(MARQUETTE COMMUNICATIONS) The Marquette University men’s soccer team begins its 2026 season tomorrow night, hosting Oakland at Valley Fields. The Golden Eagles will follow that up with a match against Saint Mary’s on Sunday afternoon.
MU’s opponents are coming off a combined 5-17-12 record in 2025. The Golden Grizzlies 3-9-6 record was a dip from its previous year when they claimed the 2024 Horizon League regular season title (6-1-2). The Gaels have seen back-to-back two-win seasons after going .500 or better in eight consecutive seasons.
While MU and meet Saint Mary’s for the first time, the Golden Eagles and Golden Grizzlies have met eight times with Oakland holding a 6-2 advantage. MU’s last win in the series came in 2000.
ROSTER OVERHAUL
During the offseason, Marquette’s roster went through a major overhaul following a 7-7-2 record. The coaches casted a wide net, bringing in players from as far as Scandinavia, Switzerland and the Yukon while still sticking to the program’s strong recruiting ties to Wisconsin and Illinois.
- 51.7% of the roster has changed as the program welcomed in 15 new faces.
- Of the 15 , four are transfers while 11 will enter the year as true freshmen.
- Eight of the 15 are from outside of Wisconsin and Illinois with five coming from outside of the United States.
WHAT’S BACK
Offensively, Marquette retuned its No. 1, No. 3 and No. 5 point scorers. Defensively, the group returns two starters and one of its two keepers who split time.
- Up top, Junior Mads Konrad Horgøien led the Golden Eagles in scoring in 2025 with six goals on 19 shots. Graduate student Mateo Stoka will hold down the middle of the park after tying for the team lead in assists a year ago with four. He also added three goals to finish two points back of Konrad Horgøien. Sophomore Joey Buchanan finished his first collegiate season with seven points on two goals and three assists.
- Third on the team last year in minutes played, Andreas Fotland returns for his second season in Milwaukee. He is joined by Tristan Rønnestad-Stevens who is back for his final year after missing the second half of the 2025 season due to injury. Cameron Simpson made eight starts in a goal a season ago, holding a 1.50 goals against average.
INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR
With the addition of five internationals to this season’s roster, Marquette enters 2026 with 11.
- Three players hail from Norway with the addition of Viktor Engh. Felix Masson joins Joey Buchanan from western Canada. The third country MU has tapped into for multiple players was Sweden with newcomers Enkido Hackå nd Edvard Liljedahl.
- Marquette has four other countries represented on its roster with one player each hailing from Australia, Brazil, England and Switzerland.
STRONG IN THE NONCONFERENCE
In two seasons under Head Coach David Korn, Marquette is a combined 10-3-4 which includes a 6-0-2 mark in 2025.
- Two of MU’s three losses came in 2024 to a pair of ranked opponents in Northwestern and Wisconsin. The Golden Eagles will travel to Madison to face the Badgers and host Northwestern this season.
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