TAHLEQUAH, Okla. — Missouri S&T men's soccer opened its 2026 campaign with a 2-1 road victory over Northeastern State on Thursday evening at DeLoache Field.
The Miners (1-0-0) overcame an early deficit to secure the season-opening win, scoring twice in the first half before holding Northeastern State scoreless over the final 45 minutes.
Northeastern State (0-1-0) struck first in the fourth minute when Brandon Fuenmayor scored off an assist from Carter Adams to give the RiverHawks an early 1-0 advantage.
Missouri S&T answered less than five minutes later, as
Mike Banasik (Hjoerring, Denmark/Hjoering Gymnasium) found the back of the net in the ninth minute off a pass from
Luke Giesing (St. Louis, MO/Lindbergh) to even the match at 1-1.
Banasik struck again in the 32nd minute, scoring his second goal of the night off an assist from
Jake Salazar-Blair (Phoenix, AZ/Desert Vista) to give the Miners a 2-1 lead heading into halftime.
The RiverHawks applied pressure throughout the second half, outshooting the Miners 8-1 during the final 45 minutes. However, Missouri S&T goalkeeper
Cavitt Bruhn (Plano, TX/Plano) made two second half saves and finished the night with five saves to preserve the Miners' lead.
Northeastern State held a 17-3 advantage in shots for the match, including a 6-3 edge in shots on goal. Missouri S&T earned two corner kicks compared with six for the RiverHawks.
Banasik led the Miners with two shots, both of which found the back of the net. Giesing and Salazar-Blair each recorded an assist.
With the victory, Missouri S&T begins the 2026 season 1-0-0.
What's Next
The Miners return to action at home Saturday, August 29, for Senior Day against Davenport University. Kick off is set for 11 a.m.
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