No. 22 Concordia dominates Doane in GPAC quarterfinals
Players stand for the national anthem as Concordia hosts Doane in the GPAC quarterfinals.
Photo: Benjamin Frerking
By Christian Myers
It was a crisp Halloween night during the start of the 2026 Great Plains Athletic Conference playoffs. The defending GPAC Champions, No. 1 tournament seed and No. 22 nationally ranked Concordia Men’s Soccer, gave No. 8 seed Doane University a scare while defeating them 8-0 in the quarterfinal round, and punching their own ticket to the semifinals.
Senior Hugo Garrote opened the scoring, netting the Bulldogs’ first two goals with a deep free kick and another on a beautiful assist from sophomore Milo Hegarty.
“It feels really good. I was so happy to hype the team scoring goals,” Garrote said.
In his last five games, Garrote has been a rock for this Concordia team. Scoring five goals and three assists. After his performance against Doane, Garrote’s seven total goals sit just behind sophomore Joe McCarroll for the Bulldogs team lead.
Besides Garrote’s two goals, the first half was rather tame. However, Concordia flipped a switch during the 15-minute halftime and returned hungrier than ever. Six unanswered goals from five different players rendered the Tigers defenseless. Freshman Kade Olbrich captured his first career two-goal game and junior Victor Tavares scored his first-ever goal as a Concordia Bulldog.
“It’s good to see that everyone’s contributing in some way and how important it is for everyone to play for each other,” Coach Bernie Ochoa said. “Some guys that didn’t get too many minutes were able to score and get the opportunity, so it’s always good to see.”
Along with Garrote, Olbrich and Tavares. Senior Jasper Hofland, sophomores Karlo Rodriguez and Milo Hegarty, and freshman Elijah Fulton all found an opportunity to capitalize in the Bulldog offensive mayhem.
Many of Concordia’s eight goals were relatively uncontested in the final phase. Multiple times, Bulldog players found themselves breaking away alone with only Doane’s goalie to beat. Concordia practically punched a hole in the Tigers’ defensive strategy, and it resulted in an astounding 18 fouls and five yellow cards. Concordia remained calm and took full advantage of their opponents’ aggression.
“We just needed to stay patient; they’re (Doane) tactical. Their game plan was to play defensive, so once you score that first one, it all kind of goes out the door,” Ochoa said.
Earlier in the year on Sept. 23, Concordia beat Doane by just one goal in a game that ended 2-1. A vastly different experience from their quarterfinal matchup.
“The key was the momentum of the team; at the beginning of the season, it wasn’t the same. At this point we all have the same goal and focus,” Garrote said.
The Bulldogs have certainly put the right pieces together and now stand on 12 consecutive wins and have taken their GPAC record to 11-0, 12-4 overall. There have been plenty of special Concordia soccer teams in the past, but the 2026 season has been historic. They have set multiple school records, and while they haven’t won the tournament title yet, the Bulldogs’ season has been defined by a close-knit team bond.
“Apart from having really talented players, the family we are is what keeps us winning,” Garrote said.
Their win against Doane is just one small step in the pursuit of Concordia’s fourth-ever GPAC title. They match up against No. 4 seed Dakota Wesleyan in the GPAC Semifinals at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 6 at Bulldog Stadium.
