MALTA, Ill. — The Milwaukee Area Technical College men's soccer team opened its 2026 season with a tough road setback Saturday, falling 3–0 to Kishwaukee College to begin the year 0–1. After conceding two early goals, the Stormers settled in and played a more composed match the rest of the way before giving up a late counter to close out a shutout defeat.

"First road trip of the regular season is in the books," MATC head coach Aaron "Buddy" Gentry said. "We faced early adversity going down a couple of goals, but we adjusted, dug in and held strong. In the final minutes, we pushed numbers forward to try to get on the scoreboard and conceded a tough late counter.

"The score doesn't show the full story or the growth throughout the 90 minutes. We'll get back to work this week, study the tape and prepare for our first home game."

With a roster featuring 17 freshmen and only seven returners, the Stormers entered the afternoon knowing the early season would be about settling nerves and building chemistry. Kishwaukee made that learning curve steep, striking twice in the opening 10 minutes to take a 2–0 lead.

Returning goalkeeper Maxwell Clarksen surrendered goals in the 5th and 8th minutes, putting the Stormers in an early hole. Clarksen regrouped and finished the rest of the half with three strong saves, keeping the deficit at 2–0 heading into the break.

Despite the slow start, MATC generated chances. The Stormers produced five first‑half shots, three on goal, but each was turned away by Kishwaukee's goalkeeper. The attack showed flashes of pace and creativity but not enough sustained pressure to shift momentum.

The second half followed a similar pattern. MATC managed two shots on goal after halftime, both saved cleanly, while freshman goalkeeper Romeo Morales made his collegiate debut and delivered several strong moments in relief. Morales totaled five saves before Kishwaukee added a late goal in the 83rd minute to close out the 3–0 result.

Kishwaukee finished with 15 total shots, including 10 on goal, controlling possession and tempo throughout.

STAT BOOK
Freshman Adrian Quezada led MATC with three shot attempts, including two on goal, while Adrian Saldana, Daniel Lopez Gomez and sophomore Cristian Hernandez each added one shot on goal.

UP NEXT
MATC (0–1) will host Harper College at 4 p.m. Wednesday in Oak Creek.