While it's unfair to compare past teams to current ones, the 2025 men's soccer team at Morton College is showing signs of being like last year's squad, which nicely picked up itself off the canvas after a 1-4-2 patch in September of 2024 to reach the NJCAA Division II national tournament for the third time in the last five seasons.

The current Panthers limped out of August at 0-3 and then kicked off September with undefeated Joliet visiting the pitch at the Antonio Carbajal Soccer Complex in Cicero.

Morton College was more than up to the challenge against the nation's 7th-ranked team in NJCAA's Division III, using a penalty-kick goal by Yousri Italief at the 24th minute and a 10-save performance from goalie Soultani Salmi for a 1-0 win September 2nd. 

The Panthers (1-3) cracked the win column for the first time in 2025 as well as avenging last season's 2-1 loss at Joliet, now 2-1.

In addition, it was a pair of college firsts for the Panther duo with Italief scoring his first game-winning goal and Salmi recording his first clean sheet.

"We had a big conversation for about 15 to 20 minutes before the game," Morton College men's soccer coach Juan Franco said. "We talked about the mistakes we've made. We were able to solidify some issues that affected us the past games. We have a good team and good kids. We're headed in the right direction."

The Panthers now head to Prairie State Thursday, September 4th, for a pivotal Skyway Conference match. Both teams are 0-1 in the conference and neither can afford a second loss at this juncture in the season.