The Thunder men's soccer team opened their 2025 season on Saturday afternoon with a trip to Springdale, Arkansas to take on the Ecclesia College Royals. The Sons of Thunder would fall behind early and drop the season opener, 7-1. The Thunder battled but could not overcome tactical errors. A Riuben Basubeche goal on a penalty kick would be the lone score for the Thunder.

The Sons of Thunder will be back on the road next week for their next match against Kansas Christian College on Friday, September 5th at 1:00PM at Scheels Soccer Complex in Overland Park, Kansas.

How to Follow the Thunder: For complete information and to stay up-to-date with Manhattan Christian College Men's Soccer, visit www.mccthunder.com and follow the team's social media pages on Instagram.

The Thunder men's soccer team is coming off a 5-11-4 season, with a 2-1-2 record in the Midwest Christian College Conference. The Thunder would go 1-1 at the MCCC Tournament and fall in the NCCAA Central Region Tournament Play-In match last season. With only two returners from last season's team, seniors, Riuben Basubeche and Damien Cervantes, the Thunder will have on a young core competing on the field. The Thunder added 10 freshman and two transfers in the to compliment Basubeche and Cervantes.

Basubeche played in 12 matches last season and scored one goal and tallied one assist. Cervantes also played in 12 matches and scored one goal last season. The Thunder brought in two transfers, one from a junior college and one from an NAIA institution. Malachi Wright, a Terra State Community College transfer, and Aidan Upton, a Southwestern College transfer, bring in much need experience on the field. Incoming freshman include, Jaime Fernandez, Donnie Mueller, Malachi Larsen, Nicko Gomez, Cooper Slayton, Landon Berry, Alessandro Delgado, Rico Brewer, Elia Zakayo, and Trent Webber.

First year head coach Craig Bender had this to say about his team and the season, "We are excited to finally compete on the field. While we are young, we have a dynamic team made up of great men who are willing to put in the time to get better. This will be a process built on hard work and integrity and we have to do it together! This season will be a season of growth for our whole team."

The Sons of Thunder open their season on the road on Saturday, August 30th against Ecclesia College at 12:15PM at Mount Hebron Park in Rogers, Arkansas.

Tickets for the 2025 season are available on the SidelineTix website and app. To purchase tickets, fans can visit www.mccthunder.com and click the "Get Tickets" tab.

How to Follow the Thunder: For complete information and to stay up-to-date with Manhattan Christian College Men's Soccer, visit www.mccthunder.com and follow the team's social media pages on Instagram.