By Marisa Dawson
The Bennington boys soccer team kicked off its spring 2026 season with a strong showing, posting a 4-1 record through its first five matches despite a condensed schedule and challenging weather conditions. The Badgers opened with a pair of road shutout victories before hosting three games in a span of three days, including a tough loss followed by two impressive home wins.
Bennington began the season on March 23 with a 4-0 victory at Pius X, dominating with 12 attempted shots to the opponents’ 1. Max Leight led the attack with three goals, while Tyson Hunter added one. Assists came from Kade Olbrich, Zander Hanish, and Tyson Hunter. Goalkeeper Tate Andersen and the defense kept a clean sheet in the shutout win.
Three days later, the Badgers traveled to Norris and earned another 3-0 shutout. Kade Olbrich again scored twice, with the additional goal from Declan Smith and assists by Max Leight and Krish Muktan. Andersen made four saves to preserve the victory.
The team then returned home for a busy Saturday on March 28, facing Roncalli Catholic and Lincoln Northwest in a tournament setting. Roncalli proved to be a stern test, jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the first half en route to a 3-1 victory over Bennington. Zander Hanish netted the lone goal for the Badgers in the second half with an assist by Kade Olbrich. Roncalli outshot Bennington significantly and capitalized early.
Head coach Nick Nyman reflected on the challenge, saying, “Roncalli is usually a strong team, stronger than their record over the years has shown. They play tough teams and it isn’t always easy to walk away with a record that reflects that.” He added that Roncalli always presents a greater challenge each year. “This year was no exception,” he said. “They put us off balance out the gate and didn’t look back. My guys weren’t ready and it showed. Roncalli is a good team and earned that win with a solid performance.”
The Badgers quickly bounced back later that afternoon against Lincoln Northwest, responding with a dominant 6-1 home win. Kade Olbrich led the way with a hat trick, while Krish Muktan, Declan Smith, and Nico Smith each scored once. Assists on those goals came from Tyson Hunter, Trenton Hunter, Eli Baumann, and Nico Smith. After conceding an early goal, Bennington rattled off six unanswered tallies. The performance highlighted the team’s attacking depth and ability to refocus.
Nyman praised the response. “It’s hard to step back onto the field after a disappointing loss, but they found a way to come together as a team and put in a solid performance. It says a lot about the character of this young team,” he said.
On the physical and mental demands of the early stretch, which included four games in two weeks and multiple matches played in heavy winds, Nyman noted it was actually one of the lighter starts in his tenure. “Still 4 games in 2 weeks can be hard, especially if three of those are played in heavy winds. The wind can really take it out of you,” he said.
Regarding what the week revealed about depth and conditioning, the coach highlighted the team’s ability to reset. “I felt after a tough loss to Roncalli on Saturday that the team refocused well and came out ready to play in their second game of the day vs Lincoln NW. They stayed resilient after giving up an initial goal to Lincoln NW and then answered with 6 of our own for the win.”
At 3-1 following the Saturday doubleheader, Nyman expressed optimism about the squad’s identity. “This is one of our youngest teams to date, but I could see the potential from the start,” he remarked. “An early loss is always disappointing but it also allows us a chance to look at what didn’t work and what we can and need to do better. There is definitely resilience in this squad and I believe we’ve yet to hit our full potential.”
Looking ahead, Nyman emphasized continued preparation. “We have Elkhorn on Monday and Elkhorn is also a team that keeps getting better every year, so the guys get a second chance at making a statement after Saturday’s loss. I’m confident that they will go out and compete.” He also noted how the team will continue to polish up their skills in practices. “As far as practice goes, it’s about applying polish and perfecting what we want to do better, while maintaining the intensity that we need in order to be successful throughout our season.”
The home stand concluded on March 30 with a solid 4-1 victory over Elkhorn. Kade Olbrich continued his strong form with two goals, joined by tallies from Trenton Hunter and Krish Muktan. Assists came from Kade Olbrich, Zander Hanish, and Declan Smith. Bennington controlled much of the match, outshooting the visitors while goalies Tate Andersen and Aaden Lee, along with the defense, limited Elkhorn to a single goal in the first half.
“After a disappointing weekend, I felt the team responded well with a solid performance tonight,” Nyman said following the Elkhorn game. “We now turn our focus to this weekend’s Norfolk tournament, where we will look to compete against several Class A opponents.”
With a young but resilient roster showing flashes of high potential, the Bennington boys soccer team appears poised for a competitive spring season as it heads into tougher Class A competition at the Norfolk tournament.
Bennington v Norris:
Bennington v Elkhorn:
