WINFIELD, Kan. – Southwestern men's soccer opens Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference action Wednesday on the road, facing Friends University in a 5 p.m. kickoff at Adair-Austin Stadium in Wichita.

The Moundbuilders are 3-2 entering the conference schedule after facing several quality opponents in non-conference play. Jack-Bagley Ethridge leads Southwestern with seven goals and two assists. Connor Inlow has three goals, while Marcos Benavidez has scored twice. Freshmen Christian Banda and Marcus Rostad have added one goal apiece.

The Builders' back line has been consistent with Carlos Villalba, Mateus Varotti, and freshman Nicola Antiglio starting every match. Each has played more than 75 minutes per game and tallied an assist.

In goal, sophomore KJ Masso has played all 450 minutes this season. He has 27 saves, a .771 save percentage, and a 1.60 goals-against average, while recording two shutouts

Friends enters conference play at 0-5 and is seeking its first win of the season. The Falcons have scored five goals in non-conference action, led by junior Andres Michael Xibilia with three and senior forward Sora Shibata with two. Goalkeepers Arturo Pombo-Palomero and Juan Jose Echeverry have split time. Pombo-Palomero has 12 saves and a .706 save percentage in three appearances, while Echeverry has 13 saves and a .619 save percentage in three starts.

The teams played to a 2-2 draw last fall. Ethridge and Inlow scored for Southwestern, while Masso had five saves. Dylan Cedeno and Nathanial Stephens scored for Friends, and goalkeeper Stryker Kelly made four saves. 

Both teams look to set the tone in the conference opener, with Southwestern trying to carry its early-season form into KCAC play and Friends searching for its first win of the season.