2026 TMU Men's Soccer Preview

The Master's University men's soccer team has reloaded for the 2026 season, with several key starters returning and head coach Jim Rickard adding multiple impact players.

TMU is looking to build off a 2025 season in which they missed 2024 GSAC Player of the Year Trent Rickard down the stretch due to injury. 

"I'm very excited about the year. We've got a very solid team with a good amount of depth," TMU Head Coach Jim Rickard said. "Primarily, we are a veteran team, and we should be solid all around with subs who keep the level and energy high."

Seventeen out of the 24 Mustangs on the roster are upperclassmen, with most of them having important GSAC experience. 

Trent Rickard, who still managed to lead the conference in goals scored with 14 in 2025 despite missing eight games, returns for his fourth year with the program. He also ranked among the NAIA leaders in shots and shots on goals last season and will be a centerpiece of the offense in 2026.

But Trent Rickard isn't alone, as he is joined by senior Adiel Kaduya, who led the team with six assists in 2024 before redshirting in 2025. Kaduya also scored six goals in that 2024 campaign, good for second on the squad.

"Trent's got 31 goal in 30 career games so we're hoping to keep that pace up," Coach Rickard said. "Adiel is a big part of the offense as well and he runs the attacking-mid area very well. The goal is for those two work together and wreak havoc on opposing defenses."

TMU also returns both Michael Masimango and Jo Yokota, who started most of the previous season in the midfield. 

Defensively, Clinton Mawusi returns as Master's other All-GSAC performer from 2025. Mawusi started all 16 games he played in last year and scored a goal on the only shot he took all season. He'll be joined by senior Jaime Dominguez, a starter that fell to injury after just three games last season, and junior Zach Bates, another starter for most of last season. 

TMU's impact newcomers are also highlighted by goalkeeper Franco Barba from Eastern Illinois University.

TMU's schedule has the Mustangs opening the season with two scrimmages, starting at home on Aug. 17 against Bethesda University. The regular season kicks off a week later on Aug. 25 against Stanton. Key out-of-conference games include a Sep. 1 home clash against The College of Idaho and road games against Southern Oregon and Oregon Tech. 

"We've got a really tough schedule" Coach Rickard said. "We'll find out right away how we match up. Hopefully we're injury-free and get on a roll in the first couple games before conference."

GSAC play opens with the Mustangs taking on the reigning GSAC champs in La Sierra on Sep. 11. TMU will play home conference games against: Life Pacific (Sep. 19), Arizona Christian (Sep. 26), Hope International (Sep. 30), Soka (Oct. 10), and Park Gilbert (Oct. 22). Their GSAC road schedule has them taking on Hope International (Sep. 17), Embry-Riddle (Oct. 3), La Sierra (Oct. 8), OUAZ (Oct. 15), Benedictine Mesa (Oct. 17), Life Pacific (Oct. 24) and Soka (Oct. 29).