Since its inaugural season in the fall of 2007, the Saint Martin’s men’s soccer program has only had one head coach: Rob Walker.
Now entering his 20th season alongside the program in 2026, there’s no one more fit to turn the Saints around than Walker after the team’s toughest two-year stretch in program history.
Saint Martin’s has won just one of its last 36 games, and the Saints have not been victorious in a GNAC contest since Oct. 21, 2023, with a 22-game conference skid dating back to the start of the 2024 GNAC slate.
In the first week of the Saints’ 2026 fall practice schedule, the primary mission for Walker was to utilize the team’s depth of experience and lean on a more aggressive collective mindset. The Saints return 17 players who appeared in at least one game last season, with 14 of those boasting starting experience.
“We’ve talked a lot about being a giver or a matcher and not a taker,” Walker said. “Sometimes, you’ve got to put down what is important to you and help out the team. At the same time, you’ve got to match intensity, and players need to know they have to be held accountable.”
Evidence of this philosophy was all over the pitch during Saint Martin’s first exhibition against Northwest University on its home field Saturday afternoon. Players were consistently communicating with one another on both sides of the ball, celebrating as a team after all three of their goals, and offering advice to teammates after a mistake.
One of the buzzwords around the program so far this preseason has been “positivity.” The positive attitude has been enforced by not only key veterans on the team like Soren Hanson, Jonathan Wright and Connor Leistiko, but some of the newcomers such as Northwest transfer Corbin Herrera and freshman Kodyn Flynn, as well. New assistant coach Dewayne Thomas has also played a role in the Saints’ new attitude.
“We got a couple of new guys that have brought in some great positive energy that we’ve been lacking, and it’s contagious,” Wright said. “The vibe of practice has been completely different. It’s super positive. Everyone’s working hard to get better.”
Walker knows there should be some wiggle room for his team to make mistakes in the infancy of the preseason, but he also understands there’s not much time before the games matter. The Saints have a total of three exhibitions before their season opener at Saints Field against Walla Walla on Thursday, Aug. 27.
“I think we’re on the way to holding each other accountable. I don’t think that’s necessarily happening. Once we can cut some of the basic mistakes down, then I think that allows us to step up a little bit,” Walker said after Saturday’s exhibition. “If we’re an eight-cylinder engine, I think we hit on six-and-a-half today. That kind of cohesion and sharpness probably comes around a little more as we get in the groove.”
The root of the Saints’ experience starts in the net, with senior and three-year starting goalkeeper Connor Leistiko returning as one of the most vocal leaders in the program. Wright, a junior defender, was the Saints’ leading scorer last year with four goals en route to All-GNAC honorable mention recognition. Joining him on the All-GNAC list was senior forward Soren Hanson, who started all 18 games and tallied one goal and one assist for the Saints in 2025.
Senior Cole Sullivan and junior Brandon Durr are back at forward. The Saints are chock full of experienced defenders, including Wright, junior Asher Sullivan, junior Dane Tschimperle, senior Kai Pahl and junior Jackson Rotondo.
In the midfield, Cameron Kreider brings 37 games of experience, and Calvin Boyal has suited up for 29 with Saint Martin’s in the past two seasons. Senior Xander Koenig was one of the most aggressive attackers on the team last fall, logging nine shots on goal to lead the Saints.
Gone are Paul Lopez, who started all 18 games and netted two goals last fall, and Daniel Rempel-White, who hit the game-winning goal for the Saints in their win against UT-Tyler.
But the Saints welcome a deep class of freshmen and transfers. Herrera and Spokane Falls Community College transfer Juan Diaz saw significant playing time in the Saints’ first scrimmage. Flynn earned a starting nod for the exhibition with multiple starters out due to injury and is one of seven freshmen on the roster.
“There’s a good core there. We played that good core when they were young, so they have plenty of experience, so that’s going to help us,” Walker said. “The addition of our transfers, like Juan and Corbin playing in the midfield, has been really good. I’m pretty excited about a few of our other new players, too.”
To be givers and/or matchers in 2026, the Saints must be more aggressive and efficient in the final third of the pitch. Saint Martin’s scored just 10 goals all season in 2025, and 46 of its 118 shots were on goal. The Saints often struggled keeping possession in the attacking third, but they’ve trained relentlessly in the first week of practice to turn that weakness into a strength.
And to turn the program around, self-accountability and resounding leadership may be the tickets toward growth.
“Obviously, the past few years haven’t been how we wanted them. I think it’s been a really good purpose of ours to bring that energy back,” Leistiko said. “With that is good criticism of each other and knowing that when someone’s yelling at you, they want you to do better. When there’s criticism, you take it on the chin and do better. We’ve got 35 players, and I don’t think one person wants to lose. We have to come in with that attitude and come together as a team to put it together.”
To view the full 2026 Saint Martin’s men’s soccer schedule, visit smusaints.com.
