OMAHA, Neb. – Two teams with win streaks of at least three games entered the field of play on Tuesday (Sept. 17) night as the Concordia University men’s soccer team and Bellevue University renewed their annual rivalry. The Bruins may have been the aggressor in the opening minutes, but the Bulldogs countered with three first-half goals on the way to a 3-1 victory in a contest played at Tranquility Park in Omaha, Neb.
The result avenged a 2-1 home defeat suffered against Bellevue last season. All 12th-year head coach Jason Weides’ team knows how to do right now is find ways to win. Concordia is now 6-0.
“They were actually all over us the first 10 or 15 minutes,” Weides said. “We were barely able to string a pass together. We withstood the early storm and was fortunate to get a goal on one of our first true attacks of the game. After that I think we were just efficient and effective. We got better as the half wore on. That led into one of those grind-it-out second halves.”
Senior Carlos Ferrer is starting to get things rolling from a goal scoring perspective. He’s now scored in three-straight games after notching career goal Nos. 18 and 19 on Tuesday. He found the back of the net in the 13th and 25th minutes while helping sink the Bruins (4-6). Trenton Williams came off the bench to supply the third and final Bulldog goal. He was assisted by Garrett Perry in the 39th minute.
The 3-0 hole must have felt like a shock to the system for Bellevue (receiving votes in the latest NAIA poll), which had produced impressive results in its previous three games. That run included an upset of then No. 1 Central Methodist University (Mo.) and GPAC foes in Briar Cliff and Northwestern. The Bruins even outshot Concordia, 12-7, and had a 5-1 advantage in corner kicks.
To this point, the Bulldogs have used a true team effort. Weides has had the confidence to dip into the bench and to switch up the starting lineup depending upon the opponent. Leonardo Palomo got the nod at center back on Tuesday and made his first career start. Those types of happenings have been common this season.
“We have illustrated some good depth,” Weides said. “Because we have had some injuries to guys who have been starters. The next guy steps up. As coaches we have the luxury right now to make changes that don’t really have to do with performance. It might have to do with something tactically within the game. Guys are really stepping up. One they are called upon, they make an impact and provide us great energy.”
Only an 84th minute goal by Alex Cuenca prevented Concordia from recording a fourth clean sheet of the fall. Bulldog goalkeeper Eduardo Alba did his part by making six saves. The goal by Williams was the first of his career.
Concordia will return to conference play on Saturday by hosting Northwestern (3-4, 0-0 GPAC) at 3:30 p.m. The two sides played to a 1-1 double overtime draw in Orange City, Iowa, last season. Weides wants his team to focus on the task at hand and not so much the 6-0 record. Said Weides, “We’re going to get the best of everybody we play. For us to succeed we need to be ready to beat everybody’s best.”