Women’s soccer loses to tough opposition from Benedictine
Photo description: Sophomore Elena Ruiz weaves between defenders as she guides the ball through the midfield
Photo credit: Josiah Seabaugh
Madeline Peters
Sports Editor
The Concordia women’s soccer team lost 3-0 to the Benedictine College Ravens Saturday afternoon in Bulldog Stadium.
The Ravens came out with a ferocity that the Bulldogs struggled to keep up with. The ball stayed in Concordia territory for the vast majority of the half as the team tried to fend them off. With the aggressive playing from Benedictine, it was only a matter of time before they scored. Their moment came in the 27th minute when Benedictine’s Rachel Beffa sent a shot right past the Bulldog goalie. Concordia’s defense held up through the rest of the half.
The second half went much better for the Bulldogs. The Ravens did not receive nearly as many chances as before. Benedictine scored two goals in the second half with both coming off penalty kicks. Raven Emily Shepherd kicked both penalties, with one in the 53rd and the second in the 76th.
Concordia was outshot 15-3 with juniors Senna McMullen and Emily Howard and sophomore Savannah Andrews each taking a shot. Benedictine also had more corner kicks, with six to Concordia’s two. Senior goalie Bradi Ore had four saves for the game.
Coach Nick Smith knew the Bulldogs were going to face a difficult team, but was satisfied with the outcome of the match. In the past 11 matchups against Benedictine, Concordia has only won once, with a 1-0 win in the 2022 season.
He said, “We came up against a tough opponent. We actually gave a good account of ourselves, and I think the score line is a little bit deceiving in terms of what our performance was… Goals change games, and I think that if you eliminate those two moments, we definitely improved in the second half and showed that we at least belong in the same field as Benedictine.”
The women’s team is now 3-2 overall and travels to Lincoln to face Nebraska Wesleyan University on Sept. 14 at 7 p.m.
