Defiance, Ohio – The University of Saint Francis (Ind.) men's soccer opened the 2025 season with a 3-0 road victory at Defiance College on Thursday, August 21, at Winsper-Knobel Field. 

The Cougars (1-0, 0-0 CL) wasted little time getting on the board, as Björn De Grijs found the net in the 10th minute with an unassisted strike. Joshua Jelany doubled the lead before halftime in the 30th minute, also unassisted, giving SF a 2-0 advantage at the break. 

In the second half, the Cougars continued to press and sealed the win in the 64th minute when Nicolás Balbin finished off a feed from Jelany for the third goal of the night. 

Defensively, Saint Francis stood tall behind goalkeeper Kevin Wachiaya Onelius, who posted a four-save shutout in his collegiate debut. The Cougars outshot Defiance 20-8 overall and held a commanding 16-4 edge in shots on goal. 

Saint Francis men's soccer (1-0) will return to action on Saturday, August 23, when they take on Cornerstone University at Bishop John M. D'Arcy Stadium for a 2:00 p.m. kickoff. 

Founded in 1890 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition, the University of Saint Francis offers more than 60 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs through the College of Health Sciences and the College of Arts, Sciences, and Business. In addition to its traditional programs, Saint Francis designs focused curricula for working adults in Fort Wayne, Crown Point, Lafayette and online. Saint Francis Downtown houses the music technology program while offering enhanced internship and networking opportunities for students. The University of Saint Francis, recognized as an NAIA Five-Star Champion of Character institution, has 21 athletic programs boasting two individual and four team NAIA national championships. Approximately 1,800 students from a broad geographic region attend Saint Francis.