Bulldog Soccer Takes Down Dordt, Carrasco Shares Tribute to Friend
David Carrasco lifts his jersey after scoring his first goal to reveal a picture and message in memory of his former roommate, Jason Gutz. Photo by Laura VonKampen.
By Nicholas Boys
Concordia’s men’s soccer team won comfortably Saturday afternoon against Dordt College with a final score of 5-1. The game also featured a tribute from player David Carrasco to his former roommate, Jason Gutz, who passed away last summer.
Despite some dismal weather, Concordia was able to pick up its first Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) victory. Concordia found the back of the net with five different goal scorers, keeping those that braved the weather more than entertained.
“When we were able to move the ball quickly and execute our short passes, that was when we were able to create the most chances,” junior midfielder Roger de la Villa, who tallied an assist in the contest, said.
A goal at the 20th minute from Dordt midfielder Gideon DeGraaf seemed to spark the Bulldog offense, who then responded in the 27th minute from a penalty shot courtesy of Garrett Perry. The goals continued to pile on, all from different scorers. Perry (27′), Matthew Ho (29′), Jack Arra (48′), David Carrasco (52′) and Konrad Sinu (79′) all found the back of the net for the Bulldogs.
After scoring, Carrasco lifted up his jersey to reveal a shirt underneath featuring a picture of Gutz, a Concordia student who passed away in a tragic farming accident last summer. The words “gone but never forgotten–this one is for you, brother” could be read as Carrasco lifted his arms in celebration.
Although the final score implied smooth sailing, the Bulldogs overcame a hot start from the Dordt Defenders which included a flurry of shots on goal. After the initial goal from Perry got the Bulldogs back on track, offense has been an unquestionable theme throughout the season thus far. The Bulldogs are yet to be shut out this season and average over two goals a game.
“We can still shore up our defense going forward,” said de la Villa, “especially with some tough opponents coming up.”
This result provided a good bounce back from a 2-1 loss at the hands of Morningside on Wednesday where the defense struggled to contain opposing forward Austin Lingle, who found the net twice, and is top five in the conference for goals scored.
The 5-1 win against Dordt pushes the Bulldogs record to 5-3-1 (1-1-1 GPAC) on the season as they prepare for a tough contest against sixth-ranked Hastings College at home on Wednesday night. With the loss, Dordt drops their season record to 5-5 (1-3 GPAC) and will look to get back in the winner’s circle with a home contest against Mount Marty on Tuesday night.
