PAPILLION, Neb. – The Concordia men’s soccer team stepped on the field to face Bellevue University at a windy Papillion Landing as people lined the sideline with blankets and coats because of a fast temperature drop throughout the game. Carter Hinman heated up early and has started to assert himself as the go-to force in the attacking third, leading the Bulldogs to a 2-1 road victory on Tuesday night (Sept. 5). Concordia played through the whole 90 minutes to have a more dominant performance than what the stats would show on paper.
The Bulldogs stay undefeated (4-0) earning their second best start in head coach Jason Weides’ 16 year tenure (2019, 7-0). Coach Weides has a mind to continue to grow as a team and was proud of how the team started fast in the last two matches versus Tabor College (Kan.) and Bellevue.
“Anytime you get a win over a good team, you’re happy. We had a good performance overall because Bellevue is a tough team and they ask much of every opponent,” said head coach Weides. “We started fast. In the last couple of games, we scored in the first few minutes but conceding a goal right after ours is unfortunate but from then on, our guys battled pretty well.”
Carter Hinman, pressing through injury the past couple of years, is finally getting to see his hard work pay dividends early this junior season. Pressuring the Bruins center back, the defender made a pass back toward his own goalkeeper as Hinman intercepted the pass and put it between the posts for the eventual game winner in the fifty third minute of the match. Carter (Chin) now has five goals in four games and two game winners.
Coach Weides talked about Hinman’s success so far this season. “Carter has been growing his whole career at Concordia, but he has been waiting for his opportunity. He has batted through injury the past couple of years. We are excited to see him score every game so far and he is one of the guys who are feeling it right now.”
After the opening whistle, the Bulldogs didn’t waste time, getting a goal in the fourth minute from Hinman through a feed from Ferdi Hagen, the first of his career. Hagen, the freshman from Berlin, Germany, has started the past two games and is starting to contribute significant minutes for CUNE.
Two minutes later, the Bruins responded with a game tying goal by Jake Cover to knot the score on an assist from Carlos Ortega Arguel.
Concordia picked up energy throughout the game as Bellevue seemed to fade from the Bulldogs relentless effort on both sides of the ball. The defense trapped a Bruin in the last third of the match, making him kick the ball out of bounds in a frustrating manner to show the game was truly in the hands of the visitors.
They outshot the Bruins 11-7 total and 8-4 in the first half. Set pieces were available for Concordia but were unable to cash in more goals. Gabriel Mendoza garnered three saves and commanded the back line to allow only one lone goal from a talented Bellevue squad.
Concordia (4-0) hosts the Bulldogs of McPherson College (Kan.) who are 0-4 so far early in their 2023 season. The match is set for 5:30 p.m. CT at Bulldog Stadium in Seward, Nebraska. CUNE leads the series with a 2-1-1 over McPherson with the last two wins coming from the Bulldogs of Seward County.