2024-25 WNCC Men's Soccer News

  • Ingram named WNCC men's soccer coach
    January 15, 2025
    Eseah Ingram, the WNCC assistant soccer coach for the past two seasons and Scottsbluff High soccer player, will have a new position starting February 1. Ingram was hired as the Western Nebraska Community College men’s soccer coach, taking over for Todd Rasnic, who has spent the past 20-plus years as the head man. Rasnic will stay on at WNCC as Rasnic will be the women’s soccer head coach. The two will then serve as an assistant coach for the opposite teams. Ingram said he learned a lot from Rasnic in the two years as an assistant and believes he is ready to step up as a head coach.
  • WNCC’s Oliveira becomes Cougar men’s first soccer NJCAA all-American
    December 13, 2024
    The Western Nebraska Community College men’s soccer team made their first-ever trip to the national tournament after winning the Region IX tournament in November. A month later, Eduardo Oliveira made history as being the first men’s soccer player to be a NJCAA Division I All-American. Oliveira was placed on the Third Team and was the only Region IX player to make All-American.
  • WNCC's Oliveira named Region IX Offensive Player of the Year, ready to lead Cougars at nationals
    November 15, 2024
    Eduardo Oliveira has spent three seasons at Western Nebraska Community College and this season has been one of success after the sophomore helped the Cougars to their first NJCAA National Tournament berth in the soccer program’s history. “This is really important. We just made history so we just want to go there and have fun, compete and see what we can do,” Oliveira said. The Cougars will open the national tournament in Wichita, Kansas, with pool play action on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. against No. 2 Tyler Junior College. Their second pool play match will be Monday at 11:30 a.m. against No. 7 Indian Hills Community College.
  • WNCC men's soccer earns No. 11 seed at nationals that begin Sunday
    November 12, 2024
    The Western Nebraska Community College men’s soccer team learned who they will be facing when the Cougars make their first-ever trip to the NJCAA national tournament that begins Sunday, November 17 in Wichita, Kansas. WNCC captured their second Region IX tournament to earn the automatic berth to the national tournament. The 2003 regional championship team was one game from qualifying for the national tournament, falling to the College of Dupage 7-2 in the district finals. The Cougars found out Tuesday during the NJCAA Division I men’s selection show that they earned the No. 11 seed at the national tournament. WNCC was placed in Pool B and will face No. 2 Tyler Junior College (17-0-2) and No. 7 Indian Hills Community College (14-2-2) on Sunday and Monday. WNCC enters with a 10-4-2 record. The winners of the four pools will advance to the semifinals.
  • WNCC men's soccer -- Region IX Champs
    November 02, 2024
    It has been 21 years since the Western Nebraska Community College men’s soccer team captured a Region IX championship. On Saturday, the Cougars scored two second-half goals and went on to down Otero College 2-0 in the championship match at Landers Soccer Complex. The win sends the Cougars to the NJCAA national tournament in Wichita, Kansas, which starts November 17 and runs until the 23rd. WNCC is the first team to punch their ticket to the national tournament. The other regions/districts still have to play. The national tournament seedings will be announced at 11 a.m. MST on November 12. Nationals are made up of the eight district/region champions and four at-large teams.
  • WNCC men’s soccer down LCCC, move into Region IX finals
    October 26, 2024
    Eduardo Oliveira scored with under eight minutes to play and the Western Nebraska Community College men’s soccer team earned a berth into the Region IX finals after topping Laramie County Community College 1-0 in the semifinals at Landers Soccer Complex Saturday afternoon. WNCC will host the Region IX Finals next Saturday at 2 p.m. with Otero College making their way to Landers after topping Casper College 1-0 in the other semifinal in Casper, Wyoming. The winner of the Region IX Tournament qualifies for the NJCAA national tournament in mid-November in Wichita, Kansas. Simon Echeverry, who had the assist on Oliveira’s goal, said this was a big win for the team.
  • WNCC men’s soccer tops Central Wyoming, earn conference title
    October 12, 2024
    RIVERTON, Wyo. – The Western Nebraska Community College men’s soccer team took care of business and with their 3-2 win over Central Wyoming College Saturday afternoon in Riverton, Wyoming, the Cougars claimed the conference championship outright. With the win, the Cougars earned the No. 1 seed in the Region IX playoffs that begin next week with first-round matches. WNCC and Casper College, the No. 1 and 2 seeds earned first-round byes and will host the semifinals on October 26. The finals are slated for November 2 and WNCC could host as well. The win moves the Cougars to 8-4-2 o
  • WNCC men fall to Northwest
    October 11, 2024
    POWELL, Wyo. – The Western Nebraska Community College men’s soccer team experienced the bad and good on Friday in Region IX conference action. WNCC was shutout by Northwest College 2-0 on Friday for the bad news. Now, for the good news, Laramie County Community College and Central Wyoming College finished in a 1-1 tie, which gives WNCC the Region IX conference championship and the No. 1 seed in the playoffs.
  • WNCC men top LCCC, clinch home semifinal playoff berth
    October 05, 2024
    CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- Western Nebraska Community College’s Eduardo Oliveira scored two goals and the WNCC men’s soccer team knocked off No. 17 Laramie County Community College 3-1 on Saturday in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The win moves the Cougars to 7-3-2 on the year, but more importantly, it vaulted the Cougars to the top spot in the Region IX standings. With two matches left, the Cougars have 19 points and are secured in either the first or second seed for the regional playoffs. The Cougars, because of the one or two seed, will host a semifinal match on October 26. The higher seed will then host the finals November 2.
  • WNCC men move into first place in conference standings
    September 27, 2024
    The Western Nebraska Community College men’s soccer team controls their own destiny after going into sole position of the top spot in the Region IX standings after games this weekend. The Cougar men went 1-0-1 on the weekend and it puts them a half-game in front of Laramie County Community College in the standings with three conference games to play before the Region IX playoffs begin. WNCC started the weekend with a 3-0 win over Trinidad State College on Friday and then earned a 1-1 tie with Otero College Saturday evening. WNCC is 5-0-1 in the conference while LCCC is 5-1. The Cougars are 6-3-2 overall while LCCC is 8-2.
  • WNCC men go to 4-0 with wins over NJC, Lamar
    September 22, 2024
    The Western Nebraska Community College men’s soccer team remained unbeaten in conference play with a dominating performance Saturday against Lamar Community College on sophomore recognition day. The Cougars got two goals from sophomore Eduardo Oliveira in registering the 6-0 win. The other three goals also came from sophomores with Jose Menezes, Michael Escobar, and Maxime Niyibaho. Niyibaho, who had the third goal of the game for a 3-0 halftime lead, said the team played well.
  • WNCC men stay unbeaten in conference with 4-3 win over Gillette
    September 14, 2024
    The Western Nebraska Community College men’s soccer team stayed unbeaten in the Region IX conference play as they scored four first-half goals and then hung on to down Gillette College 4-3 on Saturday at Landers Soccer Complex. The contest was a battle as three goals were scored in the first eight minutes of the contest. Gillette got the upper hand first as Manuel Daza scored just a minute into the match.
  • WNCC men, women home this weekend for conference games
    September 13, 2024
    The Western Nebraska Community College men’s and women’s soccer teams will be at home for the next two weekends when they host Region IX contests beginning Friday. The Cougar will host Casper College on Friday and then take on Gillette College on Saturday. The women’s matches will begin at 1 p.m. followed by the men’s contests at Landers Soccer Complex.
  • WNCC men top No. 11 Casper College
    September 13, 2024
    The Western Nebraska Community College men’s soccer team scored early and Cougar goalkeeper Owen Henderson made some big saves in helping the Cougar men to a 4-1 win over No. 11 Casper College Friday afternoon at Landers Soccer Complex. “We played just as we expected. We watched the film and coach gave us the notes and all they did was just kick it down the field,” Henderson, the goalkeeper from Greeley, Colorado, said. “We played amazing. That third goal I am going to watch it on film until I fall asleep because it was so beautiful of the way we built up. The team played amazing and we have been working like that all week in practice, too.” The win was huge after the Cougars were outscored 11-1 in their last two matches. Friday, everything game together.
  • WNCC soccer teams fall to Snow College
    September 04, 2024
    EPHRAIM, Utah – The Western Nebraska Community College soccer teams had a rough go in road contests at Snow College in Ephraim, Utah, on Wednesday. The women’s contest saw No. 16 Snow College score five first-half goals before winning 7-0. In the men’s contest, the two teams battled neck-and-neck in the first half before Snow scored four second-half goals to claim the 5-1 win.
  • WNCC men’s soccer ties Northwest on Friday
    August 23, 2024
    Twenty-four hours after knocking off No. 18 Utah State-Eastern, the Western Nebraska Community College men’s soccer team could only muster a 3-3 tie with Northwest College on Friday at the Landers Soccer Complex. Friday’s contest was one where the Cougars started strong, but faded late. It took the Cougars less than 20 seconds to score the first goal as Maxime Niyibaho dished a pass to Eduardo Oliveira and the sophomore put the ball past the goalkeeper in the upper-right corner for the 1-0 lead.
  • WNCC men knock off No. 18 Utah State-Eastern
    August 22, 2024
    The Western Nebraska Community College men’s soccer team got two goals from sophomore Eduardo Oliveira and used a strong defense stand in recording a 2-1 win over preseason-No. 18-ranked Utah State-Eastern Thursday afternoon at Landers Soccer Complex. The Cougars will look for another win on Friday when they host Northwest College in a women’s and men’s doubleheader beginning at 10 a.m. WNCC coach Todd Rasnic said it was a good win, but there are still soccer matches to play to get a try indication of how good this men’s team could be. “I have no idea how big of a win this was,” Rasnic said. “This team from Utah State-Eastern is not the same team from last year. We have not got a gauge of how good we are yet. It probably will take three or four games. If we come back tomorrow (Friday) and give the same type of effort that we gave today, then we can start to think that we are heading in the right direction.”
  • WNCC men’s soccer team opens season this Thursday against No. 18 Utah State-Eastern
    August 19, 2024
    The Western Nebraska Community College men’s soccer team will have a battle during their first two weekends as they face three pre-season ranked teams. The Cougars open the season Thursday at home against No. 18 Utah State-Eastern at 12 noon followed by a noon contest against Northwest College on Friday. Both contests are at the Landers Soccer Complex. The women’s team plays at 10 a.m. on both days. After opening at home, the Cougars will then hit the road for two games in Council Bluffs, Iowa, on August 30-31 when they face No. 14 Iowa Western Community College and then No. 7 Indian Hills Community College.
  • WNCC soccer teams open practice over the weekend with fun games
    August 05, 2024
    The Western Nebraska Community College soccer teams opened practice over the weekend with plenty of talent on the men’s and women’s programs. The Cougar men return 13 players from a year ago and welcome another 14 freshmen to the roster. The Cougar men went 8-5-3 a year ago and fell in the Region IX semifinals to Otero College. “The team is actually talented, but talent is nothing without work,” sophomore Paul Denz of Laufenburg, Germany, said. “We, as a team, have to lock in for the next months and win every game.”