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LAMONI, Iowa – In venturing on the road for the first time in 2024, the Concordia University Men’s Soccer team settled for a scoreless draw. Action on Wednesday (Aug. 28) evening took place in Lamoni, Iowa, home to a Graceland University team in the midst of six-straight games against GPAC foes to open its season. The host Yellowjackets managed to limit the Bulldogs’ attacking chances while enjoying an early advantage in possession.
Head Coach Jason Weides’ squad stands at 1-0-1 with a win over Avila University (Mo.) coming this past weekend. Weides saw his team settle in after starting slow on Wednesday.
“We competed well in a challenging game,” Weides said. “Graceland tested us at times, but I think our guys played well as a team. We had a good energy and team mentality. The bench was energetic. I really can’t fault the guys. Soccer is a funny game like that. Sometimes you just don’t get that goal. At the end of the day, we didn’t give them too many chances. We defended well and had some good possession throughout the game. We weathered the storm in the first 15 minutes, settled in and got better.”
The program’s regular season unbeaten streak has reached 28 games (21-0-7 in that stretch dating back to 2022), but Concordia hoped for more than a tie in Lamoni. The Bulldogs defeated the Yellowjackets by a 2-1 score last season in Seward. This time around, Graceland fended off some late corner kick opportunities for the Bulldogs and preserved the shutout.
The lion’s share of scoring chances for the Yellowjackets occurred in the first half. Graceland missed an opportunity when Concordia was called for a foul inches outside of the box and averted trouble when a dangerous cross was played near the goal in the 27th minute. Officially, Bulldog keeper Gabriel Mendoza was credited with four saves. Concordia has yet to surrender a goal in 180 minutes of action on the season.
Afterwards, Weides lauded a backline that was led by the likes of sophomore Michael Wyvill and freshman Sean Stratman. They helped stifle a Graceland (2-0-2) side that put away four goals versus Mount Marty and two apiece on Northwestern and Hastings. On the attacking end, one of the Bulldogs’ best chances came when Carter Hinman nearly got loose while delivering a shot right of the goal in the 78th minute.
This was Graceland’s home opener after playing three contests away from home. The Yellowjackets appear primed to surpass their win total from 2023.
Said Weides, “Credit to Graceland. They competed hard. They made the 50-50 balls very challenging. Ultimately, that’s what we want. We want to be tested in this nonconference slate. We have to find a way to persevere and find results. Graceland is improved from what we saw last year, for sure. We’ll move forward and identify ways we can be better. It’s just little details.”
Another considerable road test is coming up on Saturday when the Bulldogs will be in Columbia, Mo., to take on 17th-ranked Columbia College (1-1). Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. CT from R. Marvin Owens Field. In the nonconference season, the Cougars earned a 2-1 road win over GPAC preseason favorite Briar Cliff. Columbia reached the NAIA national round of 16 in 2023.