a count of 24-20-5. Following three MKE victories in a row in the series from 2011 through 2013, Milwaukee kept possession of the LeWang Cup in 2014 with a 2-2 draw at home and again in 2015 with a come-from-behind 2-1 victory on the road. Prior to 2019, the cup had changed hands in four straight years - all on one-goal decisions. NIU retained the trophy in 2019 with a 1-0 win in overtime and held the cup four years running until the Panthers reclaimed possession with a 3-2 decision a year ago.

It will mark the 50th showdown between the regional foes and former Midwestern Collegiate Conference rivals. The winner of the match claims the John LeWang Cup, which is named after the former NIU coach who was killed in a car accident prior to the 1981 season. LeWang came to NIU as head coach in 1980 following his time as an assistant at Milwaukee and died in a car accident after his first season leading the Huskies. Since 1981, the two teams have played for the trophy named in his honor.

The series with Robert Morris is brief, starting with the Colonials entry into the Horizon League. Prior to a win by RMU in 2022, MKE had been a perfect 3-0 (now 4-1), outscoring the opposition 10-3 in those victories including 3-2 last fall behind two goals and five points (2G/1A) from David Cox.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS:
NORTHERN ILLINOIS: The Huskies return five starters from last season in which they went 7-9-1, led by Kevin Kelly who started all 17 matches. Luka Vasic made 16 starts in 2023 while Ben Suddeth made 14, and Zachariah Thomas made 11. The Huskies had to replace their top four goal scorers from 2023 as well as goalkeeper Jakub Rojek, who finished last season ranked third nationally in saves per game (6.00). In the preseason Missouri Valley Conference poll, the Huskies were picked sixth by the league's head coaches. The team is off to a 2-6 start, with only a 1-0 defeat of Mercyhurst snapping a four-game skid. The offense has 10 goals in eight games, led by Jose Gomez (5 points on 1G/3A) and Kelly (5 on 2G/1A). In goal, Caleb Pearson has seen the majority of time (6 GS), posting a .500 save percentage to go along with a 3.33 goals-against average.

ROBERT MORRIS: The Colonials are in their second season under head coach Jonathan Potter, following a 2023 campaign in which they finished seventh in the league standings with a 5-6-5 overall record and a 3-4-2 mark in conference play. RMU was picked seventh in the league preseason poll.

The team enters the week at 3-2-2 (they are also at St. Bonaventure Tuesday) and is 1-0-1 in league play following a 0-0 draw against Northern Kentucky and a 3-2 victory over IU Indy. They also own a 3-0 victory over No. 18 Duquesne Sept. 17.The team has been leaning on a defense that has allowed nine goals in seven games. Tim Koczulap paces the offense with just five points (2G/1A); Chase Gilley is second with four (2G). In net, Josh Lane has been great, posting a .727 save percentage and 1.29 goals-against average as the only GK to see action this fall.

ABOUT THAT START
The Panthers got the 2024 campaign off to a great beginning, going 2-0-2 through the first four games of the season to mark the best start for the program since 2013 (that season, MKE opened 9-0-1 before being knocked off). Through those first four games, the team was also leading the Horizon League in defense (just 3GA).

LEAGUE LIFTOFF
The Panthers are 24-14-3 all-time in league openers in seasons in which they have been affiliated with a conference following a loss to Purdue Fort Wayne this year. Head coach Kris Kelderman is 5-7-2 in his 14 seasons, with the team knocking off UIC to open 2021 by a final score of 2-1 and also beating Purdue Fort Wayne, 3-2, in 2020.

PLAYING THE LONG GAME
The Panthers outshot St. Thomas and had the better of play on the afternoon, but had to settle for a 1-1 draw Sept. 2. Daniel Ibarra not only just missed the shutout in net, but also recorded an assist to give MKE the 1-0 advantage when his long goal kick was sent into the back of the net by Bienvenu Djunga two touches later. That marked the first assist for a Panther goalkeeper since Liam Anderson posted one against Wright State in October of 2013. Prior to 2013, the last prior time was in September of 2006, when Grant Fernstrum's goal kick turned into an assist on a 90th-minute tally against IPFW.

A DOUBLE TRIPLE
Raul Medina continues to bring his playmaking skills to the field game after game and August 25 against Bradley was no different. He finished the afternoon with three assists, setting up all three strikes in the 3-2 victory. Medina is the first Panther to record three helpers since Joshua Kidder in April of 2021 (COVID season) and also becomes just the third player in program history to record at least three assists in a game on two occasions. Medina first accomplished the feat against IUPUI on March 24 of 2021, assisting three of the four goals in the 4-0 win. Medina's three assists again tied for the fifth-most in a game in program history. Prior to Medina and Kidder in 2021, the last time as many as three in a single match was accomplished was back in 2004. That season, Dale Weiler notched three helpers against Marquette in late October, setting up each strike in a 3-1 victory. The school record of five has been done twice, while four has also been done on a pair of occasions. Medina currently leads the Horizon League with his five assists.

SOLID FIRST IMPRESSION
Alejandro Martinez didn't wait long to make his mark as a Panther, scoring a pair of goals while assisting the eventual game winner in just his second outing wearing the Black & Gold against Bradley Aug. 22 in the 3-2 victory. After topping the scoring list across the conference for the opening week, he was rewarded with Horizon League Offensive Player of the Week honors, the first for a Panther since David Cox in late September of last season. That week was also the last time an MKE player posted a five-point game, as Cox had the same 2G/1A line that Martinez posted against the Braves.

Martinez added a pair of goals against Chicago State Sept. 9, giving him two multi-goal performances in his first four games as a Panther. The last player to net multiple goals more than once in a season was Logan Farrington in 2021. That fall, Farrington recorded a brace against IU Indy (Oct. 2) and Western Illinois (Oct. 5). The last player to accomplish the feat at least three times in a season was way back in 2004, when Antou Jallow recorded five matches of multiple goals, with a high of three against Wright State in October of that fall.

OFF AND RUNNING
Daniel Ibarra flipped on the switch and opened the season in impressive fashion, posting a shutout in the 0-0 season-opening draw against Lindenwood Aug. 22 behind five saves. That marked the first clean sheet in a season opener since 2018, when Freddy Lorenzen needed just one stop to help MKE top Western Illinois, 4-0.

EXPERIENCE; WITH A NEW LOOK
The Panthers will have a new look this season, as 14 of the 30 players on the roster did not appear in a game at Milwaukee last season. In addition to nine true freshmen (and one redshirt freshman), the team also welcomes four transfers from other programs, all of which are listed in the junior class for eligibility purposes.

On the other side of the spectrum, the returning core is heavy on experience, as nine starters are back on the field in 2024, including the top five scoring leaders from last fall as well as six of the top seven. Leading the charge are top scorers Raul Medina (15 points on 5G/5A), Bienvenu Djunga (13 points on 4G/5A), and Asher Ozuzu (9 points on 4G/1A). The team will be very experienced in goal, as all 1,530 of playing time between the pipes last season (all Daniel Ibarra) is back on the field.

Points: returners accounted for 57 of the 68 points (83.8 percent)
Goals: 21 of 24 goals (87.5 percent)
Assists: 17 of 20 assists (85.0 percent)
Starts: returning players accounted for 135 starts last season (72.1 percent).
Minutes: returning players accounted for 11,609 of 16,774 minutes played (69.2 percent), with five players that saw the field over 1,200 minutes (Daniel Ibarra/1,530 ... Micah O'Garro/1,315 ... David Cox/1,292 ... Daiki Kumakawa/1,236 ... Bienvenu Djunga/1,232).

INTERNATIONAL FLAIR
The Panthers continue to add quite a mix to the active roster as players with international roots continue to join the program. This fall, the team will have student-athletes from nine different countries or territories. In addition to 19 players from the United States, the roster will have representation from the following:

Cayman Islands: Micah O'Garro (George Town)
France: Bienvenu Djunga (Asnières-sur-Seine)
German: Nico Steinweg (Dortmund)
Ireland: Matthew Toolan (Dublin)
Japan: Daiki Kumakawa (Ryugasaki)
Mexico: Daniel Ibarra (Monterrey)
Scotland: Jack Bowden (Aberdeen)
Spain: Mesfin Roda (Barcelona)/Alejandro Martinez (Santander)/Raul Medina (Madrid)
United Kingdom: Daniel Gill (Newport, Wales, U.K.)

FOR OPENERS
Milwaukee is now 27-19-6 all-time in season openers following a 0-0 draw against Lindenwood to open 2024. Head coach Kris Kelderman now has 14 season openers on his resume at the NCAA Division I collegiate level, going 10-3-1. In addition to the wins over Purdue Fort Wayne (2020), WIU (2017-2019), Eastern Illinois (2016), Evansville (2015), DePaul (2014) and a nationally-ranked Marquette squad (2013), his Green Bay squad topped SIU Edwardsville, 1-0, in 2011.

DAN'S THE MAN
Newcomer Daniel Ibarra earned the starting goalkeeper job and played every minute in net last season for the Panthers. He posted a 1.76 goals-against average and added a .709 save percentage and topped the conference in total saves with 73 and saves per game at 4.29.

THE FAMILIAR FACES
Three players on the roster this season that are set to graduate have spent their entire careers as Panthers. David Cox has been at Milwaukee since a redshirt 2019 campaign and has been a starter ever since, appearing in 62 career games while making 45 starts. He has 20 career points, coming on six goals (2GW) and eight assists. Raul Medina has been a Panther since 2020, making starts in 53 of his 54 career games played. He is also the current member of the roster with the most career points, accumulating 43 in his career on 14 goals (2GW) and 15 assists. Collin Mullen (listed as a RS-JR) is also set to graduate and has been on the MKE roster since 2021.

THE BATTLE FOR THE MILWAUKEE CUP
Milwaukee and Marquette play for the "Milwaukee Cup", one of the longest-standing rivalries in all of college soccer. In the summer of 2011, the College Soccer News website published a list called "The Fourteen Greatest Rivalries in College Soccer." Weighing in at No. 10 on their list was the Milwaukee Cup. The Panthers certainly have the upper hand all-time, now holding a 31-12-6 record in the series and did maintain possession of the Cup from 2017 until fall of 2022. Over the past eight meetings, the Panthers are 3-2-3.

The 2012 matchup remains one for the memory books, as the Golden Eagles, trailing the Panthers 2-1 with less than 10 minutes remaining in the contest, pulled off a stunning finish to grab possession of the Cup. Following a goalkeeper miscue, Marquette found the equalizer at the 81:53 mark and then won the contest at the buzzer as the winning goal crossed the line at the 89:59 mark before the horn sounded. The 2013 edition was just as exciting, with the Panthers scoring just 60 seconds into the affair en route to a 2-1 victory over a Marquette squad that was ranked No. 12 at the time.

CHANCELLOR'S CUP DRAMA
The battle for the Chancellor's Cup has seen some thrillers over the years, but if it feels like the drama and intensity has been higher lately, you would be correct. Jake Kelderman scored the only goal just 91 seconds into the 1-0 victory in fall of 2021 and David Cox was the hero in 2020's version, netting the game-winner with 36 seconds left in regulation. Last fall, Raul Medina netted a goal in the 83rd to help MKE find a 1-1 decision and maintain possession of the Cup.

The Chancellor's Cup, which originally began as a tournament of Wisconsin state schools in the 1980's, continues to be given to the winner in the annual Milwaukee/Green Bay game. As an extra storyline, Kris Kelderman spent the 2011 season as the head coach at Green Bay.

It happened again in 2018, with Sean Holmes' golden goal coming in the 99th minute. The year prior, MKE tied the game with just eight seconds remaining in regulation on a goal by Jonathan Stadler to force overtime before falling. And again in 2016, when Milwaukee reclaimed the Cup with a thrilling 1-0 victory Oct. 22 on a goal by Magnus Flaatedal. Seven of the past 14 occasions these two teams have now played, the game has gone into overtime (5 of 7 into double-overtime), with five of the seven ending in victories for one team or the other. Nine years ago it was an own goal that won it for Green Bay, snapping Milwaukee's 10-game unbeaten streak (9-0-1) to start the 2013 season. The 2012 version ended in a draw but the 2011 edition provided one of the most memorable finishes to a game in program history, with Cody Banks netting the winner at the 109:53 mark.

GETTING TO TWO
Recently on offense, once the team has found a second goal, the Panthers continue to be very tough to beat. The squad went 7-1-0 in 2021, 6-1-0 in 2020, and 10-0-1 in 2019 when scoring two or more goals. That brings the six-plus year tally to 58-14-13 (.762) when finding the back of the net at least twice in a match.

NOW THIS IS HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE
When it comes to home field advantage, the Panthers have historically ranked right up there with the best in the business. From 2001 through 2006, Milwaukee turned Engelmann Stadium into a place visiting teams did not want to see on their schedule, going 49-8-2 in that time. After a few down seasons by MKE standards, the magic is getting brought back - the Panthers have compiled a record of 53-29-28 (.611) at home in Kris Kelderman's 12-plus years as the head coach.

CATCH THEM IN ACTION
Milwaukee men's soccer will be available for the viewing pleasure of MKE fans this season, as five of the eight home games are scheduled to be streamed live on ESPN+ (subject to change due to weather and location). The Horizon League and ESPN have an agreement that includes ESPN hosting the league's digital network on the ESPN+ platform. ESPN+, which will host the Horizon League women's soccer, men's soccer and volleyball championships this season, offers fans thousands of live events, on-demand content and original programming not available on ESPN's linear TV or digital networks. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for just $10.99 a month (or $109.99 per year) and cancel at any time. Launched in April of 2018, ESPN+ is an integrated part of a completely redesigned ESPN App.

ON TAP
The Panthers open October with a pair of home games, starting off with a visit from Drake Tuesday. Game time is set for 5 p.m.