Concordia’s 7-game win streak snapped in 2-2 tie against Dakota Wesleyan. 

Concordia’s starting players against Dakota Wesleyan

Photo: Ben Frerking

By Christian Myers 

Great Plains Athletic Conference No. 1 Concordia women’s soccer drew 2-2 against the Dakota Wesleyan Tigers on Saturday, after a late equalizer ended its 7-game winning streak. 

It may not have been a loss for the Bulldogs, but it seemed a rare slip-up for a squad that overpowered each of its last 7 opponents. 

Throughout the first half, Concordia was pressured hard by Dakota Wesleyan’s offense. The Tigers were given an uncontested goal early in the 12th minute after a miscued pass played back to Concordia’s goalkeeper was picked off by the Tigers’ Emma Delys. The Tigers followed it with strong defense. Any time Concordia searched for an opening, a Tiger was there to stop them.  

That was until a corner kick into a sea of white and blue by junior Triniti Rowe found sophomore Evie Keller, who headed the ball straight through the pile of bodies and into the back of the net.  

“I think that gave our team some momentum, so that was a great feeling for me and the team,” Keller said. 

It was apparent that Keller’s first goal of the season jolted the Bulldogs back to life in what was then a 1-1 game at halftime. After a quick break, only 2 minutes into the second half, Rowe found herself with a free kick after a Dakota Wesleyan foul. She proceeded to smack the ball into the sea yet again, this time finding sophomore Charli Priester, who gave the Bulldogs a 2-1 lead with her first goal of the year. The Bulldogs were back on top.  

Their one-goal lead persisted for another 40 minutes before an uncharacteristic defensive slip-up allowed Dakota Wesleyan another goal in the 87th minute. With only 3 minutes remaining, Concordia fought tirelessly to find anything that could give them a lead. In the final second of play, Rowe looked to add a third assist to her day with one final corner kick, but was unable to put it into a dangerous area.  

The inability to create consistent offense and a couple of defensive errors overshadowed what was an overall well-played game for Concordia.   

“We didn’t create a ton of chances, but we had some good opportunities,” coach Jason Weides said. “Mistakes happen in games, and we work to overcome them, and the team fought really hard today. Sometimes you just fall a little short.” 

Regardless of the tie, the Bulldogs still find themselves at the top of the GPAC standings at 6-0-1. While the Bulldogs have played sound offense, their defense is what’s allowed for such a dominant year so far. Concordia sits fourth in goals against and third in goals-against average. Simply speaking, they hold their ground strongly.  

“We’re defending really well, we’re not allowing many goals, and if you don’t concede goals, it’s really tough to lose,” said Weides.

Concordia moves to 7-2-3 overall, 6-0-1 GPAC, and will face GPAC No. 2 Hastings at 5:30 pm on Oct. 14 at Bulldog Stadium.