EUGENE, Ore. – If coaching were like college, Joao Ehlers would be in his senior year with the Beacons, and the culmination of everything the men's soccer program has been building since his arrival in 2022 is upon us. With it comes a heavy dose of optimism that everything that has been built will come together with a return to the Cascade Conference post-season after a seven-year hiatus.
 
It has been a gradual build for Bushnell, with improvements in the win column every year. After the program won just two games in the year before his arrival, Bushnell claimed four victories in Ehlers first season, six in year two, and their first-ever winning campaign in 2024 as they went 8-7-3.
 
The Beacons have been built on experience and talent at every position from 14 players in their third or fourth year in the program, to six transfers and nine freshman, and everywhere in between.
 
Coach Ehlers said, "With our strong group of returners, players understand what we are trying to do as a program on and off the field. We have good leadership, our captains are all seniors, and they really understand the culture we are trying to maintain and the style of play we are trying to implement.
We also have a good balance of transfers and freshman, a good balance of experience and talent that can be developed. We played some tough scrimmages in the pre-season and we are overall very pleased with the direction we are going."
 
The Beacons have been built on diversity, with 17 different nationalities celebrated on the roster, bringing in a blend of soccer backgrounds that combine to make up the very fabric of Beacon Soccer.
 
"We have a lot of different soccer backgrounds," said Ehlers. "They bring different ideas that help us in creating our style of play. We end up learning from each other on and off the field. Our guys from different cultures had different coaching and they are able to share some of those principles that they learned, and as coaches we are able to learn from them as well."
 
The Beacons have been built on depth, which will come to fruition in 2025 with plenty of options ready to step up and give Bushnell an elevated intensity level for 180 minutes of grueling back-to-back days in the Cascade Conference.
 
Ehlers said, "We have a lot of players on this team and with more players we are seeing more quality and more options. We can adapt our strategies and have the possibility to adjust to specific scenarios and opponents.
 
"Our depth is going to set us apart this season. We will be able to substitute a good number of guys, and maintain our intensity throughout the weekend which is something we didn't necessarily have in previous years. We have some guys who can give us an edge, technically and tactically, and provide something new for our opponents to deal with."
 
GOALKEEPERS
 
The Beacons have four keepers on the roster and all of them have some level of experience in the program with three true returners and a freshman who joined the Beacons for the spring semester and was able to get into some scrimmages as well.
 
"We have a lot of quality back there and four good options," said Ehlers. "We have had the opportunity to take a look at everyone, see how they do in a competitive environment, and we are pleased with what we will be able to do."
 
All three returners started at least two games in 2024, led by senior William Haberfield who posted the best Goals Against Average (1.34) in seven years and the third lowest in school history. Coach Ehlers said, "Will is coming back from an injury after missing the end of the fall season last year. He is one of the main pieces in our defensive system and allows us the ability to play out of the back and maintain possession as he is very talented with his feet."
 
Sophomores Agustin Morales and Nevan Englin started a pair of games apiece at the end of the 2024 campaign and showed plenty of promise with Morales going 2-0 with a shutout.
 
They are joined by spring enrollee Josh Anderson (Rosemount, Minn.), a two-time All-MACS selection at First Baptist School of Rosemount. "Josh is adjusting to our system and is being mentored well by the returning keepers. He has a lot of potential and is working extremely hard. He has a lot of potential to develop and contribute in the future."
 
DEFENSE
 
With a top-line group consisting entirely of experienced returners, and a number of new recruits who could all very well be starters on their own merits, the defense will have some newfound flexibility in 2025.
 
Coach Ehlers said, "We have a lot of options on defense and are excited about the opportunity to play different guys and maintain the quality and intensity that we are trying to implement. We are in a good spot to use different formations due to the ability and soccer IQ of this group."
 
Four-year starters Jorge Lopez and Emilio Alfaro lead the group along with senior Christopher Aguilera and junior Jesus Aguilar. That core was responsible for fewest goals allowed since 2017.
 
They will be bolstered by the return of defender Jay Jay Van Der Velde who joins the Beacons once again after a one-year stint with a NAIA program in Florida. The junior was a Second-Team All-Cascade Conference selection as a sophomore in 2023.
 
Sophomores Nicolas Guerrero and David Melo also return, adding to the depth at the position, while several newcomers also bolster the Beacons in the back-third.
 
Junior James Duggan (Tallahassee, Fla.) was a spring addition to the program after transferring from Whatcom CC. "James was able to play in the off-season scrimmages last year and played extremely well," said Ehlers. "He is someone who will add a lot of quality to our back line. His strength lies in connecting passes and keeping things organized when we have the ball."
 
Nicholas Ferriera (Goiânia, Brazil) transfers after two years at Blue Mountain Community College, where he played with and against many players in the CCC, giving him an edge on the field. "Nicholas is a very physical player," said Ehlers, "and will contribute a lot in games when we will need to defend lower on the field and have numbers behind the ball. He is a guy built for physical matches, especially in conference, and he understands the game very well."
 
Konstantinos Gavriel (Kaimakli, Cyprus) joins the Beacons after two seasons at Kansas Wesleyan University (NAIA). "Konstantinos' versatility will help us in changing the scenarios and matchups that we play," said Ehlers.
 
MIDFIELD
 
While depth is not lacking, the midfield strength lies in the high-quality starting core which acts as the heart and soul for the Beacons and their style of play. Ehlers said, "As time goes by, we try to add guys who will help us with our idea of maintaining possession of the ball in the midfield, because that is the key to creating opportunities to score and also to defending. We have talented midfielders that help us with that."
 
Senior Walter Reustle and junior Javier Gutierrez are at the core of the Bushnell system, playing center-midfielder roles. "Walter is someone that we can rely on to connect passes and create opportunities. He will control the ball in tight spaces and dictates the tempo. Javi has an engine and covers a lot of ground. He provides us with defensive help and making runs in behind, creating overlaps and giving us chances to score.
 
Other returners expected to see significant time include Alberto Vargas and Michael Ho, who both redshirted the 2024 season and look to make an immediate impact upon their return. "Alberto has a great fitness level," said Ehlers. "He understands spaces very well and is able to position himself where he needs to be. He has great vision and passing abilities. Michael understands our game model. He is a creative and technical player who will give us an edge when we need options getting the ball forward."
 
One of Bushnell's newcomers expected to have a major impact will be freshman Juan Olguin (Buenos Aires, Argentina). Ehlers said, "Juan is very physical and does a great job in winning his individual challenges."
 
FORWARDS

The front third may be the area where the Beacons see the most improvement in 2025, due in large part to the incredible depth provided by returners and newcomers alike.
 
"In our final third we have some proven players, and new problems for our opponents," said Ehlers. "The numbers allow us to sub guys in and out and maintaining the intensity. They do a lot of running and we put a lot on them in matches, so the idea of using a lot of players in the area and keeping their legs fresh is going to make us successful."
 
Senior Caleb Premo is the second-leading scorer in Bushnell history and has scored more goals than any player in 15 years. While he has plenty of help, he is still expected to contribute at a high level. Ehlers said, "Caleb's ability to cover ground is outstanding and he helps on both sides of the ball. He is always tracking down full backs and providing options to score."
 
Bushnell's lone representative on the All-Cascade Conference team last season was honorable mention Danny Rojas. As a junior he scored 15 points with six goals and three assists, and should be a major factor on offense in his senior campaign. Coach Ehlers said, "Danny is very creative, excels in one-on-one opportunities, and does very well in small areas with great ability to finish."
 
Junior Omar Barajas missed all but five games during his sophomore campaign but still added three more assists to his Beacon all-time record, which he established during his freshman season. He is set to return to full strength this season. "Omar has strong soccer acumen," said Ehlers, "and he understands pockets of the field where he can turn and use the ball and create plays. He combines well in the final third and there is a reason he leads our team in assists."
 
Sophomore Brady Housley scored four times as a freshman including the game-winner in the final 45 seconds of the season that lifted the Beacons to their winning record. Coach Ehlers said, "Brady had a great freshman year and scored some important goals for us. He now understands his teammates very well; which players like to receive in space, which players like the ball at their feet. He has the ability to lay off, play in two-touches and we are expecting him to be very creative when he's on the field."
 
Junior Francisco Cayolla has scored seven goals and seven assists over the past two seasons and is another player who will provide a spark off the bench for the offense. "Francisco has a great work rate," said Ehlers, "and can play multiple positions which allows us to change things on the fly without having to change the structure of what we are doing."
 
The Beacons are also expecting big things from a pair of newcomers in freshman Giovanni Agogliati (Milan, Italy) and sophomore Joan Remo Morales (Alcudia, Spain), a transfer from North American University (NAIA).


Coach Ehlers said, "Giovanni is very creative and very technical. He is great in one-on-ones and we have great expectations for him to provide some scoring. Joan is a big presence in the box. He is very physical and gives us something different up front. He is a great target and will allow us to connect longer passes when we need to. He has great ability to hold the ball and connect passes as well."
 
SCHEDULE
 
With a 4-2 win in their season-opener against St. Martin's University, the Beacons have extended their non-conference undefeated streak to 13 straight games, dating back to 2022. They will look to keep that going this week, playing host to Simpson University on Thursday.
 
They will have five total pre-season games before the CCC schedule kicks off on the road against the University of Providence on September 18. The first conference home game won't happen until October 3 when the Beacons take on Walla Walla University.
 
The Beacons will look to make their return to the CCC tournament on November 8, a feat which they will aim to accomplish for the first time since 2017. "I like to keep my feet on the ground," said Ehlers. "We have been raising the bar every year and have improved in every area of the program in the past few years, but we haven't qualified for playoffs yet. We have been getting closer and closer every year, and we have the quality personnel to accomplish it this season."