The Thunder men's soccer staff have completed their 2025 recruiting class and have signed ten total newcomers that include two transfers and eight high school seniors. The newest Thunder men's soccer student-athletes are:
TRANSFERS
Aidan Upton - 5'6, Senior, Defender - Southwestern College (KS)
Upton played in two matches for the Moundbuilders. Spent two seasons in Winfield at Southwestern. Played his freshman season at Dakota County Technical College in Rosemount, Minnesota. Prepped at Chanhassen High School in Chanhassen, Minnesota.
Malachi Wright - 6'1, Junior, Goalkeeper - Terra State Community College
Wright played in and started all 16 matches for the Titans. Started in goal in five of the 16 matches. Recorded 225 total minutes in goal. Tallied 41 saves on the season. Played his freshman season at Lake Michigan College in Benton Harbor, Michigan. Prepped at Merriville High School in Merriville, Indiana.
FRESHMAN
Landon Berry - 5'10, Freshman, Defender - Junction City High School (KS)
Rico Brewer - 6'0, Freshman, Goalkeeper - McLain High School of Science and Technology (OK)
Alessandro Delgado - 5'6, Freshman, Midfielder - Ferris High School (TX)
Jaime Fernandez - 6'3, Freshman, Goalkeeper - McAlester High School (OK)
Malachi Larsen - 6'1, Freshman, Midfielder - Fort Scott High School (KS)
Cooper Slayton - 6'1, Freshman, Midfielder - Mulvane High School (KS)
Elia Zakayo - 5'9, Freshman, Midfielder - Palo Duro High School (TX)
Head coach Craig Bender had this to say about her most recent recruiting class, "I am super excited to get this season going. We don't have a lot of time between the guys showing up and our first friendly and game, but we are getting after it working two a days to get ready. We have teammates from all around the country with a ton of diversity and I think that will make us a dynamic team! I expect a lot from these young men. Whether it's on or off the field, we will hold each other to a really high standard and perform accordingly. Hard work, integrity and building a family... that's what we are all about. The results will follow!"
The Thunder will kick off their season on the road on Saturday, August 30th against Ecclesia.
Check out the men's soccer schedule here: 2025 Men's Soccer Schedule
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.
Manhattan Christian College Athletics and Thunder Men's Soccer are eager to release the 2025 men's soccer schedule. The Thunder are now under the leadership of first year head coach, Craig Bender, after coming off a 5-11-4 campaign in 2024. A 2-1-2 finish in the Midwest Christian College Conference was good enough for a third place finish in the regular season, while they would make the Central Region Tournament Play-In match.
The season kicks off on August 30th with a road match at Ecclesia College. The Sons of Thunder will play 16 regular season matches including a full Midwest Christian College Conference and NCCAA Central Region schedule. This season's squad will play all NCCAA opponents with two of them being NCCAA Division I teams.
The Midwest Christian College Conference Tournament will be hosted at Barclay College in Haviland, Kansas starting on October 31st, followed by the Central Region Tournament, which will be in Kansas City, Missouri, on November 6th. The team is determined to improve on last season's results and ready to work towards an opportunity to play at the NCCAA National Tournament. The National Tournament will be held from November 17th-22nd in Kissimmee, Florida.
Check out the entire schedule here: 2025 Men's Soccer Schedule
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 page on Instagram.
