WAVERLY, Iowa – Wartburg men's soccer begins the 2025 season on the road beginning with a match against Cornell College on Friday, Aug. 29 in Mount Vernon, Iowa followed by a match in St. Paul, Minn. against Bethel University on Monday, Sept. 1.
Friday, Aug. 29 | Mount Vernon, Iowa | Cornell Soccer Field
Wartburg at Cornell | 5 PM |
Live Stream |
Live Stats
Monday, Sep. 1 | St. Paul, Minn. | Ona Orth Athletic Complex
Wartburg at Bethel | 3 PM |
Live Stream |
Live Stats
About the Knights
Wartburg will return five of last year's six All-Conference players in
Flori Gembo,
Lwings Kabula,
Carson Kay,
Sam McDevitt and
Aidan Mott. The returning Knights accounted for 30 out of last season's 38 goals and 24 of last season's 32 assists.
Henry Eckert also returns for the Knights this season after starting all 20 matches between the pipes as a freshman in 2024. Eckert posted eight clean sheets and added two combined shutouts in his first season as goalkeeper for the Knights.
Following the opening two matches, Wartburg will be back at home for four of the next five matches with opponents including Macalester, MSOE, North Central and No. 9 UW-Eau Claire. The remaining nonconference schedule will include the annual Battle for the Warhawk Knight Cup on the road against UW-Whitewater as well as another preseason ranked opponent in No. 14 UW-Platteville on the road. Wartburg will host Senior Day on Saturday, Sept. 27 against Buena Vista University as well as an Alumni Day on Saturday, Oct. 18 against Loras.
Last Season
The Knights won a second-straight A-R-C Tournament title and appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 2024 after posting an 11-5-4 overall record (6-2 A-R-C). McDevitt, Mott and
Curtis Ratzer all earned All-Region honors from the United Soccer Coaches. Wartburg had six All-Conference selections in Gembo, Kabula, Kay, McDevitt, Mott and Ratzer.
Landon Hartsell, McDevitt, Mott, Ratzer and
Andrew Valenzuela all earned College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District honors and nine Knights earned Academic All-Conference honors.
All-Time Series vs Opponents
- Friday will mark the 28th matchup between Cornell and Wartburg, with Wartburg leading the series 17-7-3
- Wartburg has won 11-straight matches against Cornell, outscoring the Rams 65-5 over that span
- The Knights are 7-4-2 on the road against Cornell with the last loss coming in 2002
- Seven out of Wartburg's 17 wins over Cornell have been shutout victories
- Monday will mark just the third ever matchup between Bethel and Wartburg, with the Knights leading the series 2-0
- First meeting since 2016
- Wartburg defeated Bethel 2-1 in 2013 and 4-0 in 2016 in the only prior matches
The Knights Welcome 13 Newcomers
Men's soccer will welcome 13 newcomers this season:
Abdelaziz Adam,
Japhet Bongo,
Jayden Butler,
Jacob Chickering,
Bill Dohrén,
Garrett Eskelson,
Abraham Flores,
Isaiah Mayfield,
Maximus Mendez,
Diego Sanchez,
Joseph Svoboda,
Austin Wiltse and
Kento Yamamoto.
Madigan Set for Year Eight at the Helm
"We're really excited about the season," said Head Coach
Mike Madigan at Wartburg's annual Fall Sports Media Day. "The preseason has been off to a good start. We have a talented group here on campus whether it be returning or new players. The program culture and the process we go through to get better are in a good place right now, so we're excited to get going."
"We are fortunate to be able to return a lot of experience from playing in the NCAA Tournament the past two seasons," said Madigan when asked about past experiences playing into this season. "This is a group that knows what it takes to perform well in November. That helps us set the standard for each day."
"It's an honor, but it's an honor that is relative to things that have been accomplished in the past," said Madigan about Wartburg's top ranking in this season's A-R-C preseason coaches' poll. "I think the guys have done a great job at knowing that what you do day-to-day effects what happens in the future.
"It's definitely exciting because that is where you want to be," said
Sam McDevitt. "Like coach said we have a saying that it's about the roots before the fruits and we haven't earned anything yet."
A-R-C Preseason Poll
2025 American Rivers Conference
Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll |
| Place |
Team (First-place votes) |
Points |
| 1. |
Wartburg (5) |
61 |
| 2. |
Luther (4) |
59 |
| 3. |
Loras |
48 |
| 4. |
Nebraska Wesleyan |
46 |
| 5. |
Simpson |
31 |
| T-6. |
Central |
28 |
| T-6. |
Univ. of Dubuque |
28 |
| 8. |
Coe |
14 |
| 9. |
Buena Vista |
9 |
