Hastings – Class B Team Preview (Girls)

Previewing an upcoming season is never an easy task. To do so properly takes countless hours of emails, observations, statistical research, conversation, and reflection. Adding onto that difficulty are challenges, such as a cancelled 2020 season and lingering COVID restrictions, making our preview preparation feel almost impossible.

Despite these obstacles, the approaching 2021 season and its participants – whether that be players, coaches, fans, or families – deserve some semblance of normalcy. Soccer in Nebraska and all those who participate deserve to be promoted. Over the course of the next several weeks, NEST will overview EVERY high school soccer program in our state. This was done to the best of our ability using all of the information we could collect.

Nebraska Soccer Talk is here to support many fantastic teams, coaches, players, fans, and referees that make our game possible. One mission of this venture is to discover and centralize newsworthy information. This can only be done in collaboration with individual programs. As a whole, our sport must better promote itself in order to grow the player and supporter pool. We encourage every team to proudly and consistently advertise itself to us and the general public. The more information available, the more our game will grow. Soccer is a game historically left behind to linger in the background in the United States. That circumstance is changing, but that change will not happen automatically. Growing and covering all aspects of our sport will take effort from all of those who love it.

Disclaimer – To prepare for these articles, a questionnaire was sent to every school’s head coach and athletic director. Many of these questionnaires were returned in a timely fashion, others were not. Nebraska Soccer Talk prides itself on equal and in-depth coverage, but cooperation is needed to meet that goal. Please consider this to be our reasoning when it comes to article length and accuracy.

Hastings

Head Coach – Information not found

Previous Records

Year Record
2019 11-4
2018 11-7

State Status – Front Runner, Contender, Dark Horse, Up-And-Coming, Building, Too Early To Tell

Previous Season Accomplishments – 2019 Class B State Qualifier

NEST Analysis – Although lacking individual name recognition for now, Hastings is a program that looks to contend in 2021. Many programs aim for the current position of Hastings, as they have posted back to back eleven win seasons. Even more impressive is that this achievement is due to a complete team effort, not just a singular player. Opponents will soon find out that playing this team, especially in Hastings, is no easy task. This is a program that routinely punches above their expected weight. As the season progresses, players are sure to emerge, and we will be there to cover them. A standard of performance has been set in Central Nebraska. Hastings will begin the season the #7 ranked team in Class B.

 

Thank you for reading and being a part of our new community. A like, share, comment or recommendation of content would be greatly appreciated. In order to financially support our efforts, sponsorship/partnership opportunities have become available. Sponsors will receive vast exposure to the Nebraska soccer community through different media avenues. The sponsorship process is easy and reasonable.

Contact us on our website or email @ nebraskasoccertalk@gmail.com.

Connect with us on TwitterInstagram, or listen to our podcast.

Hastings – Class B Team Preview (Boys)

Previewing an upcoming season is never an easy task. To do so properly takes countless hours of emails, observations, statistical research, conversation, and reflection. Adding onto that difficulty are challenges, such as a cancelled 2020 season and lingering COVID restrictions, making our preview preparation feel almost impossible.

Despite these obstacles, the approaching 2021 season and its participants – whether that be players, coaches, fans, or families – deserve some semblance of normalcy. Soccer in Nebraska and all those who participate deserve to be promoted. Over the course of the next several weeks, NEST will overview EVERY high school soccer program in our state. This was done to the best of our ability using all of the information we could collect.

Nebraska Soccer Talk is here to support many fantastic teams, coaches, players, fans, and referees that make our game possible. One mission of this venture is to discover and centralize newsworthy information. This can only be done in collaboration with individual programs. As a whole, our sport must better promote itself in order to grow the player and supporter pool. We encourage every team to proudly and consistently advertise itself to us and the general public. The more information available, the more our game will grow. Soccer is a game historically left behind to linger in the background in the United States. That circumstance is changing, but that change will not happen automatically. Growing and covering all aspects of our sport will take effort from all of those who love it.

Disclaimer – To prepare for these articles, a questionnaire was sent to every school’s head coach and athletic director. Many of these questionnaires were returned in a timely fashion, others were not. Nebraska Soccer Talk prides itself on equal and in-depth coverage, but cooperation is needed to meet that goal. Please consider this to be our reasoning when it comes to article length and accuracy.

Hastings

Head Coach – Dan Hawker

Previous Records

Year Record
2019 4-10
2018 7-10

State Status – Front Runner, Contender, Dark Horse, Up-And-Coming, Building, Too Early To Tell

NEST Analysis – Regardless of the year, Hastings boys soccer is always an interesting topic. Like many Central Nebraska teams, Hastings flies below the soccer radar of the state. However, that perception has little to do with the reality of the program. Hastings is a tough competitive team that opponents must respect on game day. The Tigers are particularly dangerous when at home, as increased travel time for the opponent provides an added advantage. Coach Dan Hawker is a respected coach and ambassador of the game in his community. Talent can be found everywhere, and Hastings is no exception, even if their best attributes are different from others. Look for a bounce back season to occur in 2021. A significant increase in the win column is expected.

 

 

Thank you for reading and being a part of our new community. A like, share, comment or recommendation of content would be greatly appreciated. In order to financially support our efforts, sponsorship/partnership opportunities have become available. Sponsors will receive vast exposure to the Nebraska soccer community through different media avenues. The sponsorship process is easy and reasonable.

Contact us on our website or email @ nebraskasoccertalk@gmail.com.

Connect with us on TwitterInstagram, or listen to our podcast on Spotify.

 

Hastings College – Women’s Soccer College Spotlight

Although it is rarely covered by the traditional media giants of the state, Nebraska is filled with exciting and competitive collegiate soccer programs. In fact, Nebraska contains a grand total of THIRTY programs for men and women. Those thirty programs compete across a wide variety of collegiate levels including Division I, Division II, Division III, NAIA, and junior college.

Nebraska Soccer Talk is here to examine, cover, and promote all of these teams. This task has been made a bit more challenging by the circumstances created by COVID-19. Depending on the playing level, conference, and school, the season outlook changes drastically. Roster information can also be in flux, depending on the school. Despite these challenges, our staff attempted to put together the best program summaries possible. To our knowledge, we are the only outlet providing such coverage to our state’s college programs.

Just like Nebraska Soccer Talk, this column will grow and become more in depth as the years pass. In the future, we hope to provide sideline coverage of games, facility features, coach and player interviews. We look forward to the journey ahead. Thank you for being a part of our community. The sport of soccer is growing in Nebraska, and we intend to see it thrive.

Disclaimer – In the making of this article, team websites and other research sources were utilized. Although we attempt to avoid them whenever possible, errors can occur. Please contact us directly with corrections.

Hastings College

Head Coach – Jade Ovendale

Assistant Coaches – Bruno Moreira & James Westfield

Mascot – Broncos

Year

Regular Season Record

GPAC Record

2019 17-5 10-2
2018 17-1-3 10-0-2
2017 15-3-4 8-1-1
2016 17-3-1

10-0

Nebraska Homegrown Players On Roster – 

  • #3 Rilee Silvain – Fr – Omaha Marian – D
  • #5 Katie Heller – Fr – Lincoln East – D
  • #6 Hunter Reeves – Jr – Gretna High – F
  • #8 Mackenzie McNeel – Fr – Elkhorn South – D
  • #17 Ayden Ridder – Fr – Bennington – M
  • #20 Miley Prine – Fr – Bennington – F
  • #25 Eva Dunker – Fr – Blair – M
  • #27 Kelsey Peterson – So – Omaha Roncalli – D
  • #30 Sofia Gomez-Garcia – Fr – Columbus – M
  • #32 Carolyn Hopkins – Sr – Lincoln East – D
  • #34 Lancy Siefken – Fr – Papillion-La Vista South – F

11/31 = 35%

NEST Analysis – Hastings is a highly successful Nebraska based program that has elevated the sport with its wonderful showing on a yearly basis. With so many collegiate women’s programs within our borders, it can be difficult to rise above a crowded field. However, Hastings College has distanced itself from the field. Even better, this success has been accomplished with some of the best homegrown talent Nebraska has to offer. As of right now, 35% of the roster is made up of Nebrakans. The Broncos consistently find talent that fits their culture and buys into the program’s standard. Even more impressive is the fact that the head coaching position is rotating regularly. Credit must be given to the athletic department for seemingly always hitting a home run with their hires. Coach Ovendale is the latest to hold the post and have major success. The season has the Broncos in title contention yet again.

 

Thank you for reading and being a part of our new community. A like, share, comment or recommendation of content would be greatly appreciated. In order to financially support our efforts, sponsorship/partnership opportunities have become available. Sponsors will receive vast exposure to the Nebraska soccer community through multiple different media avenues. The sponsorship process is easy and reasonable.

Contact us on our website or email @ nebraskasoccertalk@gmail.com.

Connect with us on TwitterInstagram, or listen to our podcast on Spotify.

 

Hastings College – Men’s Soccer College Spotlight

Although it is rarely covered by the traditional media giants of the state, Nebraska is filled with exciting and competitive collegiate soccer programs. In fact, Nebraska contains a grand total of THIRTY programs for men and women. Those thirty programs compete across a wide variety of collegiate levels including Division I, Division II, Division III, NAIA, and junior college.

Nebraska Soccer Talk is here to examine, cover, and promote all of these teams. This task has been made a bit more challenging by the circumstances created by COVID-19. Depending on the playing level, conference, and school, the season outlook changes drastically. Roster information can also be in flux, depending on the school. Despite these challenges, our staff attempted to put together the best program summaries possible. To our knowledge, we are the only outlet providing such coverage to our state’s college programs.

Just like Nebraska Soccer Talk, this column will grow and become more in depth as the years pass. In the future, we hope to provide sideline coverage of games, facility features, coach and player interviews. We look forward to the journey ahead. Thank you for being a part of our community. The sport of soccer is growing in Nebraska, and we intend to see it thrive.

Disclaimer – In the making of this article, team websites and other research sources were utilized. Although we attempt to avoid them whenever possible, errors can occur. Please contact us directly with corrections.

Hastings College

Head Coach – Tim Bohnenkamp

Assistant Coaches – Cesar Herrera

Mascot – Broncos

Year Regular Season Record GPAC Record
2019 20-3-3 9-2
2018 17-3 11-0
2017 19-3-1 9-0
2016 24-0-1 9-0

Nebraska Homegrown Players On Roster –

  • #11 Caleb Osmond – Jr – Lincoln North Star – F
  • #14 Steven Castillo – So – Grand Island HS – Mid
  • #18 Brendon Boatwright – Jr. – Papillion – LaVista HS – Def
  • #25 Tyler Mase – Fr. – Omaha Burke – Mid
  • #29 Miles Whitaker – Fr – Millard North – Def
  • #32 Austin Uhlig – So – Millard North – GK
  • #33 Kevin Toledo- Frutus – Jr – Lexington/CCC – Def

6/35 = 17%

NEST Analysis – One must look no further than Hastings’ jerseys to understand the standard of the program. Located just above the school logo are two stars: each representing a national championship. Its most recent championship campaign took place in 2016. Hastings has undoubtedly become the state’s most consistent and successful men’s soccer program year in and year out. Just last year, the Broncos were one victory away from adding a third star to their jersey. In his third year, Coach Bohnenkamp has put together a large and interesting roster. Like many NAIA schools, Hastings is fortunate that Nebraska is home to only two D1 soccer programs, both of which tend to recruit internationally.  Hastings always seems to capitalize on this situation by bringing in some of the best talent that Nebraska has to offer. Combining those high-level homegrown players with prospects from all over the world makes this squad a case study for success. Hastings College is an exciting program that we will look forward to covering. Any Nebraska team that produces championships, All-Americans, and professionals has our attention. 

Additionally, how sweet is this hype video?! This is what it takes to grow your brand and the game of soccer!

 

Thank you for reading and being a part of our new community. A like, share, or recommendation of content would be greatly appreciated. In order to financially support our efforts, sponsorship/partnership opportunities have become available. Sponsors will receive vast exposure to the Nebraska soccer community through multiple different media avenues. The sponsorship process is easy and reasonable.

Contact us on our website or email @ nebraskasoccertalk@gmail.com.

Connect with us on Twitter, Instagram, or listen to our podcast on Spotify.

 

Class B Girls – Pre-Season Top 10 List

Previewing an upcoming season is never an easy task. To do so properly takes countless hours of emails, observations, statistical research, conversation, and reflection. Adding onto that difficulty are challenges, such as a cancelled 2020 season and lingering COVID restrictions, making our preview preparation feel almost impossible.

Despite these obstacles, the approaching 2021 season and its participants – whether that be players, coaches, fans, or families – deserve some semblance of normalcy. Soccer in Nebraska and all those who participate deserve to be promoted. In the following article series, we will reveal our Pre-season Top 10 rankings for the 2021 season.

This poll was developed while considering many different factors including program track records, recommendations from coaches, and roster strength. With that being said, much of this is subjective and opinions can vary. The rankings will be updated on bi-weekly basis. To the best of our ability, these rankings will reflect the reality of the soccer environment. Adjustments will be made as the season progresses and many conversations will take place. We look forward to those discussions. At season’s end, we will look back to review these pre-season rankings. What did we get right? Where did we go wrong? Which team surprised us all?

Also, included in each article is a section titled Teams on the Verge. These teams ranked just outside our Top 10 but are considered to be in contention. The rankings are fluid and flexible, any team could quickly enter our Top 10 list.

Class B Girl’s Pre-Season List

  1. Omaha Skutt
  2. Omaha Mercy
  3. Omaha Roncalli Catholic
  4. Columbus Scotus
  5. Omaha Duchesne Academy  
  6. Bennington
  7. Hastings
  8. Gering
  9. Elkhorn
  10. Blair

Teams on the Verge: Columbus Lakeview, Lincoln Lutheran/Raymond Central

 

Thank you for reading and being a part of our new community. A like, share, comment or recommendation of content would be greatly appreciated. In order to financially support our efforts, sponsorship/partnership opportunities have become available. Sponsors will receive vast exposure to the Nebraska soccer community through different media avenues. The sponsorship process is easy and reasonable.

Contact us on our website or email @ nebraskasoccertalk@gmail.com.

Connect with us on Twitter, Instagram, or listen to our podcast on Spotify.