Matadors men’s soccer aims to reclaim spot at top of ACCAC and Region I

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) - Arizona Western College men's soccer enters the 2026 season with lofty expectations as one of the NJCAA's premier programs looks to rebound from a year that, by its standards, fell short of expectations.

The Matadors finished 11-3-1 overall and 6-2 in the ACCAC last season, good for second place in the conference.

While most programs mark the season a success with those records, Arizona Western saw its campaign end with a Region I semifinal loss to Yavapai College after it previously finished at the top of the conference for four consecutive seasons.

That's not cutting it by the Matadors' standards.

Head coach Kenny Dale and his coaching staff wasted little time preparing for a return to form, opening the preseason with friendlies against NCAA opponents, including the University of San Diego, the nation’s current No. 2-ranked team.

Although the results on the scoreboard were not always favorable, Dale believes the experience helped accelerate his team’s development.

"We've learned a lot and I think we're we're better today than we were yesterday, and that's the only objective at this point in the year," Dale said.

The 2026 roster also features a pair of local products, a rarity for the program who likes to bring in players outside of the Desert Southwest.

Cibola High School graduate Adrian Luma joins the defense, while Kofa High School alumnus Leonel Rodriguez has already emerged as a key contributor in the midfield.

Rodriguez knew the jump to the junior college level would be a significant challenge but embraced the opportunity.

"I knew coming here was a big challenge," Rodriguez said. "I knew it was not going to be easy. I came here to be better as a person and as a player…the competition makes me better. The trainings are better. My teammates, as a team, [I can feel] the intensity that I wanna be in."

Rodriguez served as his high school team's primary goal scorer but has transitioned into a center midfield role with the Matadors. Dale said the freshman’s adjustment to the college game has been impressive.

"He's done very well," Dale said. "I think part of it is his adaptation to physical play. College soccer, particularly in the United States, is not some casual, tactical things that it is in South America or Europe. It's physical. It's fast. You gotta be fit, and you gotta be physically strong. So, I think he had that edge over a lot of the other local high school players."

While Arizona Western's talent is evident in its preseason No. 13 national ranking, Dale believes chemistry could be the difference between a good season and a championship-caliber one.

"I think this group is definitely closer than previous teams," Dale stated. "I think that was a big contributor to our limited success last year, and this group seems to enjoy each other's presence. There’s a better spirit on the bench."

Team captain Noah Segura shared a similar assessment, pointing to a lack of cohesion as one of the factors that held the Matadors back last season.

"I think last year we were lacking a bit of team chemistry," Segura said. "We had a lot of good individuals, so just lots of raw talent, but, I didn’t think we had enough green links on the field. I think we have been coming into that brotherhood [this year]."

Now one of the team's leaders, Segura is focused on fostering a more positive environment throughout the program.

"I've been trying to lead this team, more or less, just in a positive manner, because I think sometimes last year, there might’ve been a bit of negative energy around the group," he said.

Arizona Western opened the regular season with a road loss to No. 16 Salt Lake Community College before bouncing back with victories over Snow College and Scottsdale Community College.

Early results have provided encouragement that the chemistry developing within the program can help the Matadors return to the top of the ACCAC and make another push toward the national tournament.