Max Trejo

Maximiliano "Max" Trejo (TRAY-hoe) (born April 10, 2002) is a Mexican professional footballer who is the starting goalkeeper for the NCAA Division I (D-I), Big Ten athletic conference member Ohio State Buckeyes men's soccer team.

A native of Mexico City, Mexico, Trejo migrated from Mexico to Miami, Florida, and ultimately landed in Lawrence, Kansas, where he grew up, applied, and was accepted at Sporting Kansas City Academy.

This led Trejo to his first appearance as a professional soccer player with Sporting Kansas City II (a team once known as Swope Park Rangers that was a member of the Division II professional soccer league USL Championship (USLC) and is now a member team of Division III pro league team MLS NEXT Pro).

Trejo was 14 years old when he began training at Sporting Kansas City Academy in 2016 and made his professional goalkeeping debut with Sporting Kansas City II (then known as Swope Park Rangers) in a home match at Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas against Bethlehem Steel (later known as Philadelphia Union II) on April 6, 2019, when he was 16 years old.

Trejo would go on to start one more match as keeper for the Swope Park Rangers on September 25, 2019, against Loudon United FC at Segra Field in Leesburg, Virginia.

Trejo then continued his career by joining Kaw Valley FC.

Trejo accepted an offer from Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, to become a student-athlete, major in sport industry, and play for the Buckeyes men's soccer team.

The team's head coach Brian Maisonneuve described Trejo as "an excellent goalkeeper," noting Trejo's "organizational skills are great and he gives confidence to his entire back line. He will have a great collegiate career and more."

However, Trejo did not appear in a match during the 2021 season as a freshman and was redshirted.

Trejo was a redshirt freshman for the 2022 Buckeyes men's soccer season, and on September 13, 2022, Trejo served as starting goalkeeper for the Buckeyes making his D-1 debut in a match at the University of Akron with the Buckeyes pulling out a 3–3 draw.

In Trejo's second start at keeper, against the eventual 2022 NCAA national champion runner-up, Indiana University, on September 18, 2022, the Buckeyes won the match 2–1 earning Trejo the first victory of his D-1 career and his first home victory at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium (JOMS) In Trejo's third starting appearance, the match ended in a nil-nil draw at Cleveland State University on September 21, 2022, earning Trejo the first shutout of his D-1 career.

In Trejo's fourth consecutive start and his final appearance as keeper for the season, the then #13 Ohio State men's soccer team played against the then #9 men's soccer team, the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland, falling 0–1 from a second half Maryland goal on September 25, 2022.

Trejo's official D-I keeping record for the 2022 season had him with 3 saves in 4 appearances (all 3 saves against ranked opponents) and he stood at 1 win, 1 loss, and 2 draws (1–1–2).

Trejo is the starting goalkeeper for the 2023 Buckeyes men's soccer season and a redshirt sophomore.

The team played two pre-season home exhibition matches against the University of Oakland on August 15, 2023, and the University of Dayton on August 19, 2023.

The first match of the 2023 Buckeyes men's soccer season, and Trejo's first official appearance as the team's starting goalkeeper, was a home contest on August 24, 2023, versus California State University – Northridge (CSUN).

The Buckeyes began the season unranked in the pre-season D-1 United Soccer Coaches Top 25 poll.

However, Big Ten men's soccer head coaches project the Buckeyes to finish their season as the third best team in the conference (behind #1 Maryland and #2 Indiana) in the Big Ten pre-season men's soccer poll.

Trejo is "super excited" and positive regarding the 2023 season, hopeful to be "getting a ring" this season with the team "winning the (Big Ten) conference, maybe winning the (Big Ten) tournament as well."

August 24, 2023, Match 1 (Wolstein Classic) vs. California State University – Northridge Matadors (CSUN) in Columbus at JOMS: In the Buckeyes season opener and Trejo's first official appearance as the team's starting goalkeeper, Trejo had one save and the Buckeyes led 1–0 late in the second half.

However, with 0:20 to go in the match on a free kick, a CSUN player scored and the match ended in a draw, 1–1.

Trejo began (Season at 0–0–1) (Big Ten '23 0–0–0) (D-I career 1–1–3).

August 27, 2023, Match 2 (Wolstein Classic) vs. University of California – Davis Aggies (UC Davis) in Columbus at JOMS: In his fourth year, #1 Peter Van Euwen played in his first match, his first home match, and got his first start at keeper for the Buckeyes.

Van Euwen and Trejo are sharing starting keeper duties for the early part of the season.

The Buckeyes fell to UC Davis on two unanswered goals, 2–1.

September 1, 2023, Match 3 (IU Classic) vs. Seton Hall University Pirates at the Indiana University Bloomington (IU) soccer facility in Bloomington, Indiana, Bill Armstrong Stadium: In the only match of the season in which the Ohio State men's soccer team will not be featured on live streaming nor carried on cable TV, Trejo returned as the starting keeper.

Ohio State and Seton Hall combined for 21 fouls and four yellow cards.

And despite taking 9 shots and 5 corners, the Buckeyes did not score.

Trejo once again made an early save in the second half, as he did against California State University – Northridge (CSUN) in the season opener; however, a Seton Hall player scored late in the second half (as CSUN did in the season opener).

Seton Hall prevailed, nil to 1—Trejo was at (Season 0–1–1) (Big Ten ’23 0–0–0) (D-I Career 1–2–3).

September 4, 2023, Match 4 (IU Classic) vs. #22 University of Washington Huskies (UWASH) in Columbus at JOMS: Trejo returned at goal, and this was his first match as a D-I keeper broadcast live before a national cable TV audience via the Big Ten Network.

This was an exciting home Labor Day match between the Buckeyes and their future Big Ten conference foe, the #22 ranked University of Washington Huskies.

Trejo was in professional form, as he punched away and caught numerous UWASH strikes throughout the contest at one point doing a complete flip after contact with another player in defense of the Buckeyes goal.

He recorded a D-I career-high four saves.

Throughout most of the contest, Trejo prevented UWASH from having any realistic opportunity to score.

It was only until late in the second half that Washington found the back of the net with an unusual goal.

The Buckeyes had scored in the 60' and the match ended in a draw, 1–1—Trejo stood at (Season 0–1–2)(Big Ten ’23 0–0–0)(D-I Career 1–2–4).

September 9, 2023, Match 5 at Butler University Bulldogs at the Bud and Jackie Sellick Bowl in Indianapolis, Indiana: Two rarely occurring instances happened during this contest: 1) A Trejo miscue (that turned out to be negligible) and 2) A Trejo injury causing him to leave the match.

Trejo is one of the most athletic and dynamic keepers in all of D-I soccer, so to see him leave a match is concerning.

Trejo did manage to record a save before #1 Peter Van Euwen entered the match and relieved Trejo in the 39' in the first half.