Head Coach: Bernie Ochoa (1st season)
2025 Record: 12-9-1 overall; 7-3 GPAC (3rd); GPAC tournament champions; NAIA second round
Key Returners: MF Hugo Garrote; F Milo Hegarty; F Jasper Hofland; D Mattis Hollnagel; MF Joe McCarroll; D Niko Nareike; F Kai Olbrich; D Connor Robbins; F Karlo Rodriguez; D Sean Stratman; D Michael Wyvill.
Key Losses: MF Oliver Balazs; F Oliver Benson; D Ryan Brown; F Ricards Busmeisters; GK Inigo Chavarria; GK Nolan Fuelberth; MF Sam Hamilton; MF Slade Leicht; D Adrian Wambua.
2025 GPAC All-Conference: Ricards Busmeisters (First Team); Oliver Balazs (Second Team); Hugo Garrote (Second Team); Slade Leicht (Second Team); Inigo Chavarria (Honorable Mention); Nolan Fuelberth (Honorable Mention); Adrian Wambua (Honorable Mention); Michael Wyvill (Honorable Mention).
Outlook
Over 18 years under the direction of Coach Jason Weides, Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Soccer established itself as one of the most consistent programs across the NAIA. Weides was seemingly firmly entrenched as the program’s head man, but the dynamics changed back in March. A new era of Bulldog Soccer was ushered in as Weides moved over to the women’s side (in addition to taking on the role of Director of Soccer Operations) while Concordia Athletics Hall of Famer Bernie Ochoa took the reins of the men’s program.
The news came as a shock to the roster’s upperclassmen, but the vast majority of players with eligibility remaining held firm in their commitment to maintaining Concordia’s high standards. An experienced and highly successful high school and club coach in California, Ochoa prepared himself to hit the ground running.
Says Ochoa, “It’s exciting times for me. Who would have thought I’d come back to my alma mater and be the head coach? Jason being a big part of it, I always give him a lot of respect. We were teammates, and he gave me this opportunity. It was hard for him after 18 years as the head coach to make that transition. It definitely meant a lot to me to know that he trusted me with the program. Hopefully, I can fulfill his expectations and the high expectations he’s established over the years and continue the success of the program.”
Ochoa has had the chance to preside over scrimmages during both the spring and fall training seasons as he shapes and molds the ’26 team. This Bulldog edition will feature a mix of veterans and new faces. Gone from last year’s GPAC tournament championship NAIA National Championship Second Round team are six of eight all-conference award winners. That leaves seniors in midfielder Hugo Garrote and center back Mike Wyvill as the most decorated returners.
While national tournament heroes such as striker Ricards Busmeisters and keeper Inigo Chavarria have moved on, Concordia won’t lower its standards. The cupboard is far from empty with 10 players back in the fold who saw action in at least 14 matches in 2025. That number doesn’t even include Sean Stratman, a 2024 Second Team All-GPAC defender who battled injuries last fall.
Wyvill sees a team that is homing in on an identity for 2026. “I would say grit,” said Wyvill when asked how he would define the ’26 Bulldogs. “We’ve had team meetings, and this season Niko (Nareike) and I, as captains, have brought to the table the idea that we’re going to take it day by day—kind of brick by brick. We want to take every practice seriously and not take any practice for granted. We also don’t want to look too far ahead into our schedule.”
At 6-foot-7, Nareike provides a physical presence in the back along with the likes of Wyvill. Under Weides, the Bulldogs made a teamwide defensive approach their hallmark – they surrendered a combined 29 goals over the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Under Ochoa, Concordia just might feature increased aggression in terms of moving numbers forward into the attack. The Bulldogs believe they can improve upon the 34 goals they tallied in 2025.
They must do so without the services of Busmeisters, who put away 10 goals and clinched the momentous national tournament PK shootout win over Eastern Oregon last November. The top remaining goal scorers are Garrote (three goals, four assists in 2025), Jasper Hofland (five goals) and Kai Olbrich (four goals). Garrote played the role of hero in last season’s GPAC Quarterfinals with an overtime goal that sank rival Hastings.
There will be plenty of opportunities for others to make their mark in the goal scoring ledger. Ochoa will empower his players to attack when the time is right. Said Ochoa of his philosophy, “I don’t limit my players tactically. I like to play possession. I like to hold the ball and understand the timing of the game—when to go forward and when not to go forward. You give them the liberty of figuring out what to do in a game. I can tactically tell them how I want to play and how I want things done, but ultimately, they’re on the field and they have to perform.”
Garrote and Wyvill were the lone Bulldogs to see action in all 22 games last season. Other holdovers who made at least 10 starts in 2025 were Mattis Hollnagel (13), Milo Hegarty (11), Nareike (11), Connor Robbins (11) and Joe McCarroll (10). Several of whom were part of the first 11 on the pitch in Olathe, Kan., site of last season’s national tournament appearance.
At least for now, Ochoa isn’t ready to mention specific names when it comes to newcomers, but the new group of freshmen and transfers will surely make an impact. The roster includes seven transfers and five freshmen. One of those transfers, 6-foot-7 Florian Quast, could vie for a starting role at keeper. Quast appeared in three games (two starts) at NAIA member Milligan University (Tenn.) in 2025. He continues to compete with returners such as Jason Payne and Carter Wiebusch at the position.
The talent infusion has impressed Wyvill. Said the Lincoln Pius X alum, “I’ve had nothing but good things to say about all of them. I think all of them bring a good competitive spirit to the team and are fighting for minutes and starting positions. Overall, I think they’ve brought great character to the team. They’re all great guys. Bernie told me when he was recruiting them, ‘Hey, I want to recruit guys that want to be here.’ It’s a great thing for us and a great opportunity for us to grow this season.”
The crew of upperclassmen is made up of nine seniors and eight juniors. They know what it’s like to enter a season with high expectations and then to meet the challenge. The official GPAC preseason poll is scheduled to be released on Aug. 17 and will likely peg the Bulldogs towards the top of the pack. After all, Concordia has reached the GPAC Championship Game in three of the past four seasons and owns a conference regular season mark of 28-4-10 during that stretch.
A legend in high school coaching circles in California, Ochoa embraces high expectations. He wants to continue the program’s momentum and push it to further heights – like a GPAC regular season championship and to the final site of the NAIA National Championships (Orange Beach, Ala.). Yes, he is dreaming big while meshing together a roster that has been pulled from 10 different countries, including five that reached the round of 16 in this past summer’s FIFA World Cup.
“You don’t just have a team,” Ochoa said. “You have a wide variety of players from all over the world. I think the buy-in starts with establishing relationships. The first thing was getting these guys to understand and trust you as a coach. Establishing relationships has been the biggest thing, and I think we’ve been able to do that slowly but surely. It’s also helped that I speak a little bit of Spanish with some of my international players. That’s been helpful in all aspects of it.”
Ochoa and company will get used to life on the road as they look forward to playing seven of the season’s first eight contests away from Bulldog Stadium. The nonconference rundown is highlighted by a trip to play defending national champion Grand View University (Iowa). Ochoa will make his home debut as head coach on Sept. 2 when in-state rival Bellevue University pays a visit to Seward.
By Sept. 19, when conference play kicks off, Ochoa (the program’s 11th head coach) will expect to have a handle on how to deploy a roster with plenty of talent to make noise once again.
“I like our team from top to bottom,” Ochoa said. “I think it’s going to be competitive. That’s the idea day in and day out. From the freshman all the way to the top guy, they’re going to compete week in and week out for a starting position because that’s only going to make us a better team.”
View the complete 2026 men’s soccer schedule HERE.