The Thunder men's soccer team kicks off their season at home in 2026 after only playing six matches during the 2025 campaign. The Thunder would play six matches before having to cancel the rest of the season due to roster limitations. The Sons of Thunder did return seven who played last season in Scott Blake's first season at the helm. Redshirt-seniors, Riuben Basubeche, Damien Cervantes, and Aidan Upton will lead the charge for the Thunder, while senior, Chris Smith II returns to the pitch after not playing last season. Overall, the Thunder will have a young group competing on the field. The Thunder added six true freshman and one transfer in to compliment those four seniors. The remaining five players, with four of them playing minutes last season, all redshirted and did not lose eligibility since the team only played six games.

Basubeche played in all six matches last season and scored two goals. Cervantes played in fives matches and collected one assist last season. Upton was injured and recorded minimal minutes in five matches for the Thunder. Smith II is a three-time First Team All-MCCC performer and two-time All-Region performer bringing high-level experience to the team. The Thunder brought in one transfer from Hannibal-LaGrange University, sophomore, goalkeeper, Chase Powell to bring in much needed experience in goal. Malachi Larsen, Cooper Slayton, and Elia Zakayo return and they all played in all six matches for the Thunder. Incoming true freshman include, Tyler McNamara, Shayne Boutte, Jakob Meisenzahl, Will Martinez, Jack Keesecker, and Josh Fernandez.

First year head coach Scott Blake had this to say about his team and the season, "It's finally here - our first men's soccer game of the 2026 season and we are playing at home! We have worked hard all preseason to lay the groundwork. Long days, tough sessions, and plenty of challenges have brought this team closer together. Now it is time to compete. We have a tough opener against NAIA and KCAC member, Bethany College, but we are ready to begin this journey of growing together in both Faith and Fútbol, competing for the win, and playing the beautiful game. We are calling on our campus, families, friends, alumni, and community to show up and bring the energy and let these players know you are behind them as we build! Come support your Thunder!"

The Sons of Thunder open their season at home on Saturday, September 5th against Bethany College (KS) at 10:30AM at Frank Anneberg Park in Manhattan, Kansas.

Tickets for the 2026 season have been posted to 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 and Facebook.