Bulldogs Women’s Soccer Defeats Midland

Photo Courtesy of Erik Cumley

By Erik Cumley

The Concordia women’s soccer team is ready to host the Great Plains Athletic Conference championship after defeating Midland University on Tue. April 6. The Bulldogs and the Warriors would not give an inch of ground after two overtimes the score was tied 0-0. Assistant Coach Chris Luther made sure his team remained calm going into the shootout reminding them they have been there before. 

“Honestly, our team has grown in our mentality, they’re confident and believe in themselves and their ability,” Luther said. 

Junior Bethany Fuchs scored the game winning kick on the 8th penalty kick. Both teams scored two points in the first five penalty kicks, the Bulldogs and Warriors would exchange the lead in the sixth and seventh penalty kick rounds. However, in the eight round Midland missed, allowing Fuchs to score the game winner. 

The Warriors lead the shot count 13-9. In the final minutes of the game, multiple chances were stopped by senior goalkeeper Lindsey Carley. Carley had seven total saves on the night. Sophomore Grace Soenksen and Carley made a great team in stopping Midlands primary striker Brittany Llanes. 

Sophomores Lina Kirst and Aliyah Aldama lead the attacking for the Bulldogs each collecting two shots total. Kirst would have two on goal while Aldama had one. Kirst had one final chance in double overtime, however she sent that shot just over the crossbar. 

The Bulldogs faced off against Midland earlier in the season, that game resulted in a 2-2 tie. This time around, the Bulldogs made some adjustments in the lineup and got the job done. 

“Our lineup and our formation looked a little different.” Luther said. “defensively we had to control number 13 and number 9, so we focused our defensive players on them.”

The Bulldogs will host the GPAC Championship against Jamestown on Friday, April 9. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Jamestown is the fifth seed in the tournament. The winner of the game will earn a spot in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Tournament. The last time Concordia hosted the GPAC Championship game was in 2016 and 2017. Concordia has advanced to the conference postseason final in six of the last seven seasons.