Head Coach: Jason Weides (1st season; 183-117-47 record in 18 seasons as MSOC HC)
2025 Record: 13-2-5, 7-1-3 GPAC (2nd)
Key Returners: D Avery Black; F Abby Haynes; MF Evie Keller; D Sadie Mares; GK Aaliyah Matthews; MF Sierra McElhannon; MF Charli Preister; MF Kyana Rios; D Triniti Rowe; F Guadalupe Sanchez; GK Aliya Vidro.
Key Losses: MF Savanah Andrews; F Kierstynn Garner; D Hannah Kile; MF Niah Kirchner; D Shelby Rugg; MF Elena Ruiz; D Taylor Slaymaker; F Sierra Springer.
2025 GPAC All-Conference: Kierstynn Garner (First Team); Niah Kirchner (First Team); Kyana Rios (First Team); Triniti Rowe (First Team); Guadalupe Sanchez (Second Team); Sadie Mares (Honorable Mention); Elena Ruiz (Honorable Mention); Taylor Slaymaker (Honorable Mention).
Outlook
More than five months have passed since Jason Weides was officially introduced as the Head Coach of the Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Soccer program. Weides made the move to the women’s side after a successful 18-year tenure leading a men’s program he guided to three GPAC tournament championships and three NAIA national tournament appearances. The goal remains the same for Weides: compete for GPAC titles and national tournament berths while running a first-class, Christian outfit.
Back in the spring, Weides helped organize team activities even before he was named head coach. Weides and a roster of 26 players appear to be ahead of schedule when it comes to cultivating a winning culture. The upperclassmen within the program understand the expectations.
“With this team, we've been very intentional,” Weides said. “One of the first things we focused on was cultivating individual relationships and investing in team culture. We want our culture to help us compete at a high level, but we also want players to enjoy the experience. We want to cultivate lifelong friendships, help players grow, and prepare them for life beyond soccer. Our team can be a microcosm of life in that regard.”
The trajectory of the program changed thanks to past coaches such as Greg Henson and Nick Smith. The latter took an opportunity at an NCAA Division II school, leaving the door open for Weides. The Bulldogs finished last season at 13-2-5 overall, just missing a second straight national tournament appearance. Afterwards, Concordia said goodbye to one of the most accomplished four-year classes in school history (which featured three-time First Team All-GPAC selections in Kierstynn Garner and Niah Kirchner), but the pieces remain in place to make another run at a lofty conference placement.
The list of returning GPAC All-Conference award winners includes junior midfielder Kyana Rios, junior defender Triniti Rowe, sophomore forward Gaudalupe Sanchez and senior defender Sadie Mares. A native of Scottsdale, Ariz., Mares is an influential leader in a seven-member senior class. Overall, it’s a relatively youthful roster that sports nine sophomores – making up the largest class on the 2026 team.
Mares and her teammates were “thrilled” to learn that Weides had taken on the head coaching role. Said Mares of the changing dynamics in preseason training, “I would say it's more community-based and making sure we're all on the same page. We're working on a lot of set plays and communication-focused things, just making sure we have a good defensive foundation first before we dive into anything else.”
Stout defensive play stood out as a hallmark of the Bulldog men’s teams Weides coached. Concordia did a solid job in that area last season (20 goals allowed in 20 games) thanks in part to the work of stalwarts like Mares and Rowe in the back. In addition, Elkhorn South product Avery Black played in 19 games as an outside back.
At the same time, the Bulldogs shuffled through three different goalkeepers who each made four starts in 2025. Aaliyah Matthews, a transfer from Augustana University (S.D.), won the keeper spot out of preseason before suffering an injury. There’s plenty of depth at the position as Alicia Lopez, Grady Smith and Aliya Vidro (12 starts in ’25) also return.
In the midfield, it won’t be easy to replace the services of Kirchner, a four-year star and one of the top players in program history. As an attacking mid, Rios supplied nine goals (second on the team to Garner) and two assists last season. As a freshman, Kearney native Addie Snyder has already drawn comparisons to Kirchner and could serve a similar role. Meanwhile, University of Nebraska-Lincoln transfer Kianna Perez (cousin of teammate McKennah West) has the ability to make a major impact immediately in the midfield. She led Lincoln Southwest High School to a pair of state championships.
No one person will be expected to fill the goal scoring shoes of Garner, who knocked in 68 goals over her terrific four-year run. However, more opportunities figure to come the way of the Grand Island native Sanchez, who banked seven goals and four assists as a freshman. A fellow rookie in 2025, Columbus native Charli Preister chipped in with five goals. Out of the current sophomore group, Abby Haynes, Evie Keller and McKennah West also saw extensive action in ’25.
In other words, Weides will have solid depth to make use of this fall. As he says, “The program was left in really good shape. They graduated a large senior class with a lot of talented all-conference players, so the complexion of the team is different. But there is still a lot of talent on this roster, especially young talent. Coach Smith left us in a great position and had already signed some quality recruits before I took over. The newcomers have the ability to make an impact right away, and the returners have worked hard and continued to improve.”
Snyder and Molli Kalsbeck both chose Concordia following strong careers at Kearney High School. The freshman class also includes Alyssa Bivens (Troy, Ill.) and Seward’s own Braelyn Popple. As part of a six-person junior class, Melissa Howard and Sierra McElhannon also provide depth.
For all that has been achieved in recent years, the program has gone since 2020 without a GPAC tournament championship and since 2017 without a GPAC regular season title. Mares and the seniors want to change those facts before they graduate from the program. Mares is joined in the senior class by Abigail Allen, Camryn Higer, Olivia Kohl, Joey Long, Olivia Pyle and Grady Smith.
Mares wants her teammates to think big as the season opener approaches. Says Mares, “I think we've been good at lifting each other up and finding that mentality of why we're here. We want to remember that ‘why’ and use it to push each other, not just for ourselves but to make everyone better because we want to go far this season. Especially with the new additions to our team, I think we've done really well keeping it intense and competitive but also having fun at the same time.”
Weides shares Mares’ desire to compete for a championship. It’s been a recurring and realistic goal for the program ever since it first broke through with a conference postseason title back in 2014.
“This program has been in a position where conference championships are the expectation, and that doesn't change,” Weides said. “It doesn't matter if it's my first year or if we graduated a big senior class. You can make excuses for anything. We're going to hold ourselves to a championship standard and strive for that every day. The conference is extremely competitive, and it's going to be difficult. This team finished second last year and is hungry for more. There are a lot of challenges ahead, but I think this group is showing every day that it's ready to compete for those goals.”
Weides is pleased with the progress he’s observed since the team reported to campus on Aug. 4. He added, “I think they've hit the mark. We wanted to get fitter, become more competitive, grow closer together, build trust and become more organized defensively. The team has worked really hard. Training sessions have been intense and competitive. The group is doing a good job of coming together and buying into what we're trying to accomplish. We aren't at a championship level yet, but we're building the right foundation. They're competing, giving their best effort, and being there for each other every day.”
Weides will make his debut as a women’s soccer coach when the Bulldogs take on University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma in Chickasha, Okla., on Aug. 20. The team’s 2026 home debut is set for Sept. 2 when an in-state clash with Bellevue University will take place. Conference play will kick off with a trip to Dordt on Sept. 19. View the complete schedule HERE.