The Milwaukee men’s soccer team is preparing to host Wright State for its first Horizon League home game of the season on Saturday. After an unbeaten start, Milwaukee aims to recover from a recent setback in league play.
Milwaukee’s history with Wright State shows a mixed record. Although Milwaukee dominated the early 2000s with a 12-game winning streak, Wright State has recently gained the upper hand by winning seven out of the last 13 meetings.
Wright State enters the match following a draw against Eastern Illinois and an opening league win over IU Indy. Key players include Cole Werthmuller, who leads the team in points, and Edwin Espinal with three goals. Goalkeeping duties have been shared between Alessandro Malterer and Joel Shaw this season.
Milwaukee began their current campaign strongly with a four-game unbeaten run, marking their best start since 2013. The Panthers’ head coach Kris Kelderman holds a record of 5-7-2 in conference openers over his tenure.
A notable performance came from Raul Medina, who recorded three assists against Bradley earlier this season, becoming one of only three players in program history to achieve this feat twice in his career.
Alejandro Martinez made an impactful debut for Milwaukee by scoring two goals and assisting another in just his second game. His efforts earned him Horizon League Offensive Player of the Week honors.
The Panthers have introduced several new faces to their squad while retaining experienced core players like Raul Medina and David Cox. The team also boasts international diversity with student-athletes hailing from nine different countries or territories.
Upcoming games for Milwaukee include road trips starting with Northern Illinois for the LeWang Cup next Tuesday.
