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If members of the Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Soccer team were nervous, they didn’t show it. With a share of the GPAC regular season championship at stake, the Bulldogs kept the same fun-loving approach. Sophomore Abby Haynes danced in the middle of the huddle, surrounded by her 10 laughing, smiling fellow starting teammates. Then, when the whistle blew, they locked into focus.
Eight goals later, the celebration was on. Concordia’s most thoroughly dominant performance of the 2026 season locked it into a tie atop the final GPAC regular season standings. You better believe they enjoyed it. In the aftermath of the program’s second all-time regular season conference championship, they had fun.
Triniti Rowe handed her phone to graduate assistant Issiah Phillips, so the players could film a TikTok video. Later, after Head Coach Jason Weides provided a few congratulatory words, senior Sadie Mares reminded Weides that he owed them a karaoke performance, something he promised if the men’s and women’s soccer programs both won GPAC championships.
As Weides said moments later, “I keep saying that, at its core, this team competes and has fun.”
The ‘fun’ part was on display once again the very next day when the Bulldogs returned to the practice field donning Halloween costumes. As detailed by the team’s Instagram account, Haynes and McKennah (West) “topped off some creative costumes.” Concordia had earned a light-hearted training day complete with a degree of rest and recovery. The Bulldogs were still coming down from the previous night’s high.
There’s more to come, but the 16-game regular season journey was something worth celebrating. Just two months earlier, Concordia struggled through an 0-2 road trip in Oklahoma. It hadn’t yet formed an identity while battling injuries and transitioning to a new head coach in Weides, who had spent the previous 18 seasons leading the men’s program. The conference championship was a marker of how much the team had progressed since August.
Says senior Sadie Mares, “Being able to win a conference championship with this group of girls is beyond thrilling and exciting. We have all worked so hard to get to this point. We started off rough, but we have put in the work. Being able to watch each and every one of these girls develop as not only a player, but a person has been such a blessing. I can't wait to keep pushing and grinding.”
The Scottsdale, Ariz., native Mares has been a four-year constant for a program that experienced its fair share of offseason turnover. Not only did former Head Coach Nick Smith depart for another opportunity, 10 seniors moved on after establishing themselves as one of the most successful classes in program history. Concordia said goodbye to all-time greats like three-time First Team All-GPAC selections Kierstynn Garner and Niah Kirchner.
The Bulldogs proceeded to go winless in their first four games (0-2-2) of this season. The start may have caused some to wonder whether this transitional year would be a rebuilding one. Judging by what transpired over the months of September and October, the 2026 team refused to accept that sentiment. Eventually, Concordia settled in and became the first team in program history to start 6-0 in conference play.
“The team did a good job of adjusting throughout the year,” Weides said. “It was a new coach, a new style and new philosophies. There's more than one way to go about things. Obviously, Nick Smith, the previous coach, had a lot of success, but we go about it a little differently. There's not necessarily a right or wrong way to do it, and the team did a great job of adjusting. Some of those adjustments were dictated by personnel. Early in the season, we were pretty injured and banged up and didn't have a lot of bodies available.”
One key maneuver made by Weides was to shift sophomore Evie Keller from the midfield to a role at center back. With Keller playing alongside the likes of Avery Black, Charli Preister and Triniti Rowe in the back, the Bulldogs flourished. Weides tinkered and then moved the chess pieces around, employing a 3-5-2 formation that has fit the personnel. Weides mentioned how players like Black, Haynes, Molli Kalsbeck and Preister have made adjustments on the fly. As an example, in her first game playing as a striker, Preister put away two goals in the win over Northwestern.
In the middle of the park, Mares and junior Kyana Rios supply steady, consistent performance. On the attack, sophomore Guadalupe Sanchez has blossomed while coming through with a team-high 10 goals this season. The additions of Kalsbeck and Addie Snyder, as well as transfer Kianna Perez, have strengthened the team’s depth. Meanwhile, Aaliyah Matthews has solidified the goalkeeper position. Many others on the roster of 25 have also offered significant contributions.
The continued growth has made this team an enjoyable one for Weides to coach. As Rios says, “We are a team full of joy and genuine people. I’m so proud to be part of a group that truly embraces what it means to be a Bulldog and a follower of Jesus Christ. Through every challenge, we continue to fight for each other, laugh together, and find joy in the game. I think that says a lot about who we are, not just as a team, but as people.”
Indeed, it’s about more than the goals scored or the championship trophy that guarantees the 2026 team a special place in Concordia Athletics history. Said Weides, “Throughout the season, we've focused on the journey rather than the outcome. The outcome is sweet and a little icing on the cake, but we've enjoyed the journey. This team loves each other, and we're so happy to see the team succeed and be part of each other's lives every day.”
To be sure, the Bulldogs are no underdog program. Previous coach Greg Henson changed the game in breaking through with the program’s first GPAC regular season and tournament championships. Then in Nick Smith’s second year, the 2024 team broke new ground with the program’s first ever win at the national tournament. Concordia has been a regular in the top two or three of the standings since Henson’s tenure began in 2013.
It’s also true that the ’26 squad overcame its own unique set of challenges. With Weides officially taking the reins of the program in March, the recruiting class for this season was lighter in quantity than typical. When injuries surfaced in the preseason, the team’s depth was tested in a major way.
By conference play, Weides and company put the pieces together. Over the 11-game conference regular season slate, the Bulldogs outscored their opponents by a combined total of 36-6. On paper, their best win was a 2-1 Sept. 26 victory over Morningside, a team currently ranked 25th in the NAIA Selection Committee poll. Over the past three games, Concordia has defeated its foes by a collective score of 21-0.
This all was made possible, at least in part, by the players’ willingness to embrace Weides as their new coach. The players cheered the hiring of Weides, who they had become more familiar with during offseason workouts in late winter of 2026.
Said Rios, “Coach Weides has made this transition a great learning experience, not just in soccer, but in life. Sometimes, unexpected changes can lead to something even more meaningful than you could have imagined in the moment. I think having a shared goal from the very beginning made a huge difference. We all came in with the mindset of lifting a trophy, and everyone understood that they had a role to play in making that happen. Having that common purpose brought us together and helped us move forward as one team.”
That same team will move forward into the postseason, more confident and more together than it was a couple short months ago. In her last go-round, Mares has her sights set on securing another trophy. As long as possible, they want to continue the dancing and the karaoke – and the winning. Whatever the circumstances, fun will be had.
Said Weides, “I'm really proud of this team, not just for winning a title, which is really hard to do, but because they put in a lot of hard work and helped create an amazing culture that gave us the opportunity to succeed. They've gotten better throughout the season. From where we started in March, when they took charge, to where we are now, it's been really impressive progression. I'm super proud of these girls.”