Men's Soccer | 10/8/2025 10:02:00 AM

Thursday, October 9 | Chicago State | Chicago, Ill.  | Gwendolyn Brooks College Prep | 8 p.m. EST| LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO

OPENING PITCH VS CHICAGO STATE
The Saint Francis Red Flash travel to Chicago on Thursday, Oct. 9, to face Chicago State University at 8:00 p.m. EST (7:00 p.m. CST) at Gwendolyn Brooks College Prep. 

Saint Francis enters the contest with an undefeated record in conference play, tied for first place. The Red Flash hold a 1-0 advantage in the all-time series against Chicago State, following a 3-1 victory in their last matchup on Oct. 20, 2024, at Stokes Soccerplex in Loretto, PA. 

This matchup provides another opportunity for the Red Flash to continue their strong start in conference action and defend their unbeaten record against Chicago State while extending momentum on the road.  

THE WORD ON THE COUGARS
Chicago State enters Thursday's matchup with a 1–9 overall record and a 1–1 mark in conference play. The Cougars earned their lone victory of the season against Stonehill, a 2–0 win at home on September 28. 

Offensively, Chicago State has scored four goals across ten matches, led by Owen Santos with two goals on the year. Hilary Odhiambo has added one goal, while Karma Bhagentsang has contributed two assists to lead the team in that category. 

Defensively, goalkeeper Johan Rodriguez has made eight starts and recorded 53 saves this season, while facing 81 shots on goal. 

LAST TIME WE MET
Saint Francis men's soccer earned a 3–1 victory over Chicago State on Oct. 20, 2024, at Stokes Soccerplex. The Red Flash overcame an early deficit with a pair of goals just two minutes apart before sealing the win in the final moments. 

After Chicago State opened the scoring in the 16th minute, Fabian Wagner and Andre Isreal responded with goals in the 22nd and 24th minutes to give Saint Francis the lead heading into halftime. Rodrigo Mendes added the finishing touch with a goal in the 90th minute to secure the result. 

Wagner played a key role in the attack, recording one goal and two assists, while Joel Aschenbroich, Joschi Schelb, Tom Schellbach, and Maximus Rigby each contributed helpers. Mendes led the team with three shots, and goalkeeper Niclas Becker made three crucial saves to prSeserve the advantage. 

The victory marked Saint Francis' third consecutive home win and extended the team's unbeaten streak against conference opponents at Stokes Soccerplex to 11 matches. The comeback effort also represented the program's first come-from-behind win since September 2021. 
 

NEXT TIME OUT 
Saint Francis returns home to Stokes Soccerplex on Wednesday, Oct. 16, to host New Haven at 1:00 p.m.  

The Red Flash remain undefeated on home turf and will look to make it 3-0 in Loretto this season as they continue their push through conference play. 

LAST TIME OUT 
Saint Francis continued its strong start to conference play with a 4–3 home win over LIU, remaining unbeaten in league action. 

The Red Flash exploded for three goals in the first half, with Alex De Nittis , Thero Mitchell III, and Jonah Wolf all finding the back of the net. Mika Wernicke added the game-winner late in the second half—his first Red Flash goal—to seal the victory. 

De Nittis finished with a goal and an assist, while Nathan Katari recorded his first collegiate point. Goalkeeper Diego Garciarena made two key saves to preserve the lead and secure Saint Francis' third straight win. 

NEC HONORS
Jonah Wolf was recognized as an NEC Prime Performer of the Week on Sept. 15. Wolf turned in a standout performance in Saint Francis' 3–3 draw at Loyola Maryland, recording his first career goal and adding an assist.  

Álvaro Planas was recognized as an NEC Prime Performer of the Week on Sept. 29. Planas delivered a clutch performance in Saint Francis' 2–1 road win at Le Moyne, recording the game-winning goal and assisting Red Flash's first score to help secure the conference-opening victory. 

Freshman forward Thero Mitchell III was named NEC Co-Player of the Week, Rookie of the Week, and a Prime Performer for the week of Oct. 6. Mitchell has been a key offensive presence for the Red Flash, scoring in back-to-back conference matches to help Saint Francis remain unbeaten in league play through three games. 

PRESEASON POLL
Saint Francis men's soccer was picked fifth in the NEC Preseason Poll. Mercyhurst, which won the NEC regular season, and LIU, which won the NEC Tournament, have been selected as co-preseason favorites after LIU earned three first-place votes and Mercyhurst garnered five. FDU picked up the remaining two top votes, while Le Moyne, Saint Francis, Stonehill, New Haven, Howard, Chicago State, and CCSU rounded out the poll. Mercyhurst and New Haven are both ineligible for the postseason. 

INTERNATIONAL FLARE
Head coach Mads Kaiser has nine players that have come from outside the United States: Volkan Celikkol (Turkey), Alex De Nittis(Germany), Harry Elmore (England), Alejandro Escobar (Columbia), Diego Garciarena (Paraguay), Álvaro Planas (Spain), Julian Quiroga(Bolivia), Harvey Skurek (England), Mika Wernicke (Germany) and Jonah Wolf (Germany). 

ABOUT THE COACH 
Mads Kaiser begins his third season as the Red Flash men's soccer head coach. In his first season, Saint Francis was the only NCAA Division I team to finish undefeated with a 7-0-8 record and won the NEC regular season. Saint Francis is 14-7-10 overall and 10-2-3 in NEC play. The Red Flash hosted an NEC Semifinals Game in his first two years. He was an assistant in Loretto for two seasons prior to his elevation as head coach.