ST. LOUIS – The University of Missouri-St. Louis men's soccer team kicks off its 2026 season this Thursday (Aug. 29) hosting Kentucky Wesleyan starting at 5 p.m. at Don Dallas Field.

The Tritons are coming off a 5-6-6 season in 2025 which included a 4-5-5 record in Great Lakes Valley Conference play. UMSL returns 13 players from last year's team including Melo Mensah who led the team with nine points tallying two goals and five assists.

Isaac Valverde, Max Matarelli and Benjamin Ocampo also return and were tied with Mensah with two goals scored. Valverde led the team with two game-winning goals.

Will Winkler is the team's lone returning goalkeeper and he'll be joined by newcomers Lucas Ortiz and Will Meyer as all three are competing for the starting spot. Winkler made six appearances with four starts as a freshman in 2025 and went 1-2-2 in more than 430 minutes played.

The Tritons look to snap a four-game winless streak against the Panthers on Thursday. KWC has won the two previous meetings in St. Louis while the two sides have drawn the last two meetings in Owensboro.

The Panthers enter 2026 with high expectations after finishing last season with a 10-4-7 mark and advanced to the championship game of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) for the second straight season.

KWC was picked to finish third in the G-MAC Preseason Coaches poll behind defending champion Tiffin and Cedarville. The Panthers return a depth of talent this season. Jhaeem Bryan, a first-team All-GMAC selection, anchored a defense that gave up just 24 goals last season. Bryan along with Cole Greenshields solidifies KWC's back line.

Jersey Lopez and Braeden Myers-Curry round out the all-conference returners for the Panthers. The duo combined to score nine goals last season with six goals coming from Myers-Curry. Lopez added three goals and added eight assists. Mattie McNally tallied five goals and one assist for a total of 11 points in 2025.