Team picture courtesy of Central Kansas United

Salina’s semi-professional men’s soccer team is one win away from making history. Central Kansas United (CKU) will take on the Dodge City Toros in the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) Midwest South Championship on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Bethany College.

In just its third season, CKU has gone from a combined record of 7-2-11 in its first two years to an impressive of 8-3-1 in 2026. Now, the club has an opportunity to knock off the Midwest South Division’s longtime powerhouse for its first league title.

Saturday’s championship match will mark the second meeting between CKU and Dodge City this season. The two teams battled to a 3-3 draw on April 25, setting the stage for what could be another evenly matched and entertaining game.

When asked about what has led to CKU’s success this season, head coach Juan Maldonado gave credit to his core group for leading the way.

“This year I just focused on keeping the right core group of guys,” Maldonado said of his returning players.

CKU is led offensively by Noel Zimbeva, a Zimbabwe native and former Kansas Wesleyan Coyote who recently transferred to NCAA Division I Radford University.

Midfielder Geraldo Garcia has also provided a major boost since returning to Salina for the summer after playing professionally in Spain. His experience has made an immediate impact since rejoining the club.

In goal, Argentina native Santiago Pagnutti has been a steady presence, emerging as one of the team’s leaders while anchoring CKU’s defense.

CKU’s roster also features familiar faces from area high schools.

Having played at Kansas Wesleyan and coached at Salina South, Maldonado recruits many of his players from both schools. The opportunity to coach CKU has given him the chance to continuing working with athletes he’s known since they were in middle school.

“I’ve been a coach in the community for years and this year I actually got to use a lot of my guys that I’ve been coaching since they were in 8th grade,” Maldonado said.

Among the former and current Salina South players on CKU’s roster are Seth Flores, Rodrigo Palacios, Rylan Snell and Adrian Lara.

Saturday’s action at Bethany College begins at 7:30 with the CKU Men’s team facing off with Dodge City for the UPSL Midwest South Championship.