Men's Soccer 8/22/2026 3:29:00 AM

No. 10 Blinn opens new season with shutout of Southwest Christian

Freshman forward Vukasin Ivanovic scored two goals and recorded one assist for the Buccaneers

Men's Soccer 8/22/2026 3:29:00 AM

No. 10 Blinn opens new season with shutout of Southwest Christian

Freshman forward Vukasin Ivanovic scored two goals and recorded one assist for the Buccaneers

The 10th-ranked Blinn College men's soccer team opened the 2026 season in dominant fashion Friday, defeating Southwest Christian College 4-0 on the road in Terrell, Texas.

The Buccaneers (1-0) controlled the match from the opening whistle, scoring twice in the first 18 minutes before adding two more goals in the second half.

Blinn improved to 6-2 in season-opening matches under head coach Michael McBride and 7-2 in program history.

Freshman forward Vukasin Ivanovic opened the scoring in the 14th minute with a penalty kick. Four minutes later, sophomore defender Malikai Fry delivered a throw-in that freshman forward Cole Hernandez headed into the net to give the Bucs a 2-0 advantage.

Blinn added to its lead in the 48th minute when sophomore midfielder Paolo Imeneo scored off an assist from Ivanovic. Ivanovic then scored his second goal of the night in the 58th minute, with freshman midfielder Robbie Paredes and second-year midfielder Jordan Franco providing the assists.

The Bucs finished with 10 shots, including six on goal, while Southwest managed just two shots, neither of which was on target.

Sophomore goalkeeper Samir Bristol earned the victory without making a save, while Riccardo Strohhecker played the final 27 minutes in goal. The shutout was the fifth of Bristol's Blinn career, moving him into fourth place in program history for career shutouts.

Bristol improved to 6-0-0 in his Blinn career and has not allowed a goal in his last 475 minutes, 43 seconds in goal.

"Every player on the squad got to play this evening, which was important because for many of them it was their first college game," McBride said. "A clean sheet coupled with four goals is a great way to start the new season. However, we need to see a significant improvement if we are to achieve results in Region 14 matches.

"We expect our next game, against a very talented team, to be a real battle."

The Bucs return to action at noon Sunday when they visit National Park College in Hot Springs, Ark.

Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 53 national championships since 1987.

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