Men's Soccer to Open Season at CH4 against Bluffton
MOUNT VERNON, Ohio. – The Mount Vernon Nazarene University men's soccer team is ready to start its 2025 fall season at CH4 Stadium against Bluffton University on Saturday, August 23. MVNU finished last season with a record of 6-6-6 overall and a conference record of 3-4-2 after making it to the Crossroads League Tournament Quarterfinals.
Kaleb Blevins enters his first year of coaching at MVNU and brought in a big freshman class brimming with talent and potential. MVNU welcomed a lot of new faces to the team: mid-fielder/forward Max Walker (Lebanon, Ohio), forward Luka Vojinovic (Herford, Germany), defender Arnar Páll (Kópavogur, Iceland), Baba Sarr (Milan, Italy), defender/forward Jack Reagor (California, Kentucky), forward Hayden Feathers (Hilliard, Ohio), goalkeeper Angemy Jodson Delsonat (Gonaïves, Haiti), forward Eli Nicholas (Gambier, Ohio), Braden Buckingham (Gahanna, Ohio), midfielder Elkana Maier (Pfullingen, Germany), and Jasper Mavimba.
MVNU also welcomed a talented group of transfers: junior mid-fielder Peter Donnan (Glasgow, Scotland), sophomore forward Baba Sarr (Milan, Italy), sophomore mid-fielder Juan David Echeverri (Bogotá, Colombia), graduate forward Miguel Bello (Madrid, Spain), junior forward Sazi Milazi (Randburg, Gauteng), junior forward Valentine Ezendu (Senigallia, Italy), senior mid-fielder Martin Matsekh (Dublin, Ireland), sophomore defender/mid-fielder Yohelk Cubillo (San José, Costa Rica), junior mid-fielder Matias Del Solar (Lima, Peru), and sophomore forward Diogo Bento (Vila Nova da Barquinha, Santarém). Coach Blevins brought in a skilled new group of freshmen and transfers, adding to the returning talent for the 2025 season.
MVNU is strong on the defensive mid and backend. Sophomore Brayden Pierson put together a strong freshman season for MVNU, earning Honorable Mention recognition from the Crossroads League. Last season, Pierson had 63 saves with a save percentage of .863. Senior Micah Post, sophomore Dany Chassin, and junior Chucho Salgado will be returning for MVNU as well.
While MVNU will have to mesh with all the new acquisitions and establish go-to finishers on the offensive side of the field, Coach Blevins and his Cougar men's soccer team believe they have the necessary pieces to make a run in the Crossroads League in 2025.
Mount Vernon Nazarene University is a private, four-year, intentionally Christian teaching university for traditional age students, graduate students, and working adults. With a 327-acre main campus in Mount Vernon, Ohio, MVNU emphasizes academic excellence, spiritual growth, and service to community and church. MVNU offers an affordable education both in-seat and online to nearly 2,100 students from 33 states and 26 foreign countries.