The Milwaukee men's soccer team will embark on its 54th season of NCAA Division I soccer this week when it opens the 2026 campaign with a home contest against Southern Indiana Thursday at Engelmann Stadium. 

The Panthers will be jumping right into the new campaign, hitting the road for a pair of games next week before returning home. The next contests in August see Milwaukee visiting Chicago State Monday and then back to the area for a matchup with former league foe Loyola Chicago Thursday.

The matchup with the Screaming Eagles to kick off 2026 will be streamed on ESPN+ with Matt Menzl on the call, starting at 5 p.m. At the time of this release, no stream was planned for the game against the Cougars, which is set to get underway at 11 a.m. from Gwendolyn Brooks College Prep, High School field, while the contest against the Ramblers will get kicked off at 7 p.m. and will also be available to watch on ESPN+. Live stats will be available for Thursday and the game a week later at Loyola Chicago. All links are posted to the MKE website.

MKE and Southern Indiana will be meeting for the first time in the all-time series when the season opens Thursday.

Despite the schools being just 107 miles apart, the Panthers are playing Chicago State for just the fourth time in program history. The Cougars picked up a 3-2 comeback victory in the first-ever meeting in 2023 in Milwaukee, while the Panthers claimed a 3-0 victory in 2024 before blowing up for a big 9-1 victory a year ago at home Sept. 9.

Former Horizon League foes, the Panthers lead Loyola Chicago in the all-time series by a count of 19-5-2, but the two teams have not played since the Ramblers left the conference. The most recent matchup was a 2-2 draw played back in September of 2012. Prior to going 0-2-1 in the final three meetings, MKE had gone an impressive 10-1 in the series from 2001 through 2010. The last win for the Panthers was a 1-0 double-OT decision back in October of 2010. The team has gone 9-4-1 at home in the series.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS:
SOUTHERN INDIANA: The Screaming Eagles went 2-10-5 overall last season, finishing 1-4-5 in Ohio Valley Conference action. Mads Kaiser became the ninth head coach in program history in January of 2026, following time at Saint Francis where he went 22-16-11 in his three seasons. Garrett Morris was selected to the Ohio Valley Conference 2026 Preseason Players to Watch List, while the team was projected for eighth place in the preseason poll.

CHICAGO STATE: The Cougars were 1-15-1 last season, finishing 1-7-1 in NEC league play. The team will open the season at Lindenwood Thursday before playing host to Milwaukee on Monday morning. Norris Howze was promoted to head coach in July of 2022.

LOYOLA CHICAGO: The Ramblers are coming off a record of 4-5-7 overall in 2025, posting a 1-3-4 ledger in league play. Kevin Robson, a longtime associate head coach and recruiting coordinator at Indiana, was named head coach of the program in December of 2025. Loyola returns a strong core of experienced players for the 2026 campaign (adding 13 newcomers), led by senior midfielder Jack McFeely, the team's returning leader in goals (3), assists (3), points (9), shots (21), and shots on goal (10). The team will open the 2026 season with three consecutive Horizon League opponents - a league the Ramblers are familiar with as conference members from 1979 until the 2013 season. That starts with a road trip to Green Bay Aug. 20 before returning home to host Northern Illinois Aug. 23 ahead of the Panthers coming to town Aug. 27.

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.

A NEW LOOK FOR 2026
The Panthers will have a new look on offense this season, as the top two scorers from last season, as well as five of the top seven, have either graduated or transferred to different programs. Dominic Zuniga (11 points on 3G/5A) and Jack Bretzmann (10 points on 5G) will be the top returning scorers for Milwaukee in 2026 after a campaign in which the team did lead the Horizon League in goals scored with 32 (second was 27).

All told, the MKE offense will return just 42 of the 98 total points from 2025. From a starting perspective, the Panthers do return five regular starters, including Jack Wagner (started all 19 games in 2025) and Mitch Goodman (played all 19; started 16) along the back line. Pavle Ivkovic, a freshman last fall, made 13 starts in his 15 appearances once he made his way into the lineup on defense. They are joined in experience by Dominic Zuniga and Jack Bretzmann, as both are returners who made 11 starts among their 16 games played apiece.

Points: returners accounted for 42 of the 98 points (42.9 percent)
Goals: 12 of 32 goals (37.5 percent)
Assists: 18 of 34 assists (52.9 percent)
Starts: returning players accounted for 87 starts last season (41.6 percent).
Minutes: returning players accounted for 9,123 of 18,766 minutes played (48.6 percent).
One of the biggest opportunities will be in net, where 2025 starter Nic Diana played all but 90:00 last season (out of 1710:00/94.7 percent).

A FAMILY AFFAIR
The Panthers have a lot of family connections on the 2026 roster, as the team not only has two pairs of brothers in action, but also a father-son and brother-sister connection. Felix Huwiler, a junior and two-year member of the Panthers, will be joined by brother, Katahdin. The younger Huwiler capped his time at Marquette University High School with a senior season in which he was named Wisconsin Soccer Coaches First-Team All-State and Greater Metro First-Team All-Conference for the second consecutive campaign. Joining the Panthers via the transfer route are brothers AJ and Allen Wild. AJ, a sophomore, arrives in Milwaukee following two seasons at Davidson where he appeared in 15 games in 2025, making nine starts. His brother Allen joins the MKE roster after beginning his collegiate career at Gardner-Webb, redshirting the 2025 campaign.

There are two other storylines, starting with Cole Luedke, who comes the Panthers following a very successful campaign at nearby Wisconsin Lutheran College. As a freshman in 2024, he was named Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Honorable Mention. His father, Joe, enjoyed a successful career on the pitch for the Black & Gold from 1996 to 1999. Lastly, freshman Timo Schroeder has an older sister, Svava, who is a current sophomore on the MKE women's tennis team.

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

New Zealand: Phoenix Coursey (Christchurch)
Germany: Paul Denz (Laufenburg), Timo Schroeder (Berlin)
Japan: Roy Nozawa (Tokyo)
Scotland: Ollie Weir (Falkirk)
Serbia: Pavle Ivkovic (Niš), Filip Dostanic (Belgrade)
Spain: Hur Irizar Lekue (Bilbao), Alvaro Perez Eugenio (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria)
United Kingdom: Daniel Gill (Newport, Wales, U.K.)

REGULAR SEASON SHINE
The Panthers' unbeaten 2-0-3 start to Horizon League play last 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.

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 in Fall of 2024. Last season, the Panthers again drew level with the program mark of eight. 

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.

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 last 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.

HOME SWEET HOME
Milwaukee extended its unbeaten streak in home games to 13 consecutive contests (7-0-6) dating back to the 2024 season with its 0-0 draw against Cleveland State Sept. 13 last fall. 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.

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. 

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 14-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 $12.99 a month (or $129.99 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 remain on the road for one more match, heading to Drake Sept. 2 before returning home to host St. Thomas Sept. 5.