EUGENE, Ore.  – Season two of the Joao Ehlers era begins this weekend for the Bushnell men's soccer program with the largest roster in school history, and an eye on a return to the post-season.
 
After bringing in 13 new players in his first season, Ehlers upped the ante in 2023 with 17 more, giving the Beacons a 36-man roster looking to make waves in the Cascade Collegiate Conference. Ehlers said, "We have depth in our roster and are going to be able to adjust to our needs throughout the season. The guys reported to camp in shape and ready to move forward. We have a lot of new guys, and players from different backgrounds. They understand our philosophy, our values, and what we want on and off the field. We have ended up creating our own style of play based on how diverse our group is."
 
Newcomers
 
Jesus Aguilar
Freshman, Barquisimeto, Venezuela / La Salle HS / 6'0" Defender
 
"Jesus has played high level academy soccer in Venezuela, and he brings a lot of experience to our back line. His physical attributes and technical skills will have an immediate impact on how effective we are defensively."
 
Seth Arthurs
Freshman, Philomath, Ore. / Philomath HS / 5'11" Midfielder
 
"Seth is a technical player. He has good passing and vision, and will help us with his ability to move in central areas of the field."
 
Omar Barajas
Freshman, Portland, Ore. / Jesuit HS / 5'10" Forward
 
"Omar is a great addition to our program. His ability to move off the ball and make runs up front can create spaces for teammates and help us to be more effective on the final third."
 
Patrick Barry
Freshman, Dundalk, Ireland / Coláiste Rís / 5'9" Forward
 
"Patrick is a very creative player. He has great finishing skills and ability to connect with his teammate in the final third."
 
Oliver Bartel
Junior, Sheridan, Wyo. / Central Wyoming College / 6'2" Midfielder
 
"Oliver is a versatile player. He is always ready to help us regardless of the position and formation we are using."
 
Francisco Cayolla
Freshman, Porto, Portugal / Colégio Cebes / 5'9" Forward
 
"Francisco is a great addition to our program. He is a goal scorer and will definitely make a difference up front."
 
Andre Ferreira
Freshman, Maia, Portugal / Escola Secundaria da Maia / 5'8" Goalkeeeper
 
"Andre brings a lot of experience from Portugal. He is very comfortable using his feet and will definitely help us in the build up process."
 
Davis Fornos
Freshman, Gresham, Ore. / Gresham HS / 5'11" Midfielder
 
"Davis, will help us a lot with his creativity and ability to connect passes and control the ball."
 
Javier Gutierrez
Freshman, Madrid, Spain / Woodstock Academy / 5'9" Midfielder
 
"Javier will help us to create goal scoring opportunities. He has great intelligence and can properly identify spaces on the field."
 
Jericho Jalad
Freshman, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. / Western Christian HS / 5'5" Midfielder
 
"Jericho is a very technical and creative player. He has been adjusting to the college game quickly, and he will contribute a lot to establishing our game model."
 
Imanol Melgar
Freshman, Eugene, Ore. / North Eugene HS / 6'0" Defender
 
"Imanol is a versatile player with good ideas on the field, and good ability to read opponents."
 
Byron Olivera
Freshman, Puebla, Mexico / Newport HS / 6'2" Defender
 
"Byron is a physical center back. He has great ability to win tackles and organize our back line."
 
Kainalu Ortogero
Freshman, Mililani, Hawaii / Mililani HS / 5'8" Forward
 
"Kainalu is a handworker. He has helped us a lot in keeping high intensity training sessions during this Fall camp."
 
Walter Reustle
Junior, Roseburg, Ore. / Lane CC / 5'9" Midfielder
 
"Walter is a very technical and intelligent player. He played high level academy soccer and will have an immediate impact on our midfield."
 
Koby Sewall
Junior, Roseburg, Ore./ Southwestern Oregon CC / 5'9" Defender
 
"Koby brings a lot of experience to our group. He is a great teammate and has shown great leadership skills during Fall camp."
 
Cole Sindt
Freshman, Portland, Ore. / Sunset HS / 5'6" Forward
 
"Cole has great ability to understand the game. He has good pace and very good finishing skills."
 
Positional Previews – Forwards
 
With the loss of the leading scorer from last season in All-CCC second-teamer Caleb Burke, the Beacons will adjust with a fresh offense. Ehlers said, "We are very pleased with the new players joining us this season, being able to find a good mixture for our offense. We have a lot more depth this season, and a more creativity."
 
Sophomore Caleb Premo returns after bursting onto the scene as a freshman, scoring three goals and three assists in 16 games. "Premo did a great job last year and is able to adjust to different positions," said Coach Ehlers. "His ability to make runs and his pace will definitely make an impact this season."
 
Additionally, newcomers Sindt, Barajas, Cayolla and Barry are all expected to make a big impact right away. Ehlers said, "Cole has been doing a great job in the wing and Omar is a player we are expecting great contributions from. He has the ability to move in the final third and has great finishing skills. Francisco and Patrick bring in some creativity from an international background."
 
Positional Previews – Midfield
 
Coach Ehlers sees large improvements that have been made in the midfield which will translate directly to more success on the field. "This season we should be able to have more possession," he said. "We have added some technical players who will improve our ability to connect passes and connect zones on the field."
 
A center-back last year, sophomore Jorge Lopez will transition to a defensive midfield spot, while sophomore Alejandro Munoz looks to continue to flex his scoring muscles after working as the team's second-leading scorer in 2022 with four goals.
 
Newcomers Gutierrez and Ruestle are among the players expected to have an immediate impact out of a group that includes no less than 15 possible pieces.
 
Positional Previews - Defense
 
The defensive unit for the Beacons will have some familiarity from last season, with plenty of added depth as well. Coach Ehlers said, "We have room for improvement on defense and with the leaders we have on the field we are going to be able to be more compact and organized and make some improvements. With the diversity and quality of our players, we have been able to add some variation to the formation we are using, which is something we couldn't do last year."
 
Sophomore Jay Jay Van Der Velde, Bushnell's only returning All-Conference selection from a year ago, returns to lead the defensive unit as well as sophomores Emilio Alfaro and Miguel Nascimento. "Jay Jay has done a great job in leading us and getting everyone organized and on the same page," said Ehlers. "Miguel and Emilio are natural leaders and understand our system."
 
There is plenty of experience to go around in the defensive line, which also includes elder statesmen like senior Ethan Ferry and juniors Zander Harer and Eric Ponce.
 
Among the newcomers expected to have the most impact on the defense are Jesus Aguilar and Oliver Bartel. Coach Ehlers said, "Jesus has played at a high level in academies over seas and Oliver brings a lot of experience and his physicality will help us as well."
 
Position Previews - Goalkeeping
 
Sophomore Diego Montes Carrera returns between the pipes for the Beacons, as does sophomore Kainalu Smith, but the pair is not alone with the addition of Andre Ferreira.
 
"Our three goalies are going to fight for playing time, and we are excited about the different aspects that they each bring to the table," said Ehlers. "Diego performed very well for us on the field last year. He provides great information to our guys during the game. Andre is a very technical player and good with his feet. He organizes us well and helps build our offense out of the back. Kainalu is an incredible teammate and he has developed technically and physically. He did a good job in our spring training and has been doing well in fall camp."
 
Season Outlook
 
Bushnell opens up a five-game non-conference schedule on Sunday, playing host to Simpson University at 4:00 pm. The Cascade Collegiate Conference slate picks up on September 15th with a road game in Salem against Corban University at 4:30 pm.
 
"Our conference is very competitive," said Ehlers. "There is no easy game for anyone. Most of the starters were freshmen last season and they have a year under their belts. They understand how tough the competition is at this level. With the newcomers we have brought in give us a well-balanced team which allows us to adjust according to our needs. When we hit conference we are playing back-to-back games which requires depth and that is something that we are going to have this season."