Men’s soccer unable to complete comeback against Northwestern
Junior forward Oliver Benson maneuvers the ball out from under an opponent’s feet (photo from 2024 season).
Photo credit: Josiah Seabaugh
By Kai Olbrich
Sports Editor
Concordia University men’s soccer opened up Great Plains Athletic Conference play for the 2025 season on Sept. 20, with a narrow 2–1 loss to Northwestern College, Iowa. The Bulldogs fought hard and brought the pressure to Northwestern, but came up just short against the now 5-1-1 Raiders.
The visiting Bulldogs battled the Raiders through a scoreless first half. Northwestern threatened early on with a few quick shots, but Concordia’s defense held through and kept the score 0-0.
Into the second half, the raiders got to work early with a goal just minutes after the restart. The Bulldogs were able to strike back with a few shots of their own, but were unable to even the score. Both teams continued to show offensive promise with several attacks on the goal, but it was Northwestern that added to their score midway through the second, making the score 2-0.
The Bulldog’s offense was able to come together with minutes left in the game to score Concordia’s only goal. Junior forward Kai Olbrich was able to punch through the Raiders’ defense and score off an assist from his teammate Joe McCarroll, making it a one-goal game with one and a half minutes to go. It was too late, however, to do any more damage, and the score remained 2-1 until the final whistle.
While both teams established a presence at the opposition’s goal, Northwestern held the advantage, outshooting the Bulldogs 16-9. Another culprit for the disappointing loss could have been Concordia’s foul trouble. The Bulldogs out-fouled the raiders 22 to 11.
Looking down the road to the rest of the season, Concordia Men’s soccer is facing a schedule filled with plenty of GPAC action. Next week will give the Bulldogs another chance to reignite the offensive fire as they go head-to-head at home against the Briar Cliff Chargers at 1 p.m. in the Bulldog Stadium.
