Concordia goes clear at the top with win over Mount Marty

Aaliyah Matthews protects the goal against CSM (photo from previous game).

Photo: Keith Siek

By Victor Tavares Paiva

The Concordia Bulldogs women’s soccer team continued its impressive run at the top of the league on Wednesday, earning a 1-0 victory over Mount Marty for its sixth consecutive Great Plains Athletic Conference win.

Freshman Molli Kalsbeck provided the game’s decisive moment in the 29th minute. Despite being in her first collegiate season, the Kearney, Nebraska, native showed poise beyond her years. After winning the ball near midfield, Kalsbeck carried it forward before finding herself one-on-one with the Mount Marty goalkeeper. Rather than rushing the opportunity, she calmly placed a perfectly timed shot over the keeper and into the net to give the Bulldogs the lead.

The matchup was one of the most anticipated games of the GPAC slate, with both Concordia and Mount Marty entering the contest unbeaten and near the top of the conference standings. In the end, the Bulldogs made the most of their opportunities and held on for the victory over the Lancers from Yankton, South Dakota.

The Bulldogs did not need to dominate the shot count to control the result. Concordia recorded nine shots on goal compared with 12 from Mount Marty, but the Bulldogs’ defense continued to hold strong when it mattered most.

Sophomore goalkeeper Aaliyah Matthews once again played a key role, recording eight saves to preserve the shutout. Matthews, along with sophomore defenders Charli Preister and Evie Keller, helped anchor a Concordia defense that kept the Lancers off the scoreboard for the full 90 minutes.

With the victory, the Bulldogs continue to set the pace in the GPAC and extend their winning streak to six games. Concordia will look to keep that momentum going Saturday, Oct. 10, when the Bulldogs return home to Bulldog Stadium for a 1 pm kickoff against Dakota Wesleyan.