ABERDEEN, S.D. – Head coach Jason Weides was happy to see that his Concordia University men’s soccer team neglected to pay too much attention to the records or recent results. The Bulldogs ventured up to Aberdeen, S.D., this weekend knowing they would be taking on a squad they defeated 7-0 a season ago. Once again Concordia did not go lightly on Presentation College with Saturday (Sept. 14)’s matchup resulting in a 9-0 blowout victory for the road team.
The unbeaten streak lives on for 12th-year head coach Jason Weides’ squad, which is now 5-0. No other team led by Weides began a season with five-straight wins.
“You learn that your team can approach each and every game with importance,” Weides said. “When you have the opportunity to put away a team early, you want to do that. We performed well early and were able to get a comfortable lead. We made some wholesale changes after 15 minutes. We showed the quality of our bench. I was excited to see some guys who hadn’t had as many opportunities.”
It was an especially enjoyable afternoon for junior Ryan LeTourneau, who emerged with the first hat trick of his career. The North Platte native rattled off team goals Nos. 6, 7 and 8 on the day to make it even more of a monumental blowout. LeTourneau had entered the day with two career goals (one apiece as a freshman and sophomore).
This really was a mismatch from the start. Before 14 minutes had elapsed, the Bulldogs had built a 5-0 advantage with the goals coming from Isaiah Shaddick (5’), Moises Jacobo (9’), Carlos Ferrer (11’), Renzo Bozzo (13’) and Jacobo (14’) again. Following the surge by LeTourneau, Cavan Burns found the back of the net for his first career goal to cap the day’s outburst.
The shot count – 36-2 – was just as overwhelming as the final score. Concordia also had an advantage of 9-1 in corner kicks. In total, 23 Bulldogs saw playing time. Callum Goldsmith was called upon for 72 minutes at keeper in relief of Eduardo Alba. Goldsmith saved the only shot the Saints (1-4, 0-3 GPAC) put on frame.
Ranked No. 3 in the most recent GPAC poll, Concordia hopes this was the start of a run at a conference regular-season title. Through five games, the Bulldogs have outscored their opponents by a combined total of 19-3 and have registered three shutouts.
“We’re right where we want to be,” Weides said. “We know there’s still a long season left and there’s a new challenge each time we step out on the field. We have to make sure we’re not going to rely on our last performance. It’s just a start.”
The Bulldogs will step back outside of conference play on Tuesday with a trip to in-state Bellevue University (3-5). The Bruins were ranked 14th nationally in the preseason. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. CT from Bryan High School in Omaha, Neb. Last season’s meeting in Seward resulted in a 2-1 Bruin victory.