Wartburg College Athletics

WAVERLY, Iowa — The Knights defeated Cornell College 3-0 on Tuesday, Sept. 1 at Salzwedel Field. Wartburg allowed just two shots on goal in the shutout while generating six shots on goal offensively.
 
Blake Whitlow, Diego Sanchez and Flori Gembo each scored in the shutout win to give the Knights a 1-0 start to the 2026 season.
 
How It Happened
First Half

• The Knights generated two early corner kicks before Whitlow opened the scoring at 16:57 to make it 1-0 with an assist from Jacob Chickering.
• Sanchez doubled the lead at 20:17, scoring off assists from Lwings Kabula and Alima Mmunga for a 2-0 advantage.
• Joseph Svoboda made saves at 36:48 and 42:56 during a late Cornell College push, and the Knights carried the 2-0 lead through halftime.

 
Second Half

• The Knights generated six shots from 47:33 through 59:35, including saved attempts by Gembo and Sanchez and two shots from Kabula.
• Gembo scored at 62:31 from a Kadin Fry assist, extending the Knights' lead to 3-0.
• The Knights kept the action in Cornell College's end late, getting two shots from Carson Kay after 79:07 and adding shots by Ethan Bumsted and Joel Sheets around corner kicks at 88:15 and 88:28.

 
Top Performers
Blake Whitlow

• one goal
• game-winning goal
• one shot on goal

 
Flori Gembo

• one goal
• three shots, two on goal 

Diego Sanchez

• one goal
• two shots on goal

 
Joseph Svoboda

• - two saves
• - shutout
• - 90 minutes

 
Lwings Kabula

• - one assist
• - three shots

 
Notes/Streaks

• Head Coach Christian Coridon earned career win number one in his collegiate head coaching debut
• First goals of the season for Whitlow, Sanchez and Gembo
  • Career goals: Gembo: (17), Whitlow (three) and Sanchez (two)
• First assists of the season for Chickering, Mmunga and Fry
  • Career assists: Mmunga (10), Chickering (two) and Fry (one)
• Third career shutout and 26 career saves for Svoboda
• The Knights outshot Cornell College 17-5, including 12-0 in the second half
  • finished with a 6-2 edge in shots on goal.

 

First of many👏

Congratulations to Coach Coridon on earning is inaugural head coaching win tonight against Cornell!#GoKnights x @WartburgMSoccer pic.twitter.com/QR15cIZg1b
— Wartburg Athletics (@WartburgKnights) September 2, 2026
 

 
Up Next
Up next, the Knights soccer team hosts No. 8 Augsburg University on Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, at 7 p.m. at Salzwedel Field in Waverly, Iowa.