Second-straight five-goal game boosts Bulldogs over Morningside
SIOUX CITY, Iowa – Bulldog men’s soccer exploded with five goals for the second-straight game to earn a victory in its first GPAC road game of the 2013 season. Concordia won by a score of 5-1 over host Morningside (4-6, 1-2 GPAC) in Sioux City, Iowa, on Sunday night. The Bulldogs moved to 5-4 overall and 2-0 in conference play.
On this night, Concordia was incredibly efficient as it converted the five goals out of its six shots on frame.
“We missed a few chances and left a few out there,” Bulldog head coach Jason Weides said. “For the most part we got chances and converted them well.
“Overall our defensive performance was more organized as a unit than it had been all season. Our team pressing was really good. We made it a frustrating night for Morningside.”
The Bulldogs are 2-0 to begin league play for the first time since 2010 after completing back-to-back offensive efforts not seen in Weides’ six years as Concordia’s head coach. The Bulldogs had yet to post five or more goals in consecutive games since Weides took over in 2008.
Junior midfielder Chris DeFeyter enjoyed a career night with a pair of goals, marking the first multi-goal effort of his career. He bumped the Concordia lead to 2-0 with his first goal in the 16th minute off the assist from sophomore Gideon Soenksen. DeFeyter added his second tally (assisted by senior Nathan Douglas) in the 75th minute to put the game well out of reach at 5-0.
Douglas, freshman Marcos Leon and sophomore Dean Stevens also got in on the goal-scoring act. Douglas’ 74th-minute score raised his team-leading goal count to six on the season, giving him 35 for his career.
Leon, who redshirted last season, played in his first career game on Sunday. The Sonora, Mexico, native got on the board in the 57th minute, extending the Bulldog lead to 3-0 at the time. Leon’s emergence will add to the team’s depth throughout the stretch run.
“He will give us a nice boost for the back half of the season,” Weides said. “This was his first game so he was very excited to wear the Concordia blue. He had a nice shot from about 30 yards out on his goal.”
Morningside avoided the shutout with Logan Schaefers’ 88th-minute goal. The Mustangs also had a prime chance late in the first half that could have changed the complexion of the game. However, the Morningside shot hit the post to allow the Bulldogs to take a 2-0 lead to the break.
After outscoring the last two opponents by a combined score of 10-1, Weides is pleased with the team’s improvement.
“We weren’t perfect by any means,” Weides said. “But we were much more consistent in our play. It’s exciting to see the growth through the lessons we’ve learned.”
Concordia completes the month with a record of 5-3 in eight September games. That mark includes three wins out of four matches away from Seward.
The Bulldogs will break from GPAC action to play their final nonconference game on the 2013 slate as they travel to nearby York College to take on the Panthers (1-8-1) at 7 p.m. on Tuesday. Concordia won last year’s meeting by a 3-1 score in a game played inside Bulldog Stadium. The Bulldogs have won five in a row against York.