Oregon State Men's Soccer Preview: How Have the Beavers Rebuilt Their Defense for 2026?

Many of the Beavers best defenders have graduated or left the team, but enough talent remains on the field to make this a dangerous unit.

Nov 9, 2024; Corvallis, Oregon, USA; Oregon State Beavers mascot Benny Beaver waves to the fans before the game against the San Jose State Spartans at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

In a couple weeks Oregon State Men's Soccer will take the field for their first exhibition match of the year. A lot of the players who have made the Beavers a consistent NCAA Tournament team have finally graduated from the program, setting up 2026 as a potential rebuilding. That said, the team seems well placed to contend in the new Pac-12. Here's what you can expect from this year's squad, starting with the defensive side of the field.

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In goal will be one of the few points of continuity for this year's team, as John Nicholson will be back for another season. Nicholson started all 17 games for Oregon State last season, putting together a 1.57 goals against average and four shutouts. The Beavers have two other goalkeepers on the roster in case of emergency, senior Justin Stewart and freshman James Romero.

At defender there's a few more questions. Several of the players who defined Oregon State's defense have finally graduated, including Fran Cortijo, Andrew De Gannes, and Pol Morlans. The team also lost Iker Carbonell Garcia, who returned to Spain to play for Jove Español San Vicente.

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The good news is the return of Sava Catlett, who made the West Coast Conference's all freshman team in 2025 and flashed a lot of potential on the field. Despite getting only 234 minutes on the field last season, Catlett scored two goals, both of them game winners, against Gonzaga and Pacific.

Two seniors will be back to give the team some veteran experience, Jacob Zapien and Oriol Vidal. Zapien has plenty of starting experience, but this may be the season Vidal becomes a full time starter. Junior Mark Wieder could also get more time on the field this season.

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In addition to the returning defenders, the Beavers also have four new faces on the roster. Oregon State landed South Florida defender Nicolas Pietrantonio, and he should make an immediate impact on the team. He picked up three goals and an assist for the Bulls in 2025, picking up an American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week award.

Three freshmen will also join the team in 2026. Henry Blake comes to Corvallis from Gig Harbor, Washington. Carlos Martinez from Alicante, Spain keeps the Beavers Spanish pipeline open. Gavin Wolff joins Oregon State out of Houston, where he spent time playing for Houston Dynamo and Austin FC in MLS Next.

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Last season the Beavers tended to favor lineups with four defenders, and while the turnover might prompt a change in game planning, it seems like a reasonable place to start. If they do stick with four defenders, Jacob Zapien, Nicolas Pietrantonio and Sava Catlett probably get the first three spots.
The fourth could go a few ways. Oriol Vidal is the most experienced option, but Martinez or Wolff could definitely impress in camp and see some field time early.

Whatever happens, there's still a good deal of talent left on the defense, and Nicholson gives the Beavers a reliable hand in goal. We'll take a look at where Oregon State is going to get their scoring when we take a look at forwards and midfielders later this week.