BELOIT, Wis. — For 55 minutes this afternoon at Strong Soccer Field, Beloit College looked like a team ready to end its winless start. Royce Rodriguez gave the Buccaneers the lead with the first goal of his career, and Beloit carried a one-goal advantage deep into the second half before UW-Stevens Point struck three times in the final 12 minutes for a 3-1 win.
Beloit falls to 0-6-0 (0-0-0 MWC). The Pointers moved to 3-3-0 (0-0-0 WIAC).
The decisive moment for the Buccaneers came at 54:53. Rodriguez, a substitute who entered in the 28th minute of the first half, finished unassisted to put the Buccaneers in front — his first goal of his career.
It was not a fluke chance from a passenger. Rodriguez was Beloit's most dangerous attacker all afternoon, putting all three of his shots on target in 49 minutes of work. He forced saves out of Pointers keeper Aissen Witter at 44:06, just before halftime, and again at 69:19 while Beloit still led. Few players on either side created more.
Neither side scored before the break, and the numbers there were tighter than the final margin suggests. Beloit trailed 8-4 in shots but matched Stevens Point with two shots on target apiece and two saves apiece, while holding 46 percent of possession.
Ervin Rosas tested Witter early, drawing a save at 12:09, and Evan Miranda (Grants Pass, Ore.) pushed an effort wide left in the 19th minute. Marco Jijon (Wilmette, IL) logged 88 minutes in defense and got forward for a look of his own at 47:45. Nicholas Williams (Fenton, MO) went the full 90 in midfield.
Matteo Jijon (Wilmette, IL) kept the pressure on after the interval, forcing a save at 53:11 moments before Rodriguez's opener and seeing another attempt blocked at 59:24. He finished with two shots, one on frame.
Stevens Point's Jaxon Buckley, who did not start, changed the game almost single-handedly. He equalized at 78:52, put the Pointers ahead at 80:50, and completed the hat trick at 86:39 off a Tyler Hagen assist. All told, Buckley took six shots, five on target, in 55 minutes.
The Buccaneers pushed back — Juan Calzada (Madison, Wis.) drew a save from Witter at 89:18 — but the deficit held.
Keeper David Staats (Meridian, ID) went the full 90 minutes and made six saves, one more than his counterpart, while facing 22 shots and nine on target. He drops to 0-3-0 on the season.
The Pointers held 55 percent of possession, took a 7-2 edge in corners, and outshot Beloit 14-6 in the second half.
The Buccaneers begin their 2026 Midwest Conference slate on Saturday when they head to Decorah, Iowa and Luther College. Kick off against the Norse is set for 11:00 a.m.
