The Milwaukee men's soccer team will begin the quest for its seventh Horizon League Tournament Championship and 11th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history Sunday, welcoming Robert Morris to Engelmann Stadium. The matchup between the Panthers - the No. 4 seed - and the Colonials - the No. 5 seed - will get underway at 1 p.m. with the winner advancing to the semifinals Wednesday.

It was a wild final afternoon of the regular season Tuesday, with the Panthers securing the home postseason contest with a goal in the 83rd minute to pull out a 2-2 draw with Detroit Mercy. The team entered play knowing it could end up anywhere from No. 2 through No. 6 and will look to continue its solid play into the postseason, heading into play Sunday with just one loss in its past five matches (2-1-2 in that stretch).

The matinee matchup will be streamed on ESPN+ with Matt Menzl on the call and also have live statistics available. All links are posted to the MKE website. The tournament bracket can be found on page nine of this release.

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 4-3-1), outscoring the opposition 10-3 in those victories. The teams met in both the regular and postseason last fall, with the Colonials securing a pair of 1-0 wins, including the one that knocked Milwaukee out of the postseason in November. The programs just squared off this fall on October 25, with the matchup ending in a 2-2 draw.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS:
ROBERT MORRIS: The Colonials finished last season with a 9-7-3 overall record and a 4-3-2 mark in Horizon League play before going through the postseason with a pair of 1-0 victories to end a long championship drought. Third-year head coach Jonathan Potter led the Colonials to their first Horizon League Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance since 2005. RMU landed five players on the Horizon League's All-Conference list: Chase Gilley on the All-League First Team, Josh Lane, John Paul Mbuthia and Fabian Overkamp received Second Team honors, and Anass Hadran was named to the All-League Third Team. The team was pegged for third in the preseason poll.

This fall the squad starts the week at 5-3-7 overall and finished with the identical 3-1-5 mark in Horizon League play as the Panthers. The team punched its ticket to the postseason with an impressive 3-0 victory over Wright State Tuesday. The offense has 24 goals in 15 games, led by 12 points from Hadran, who has been hot lately - scoring goals in each of his last three matches (3G/1A in that span). Royle Rahamim (4G/2A) and Jack Bejarano (3G/4A) are right behind with 10. In net, the team has allowed just 17 goals in 15 games, with Josh Lane playing all but 7:53 of the 1,350 minutes on the season. He has posted a 1.14 goals-against average, a .764 save percentage, and 55 total saves, recording five solo shutouts to sit second in the league in that category.

POSTSEASON UNDER KELDERMAN
Kris Kelderman has his team in the postseason for the 11th time in his 14 years at the helm, including title runs in the unprecedented 2020 slate and the memorable 2013 postseason. Overall, his team has gone 8-5-5 in the Horizon League Tournament and actually had a nine-game unbeaten streak in the HL postseason snapped (5-0-4; fell on PK's 3x) when they made it in 2021 after making back-to-back title game appearances. The 2020 version saw MKE top No. 2 UIC on the road, 2-1, and then knock off nationally-ranked Northern Kentucky in the title game on its home field. The Panthers topped the Norse - ranked #22 at the time - by a final score of 1-0 to punch their ticket to the 2020 NCAA Tournament. A year ago, MKE topped Purdue Fort Wayne, 1-0, before falling in the semifinals. Milwaukee continues its trek to what would be an 11th NCAA Tournament appearance (2020/2013/2005/2004/2003/2002/2001/1990/1980/1979).

LEAGUE POSTSEASON PRIMER
Since joining the Horizon League in 1994, the Panthers have advanced to the league tournament in 28 of 32 seasons, posting an overall record of 30-17-6 in that timespan, including 15-7-2 in the quarterfinal round. The biggest stretch of success came from 2002 thru 2005, when the team posted four straight 3-0 runs through the event on the way to NCAA Tournament berths each title-winning campaign.

PK PERFECTION
Angel Gongora has found a new specialty for the program this season, as he has become the "go-to guy" on penalty kicks. The team is 6-for-6 this season, marking the most PK's in some time. In fact, the only time in the past 20 years the team has had as many as three makes was in 2023 (4-for-6 that fall). Gongora has taken - and converted - five of the spot kicks, which actually makes him the NCAA leader in the category. Gongora is one of just three players to be a perfect 5-for-5 in 2025, joined by Cooper Forcellini of Xavier and Blake D'Agostino of California Baptist at the top.

FIT TO BE TIED
Since the NCAA removed overtime from the regular season, the draw has been a much-more common result for the Panthers. Prior to the start of the 2022 campaign (the year of the rule change), the program record for ties in a season was five, set on a pair of occasions with the most recent coming in 2008. Starting in 2022, Milwaukee reset the record with eight that fall, which approached what was then the NCAA record of nine. The team played games to even four times in 2023 before five last fall. This season, the Panthers enter the postseason having drawn level with the program mark of eight. 

SENIOR SALUTE
The program honored its senior class before the match against Northern Kentucky Oct. 31. Congratulations to the following on their careers in Black & Gold: #2 Sam Torhorst, #6 Angel Gongora, #10 Bienvenu Djunga, #11 Nico Steinweg, #13 Daiki Kumakawa, #21 Gabe Thistle, #25 Mitch Goodman, #26 Ben Grimm, and #32 Jack Bowden.

REGULAR SEASON SHINE
The Panthers' unbeaten 2-0-3 start to Horizon League play this season marked their best undefeated opening run in conference play since a 4-0-1 five-match run to begin the 2007 campaign. The final ledger of 3-1-5 marked the fewest losses in a league schedule since a 6-1-0 mark back in 2004.

PLAYING THE LONG GAME
MKE goalkeeper Nic Diana got in on the offensive action in the contest at Wisconsin Oct. 7, picking up an assist on a goal after his perfectly-placed long kick fell behind the defense, setting up Jack Bretzmann to find the back of the net. It's a recent trend for the Panthers, who saw Daniel Ibarra pick up two assists last fall from his keeper spot. Ibarra's helpers were the first GK assists for the program since Liam Anderson against Wright State in October of 2013.

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. It was there again this fall, seeing Fernando Pirry net a brilliant goal in the 73rd minute to break a 1-1 tie and hand the team the trophy. In 2023, Raul Medina netted a goal in the 83rd to help MKE find a 1-1 decision and maintain possession of the Cup. 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. 

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 possible 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. Twelve 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.

RANKINGS RUNDOWN
When they battled No. 16 Virginia Oct. 1 in a fierce 3-2 loss, the Panthers were taking on a nationally-ranked opponent for the first time since playing then-No. 23 Marquette to a 1-1 draw in September of 2023. Since the United Soccer Coaches took over running the national poll in 1996, the team has gone 8-27-5 in games against ranked opponents, with the best upset coming against then-No. 12 Marquette, 2-1, in 2013.

The list below is all of the games against nationally-ranked opponents that have come under head coach Kris Kelderman (3-9-2 record).
10/1/2025: L, 3-2 at #16 Virginia
9/19/2023: T, 1-1 vs. #23 Marquette
8/28/2022: L, 4-0 at #12 Duke
4/17/2021 (COVID Season): W, 1-0 at #22 Northern Kentucky
11/8/2018: T, 1-1 2OT vs. #18 Wright State (L, 4-3 on PKs)
11/2/2018: L, 4-0 at #21 Wright State
8/30/2015: L, 4-0 at #6 Creighton
9/17/2014: L, 2-0 at #17 Marquette
9/14/2014: L, 3-0 at #19 American
9/12/2014: L, 2-0 at #22 George Mason
$ 11/21/2013: L, 1-0 at #19 Wisconsin
11/17/2013: W, 2-0 vs. #23 UIC
8/30/2013: W, 2-1 vs. #12 Marquette
9/16/2012: L, 2-0 at #18 Northwestern
9/9/2012: L, 3-1 at #25 Xavier

HEADING BACK TO THE OL' STOMPING GROUNDS
Kris Kelderman got the chance to return to his alma mater against the Cavaliers where he was a four-year letterwinner at Virginia from 1987 to 1990, helping the team to the 1989 NCAA title. He is still second in school history with a four-assist game (against Charleston in 1989) and still sits 10th in school history with 22 career assists. His 88 career games played was most in program history when he graduated (now tied for eighth) and he led the team with 30 points and 10 goals as a junior. He was named All-ACC and went on to be selected in the inaugural Major League Soccer Draft by the D.C. United.

HOME SWEET HOME
Milwaukee extended its unbeaten streak in home games to 13 consecutive contests (7-0-6) dating back to last season with its 0-0 draw against Cleveland State Sept. 13. That eclipsed the longest such streak at Engelmann Stadium since the team won 11 straight from the end of the 2004 campaign (won final 10) into 2005 (victory in home opener) before the streak was snapped. The 13 consecutive drew even with the school record set of 13 (13-0-0) established in 2002 before coming to a conclusion in the 3-2 loss to Marquette Sept. 23.

GOALS FOR DAYS
After thorough research, here are some amazing numbers regarding Milwaukee's 9-1 victory over Chicago State Sept. 9 and Fernando Pirry tying the program record with four goals. Pirry became the eleventh Panther to score four goals in a game – the first since Aaron Horvat in 2013 – but also became the only one to do so in just one half of a game. The closest anyone else had come was Mike Rowe, who scored four in a 7-3 win at Roosevelt on Oct. 24, 1984. Rowe scored three in the first half that day and added his fourth at the 46:17 mark of the second half. Pirry's four goals are also the most in a game in the NCAA this season, done three other times before him. The accomplishment helped him earn Horizon League Player of the Week honors Sept. 15.
The nine goals were also the most for an MKE offense since a 9-0 defeat of Bradley back in September of 1990. The Panthers also broke the school record with 12 assists in a single game, eclipsing the former mark of 11 set against Lewis (see game below). Milwaukee also had a 6-0 lead against the Cougars at halftime, the biggest single-half outburst since scoring six in the second half its 8-0 victory over Cleveland State back in November of 2002.
In fact, just three other games all-time saw more total goals scored for the Black & Gold.
1. 14-0 against Purdue Calumet on Sept. 9, 1979
2. 12-0 against DePaul on Sept. 16, 1987
3. 10-0 against Lewis on Sept. 12, 1979

LEAGUE LIFTOFF
The Panthers are 24-14-4 all-time in league openers in seasons in which they have been affiliated with a conference following a draw with Cleveland State this year. Head coach Kris Kelderman is 5-7-3 in his 15 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. 

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 31-13-7 record in the series and did maintain possession of the Cup from 2017 until fall of 2022. Over the past nine meetings, the Panthers are 3-3-4.

Looking back, 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 nationally at the time.

FOR OPENERS
Milwaukee is now 27-19-7 all-time in season openers following a 2-2 draw against Northern Illinois to open 2025. Head coach Kris Kelderman now has 15 season openers on his resume at the NCAA Division I collegiate level, going 10-3-2. 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. In season openers at home, the Panthers now sport a record of 9-7-3 all-time.

EXPERIENCE; WITH A NEW LOOK
The Panthers will have a new look on offense this season, as the top two scorers from last season, as well as three of the top four, have either graduated or transferred to different programs. Bienvenu Djunga will be the top returning scorer for Milwaukee in 2025 after a campaign in which he recorded nine points on three goals and three assists.

All told, the MKE offense will return just 31 of the 94 total points from 2024. From a starting perspective, the Panthers do return six regular starters, including a core of the back line of defense that helped the team allow just 1.16 goals per game in 2024 - a number that ranked first in the Horizon League. Veteran presence Daiki Kumakawa is back, a starter in all 18 of his appearances last fall. He is joined in experience by Jack Wagner (started all 19 games last season as a freshman), Ryan Berghauer (16 starts in 18 games), Mitch Goodman (14 starts in 16 games), and Breon Jarvis (12 starts in 19 games) as returners with at least 12 starts in 2024.

Points: returners accounted for 31 of the 94 points (32.9 percent)
Goals: 10 of 30 goals (33.3 percent)
Assists: 11 of 34 assists (32.4 percent)
Starts: returning players accounted for 105 starts last season (50.2 percent).
Minutes: returning players accounted for 10,017 of 18,829 minutes played (53.2 percent).
The biggest opportunity will be in net, where long-time starter Daniel Ibarra played all but 99:27 last season (out of 1710:00/94.2 percent).

STELLAR ON "D"
The team defense played a large role for the Panthers last season, with Daniel Ibarra finishing second with his 1.062 goal-against average, part of the team's final line of 1.158 - topping the Horizon League. The defense allowed zero or one goal in 14 of its 19 games (73.7 percent), with a pair of freshmen making their names known along the backline. Jack Wagner played all 1,710 minutes of the season last fall, with classmate Ryan Berghauer (1,403 minutes played) making 16 starts in his 18 games played.

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 eight different countries or territories. In addition to 18 players from the United States, the roster will have representation from the following:

Columbia: Miguel Rivera Cardona(Santago De Cali)
France: Bienvenu Djunga (Asnières-sur-Seine)
Germany: Paul Denz (Laufenburg)
Germany: Nico Steinweg (Dortmund)
Japan: Daiki Kumakawa (Ryugasaki)
Scotland: Jack Bowden (Aberdeen)
Scotland: Ollie Weir (Falkirk)
Serbia: Pavle Ivkovic (Niš, Serbia)
Spain: Fernando Pirry (Córdoba)
United Kingdom: Daniel Gill (Newport, Wales, U.K.)

NEW GUY BUT NOT THE NEW GUY
Joining the Panthers as a transfer in net is Nic Diana. While new to the Panther, Diana is no stranger to the Horizon League. As the starting goalkeeper for Purdue Fort Wayne last season, Diana ended up as the top goalie in the conference, leading the way with his 0.92 goals-against average and six shutouts. He enjoyed a spectacular September, posting five consecutive clean sheets, earning Horizon League Defensive Player of the Week honors along the way.

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 65-16-15 (.755) 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 61-31-26 (.617) at home in Kris Kelderman's 13-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 six of the nine 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 $11.99 a month (or $119.99 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 winner of Sunday's game will advance to the semifinals portion of the event Wednesday, with location and opponent to be determined following the quarterfinal results. The other side will see its 2025 season come to a close.