SEWARD, Neb. – In an intense conference clash with more attacking chances than the scoreline reflected, the Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Soccer team came away with yet another draw. The Bulldogs let a 1-0 lead slip away in what amounted to a 1-1 stalemate in a matchup with visiting Morningside. Prior to kickoff, Concordia honored a class of nine seniors that has contributed to some of the greatest successes in program history.
The ties keep piling up for Head Coach Jason Weides’ squad, which has seemed to play competitive games with nearly everyone on its schedule. The Bulldogs stand at 3-2-8 overall (2-0-4 GPAC).
“There was a chance for either team to win that game,” Weides said. “Neither team took it. We’re coming away with a lot of disappointment given that we didn’t play very well in the second half. There were some bright moments in the second half but as a whole, we were pretty poor. In a way, we were fortunate not to lose that game even though we had chances to win it. I thought Morningside came to play in the second half.”
One point still separates the Mustangs (5-5-2, 3-1-2 GPAC) in the conference standings. Concordia had its sights set on leapfrogging Morningside after sophomore Hugo Garrote converted a set piece in the 28th minute. In that moment, Martin Herrera’s corner kick set Garrote up only a few yards out at the right post. Garrote simply deflected the ball from Herrera past the keeper for the game’s first score and the first goal of his Bulldog career.
After the break, the Mustangs got the better of Concordia (8-5 shot advantage) and equalized with Bennet Wesselkaemper’s goal in the 55th minute. Bulldog keeper Nolan Fuelberth managed to make a save in the 89th minute (one of his four saves) to preserve the 1-1 tie. Morningside also had a near goal in the 60th minute when it was called for offside. In addition, the Mustangs threatened late in the first half with one instance requiring Fuelberth to advance near the edge of the box.
Concordia wound up firing three shots on goal (two by Garrote) on the night. Another was placed on frame by Aidan Nachi on a strike from roughly 10 yards out. Morningside keeper Tim Teschner made the save. The Mustangs later dodged a bullet in the 84th minute when D’Andre Williams lasered a ball off the mark to the left of the goal.
Fuelberth, Herrera and Williams were three of the nine seniors recognized prior to the contest. The other seniors included Ryan Brown, Jarrod Henson, Carter Hinman, Spencer Kaufman, Gabriel Mendoza and Manuel Rodriguez. Five seniors appeared in the starting 11. That class was part of the 2022 GPAC tournament championship run and helped the 2023 squad go unbeaten in the regular season. It has also been critical in the program’s active 26-game GPAC regular season unbeaten streak (16-0-10).
Said Weides, “This is a really good senior class that has played important roles both on the field and off the field. They have all contributed a lot to this program over the years. I would have loved for every senior to have gotten the opportunity to get on the field tonight and have the chance to ring the bell on senior night. Ultimately, it’s a really good group.”
An Omaha native, Spencer Kaufman discussed the special nature of the senior class following the game. Said Kaufman of the experience, “Indescribable. I can’t formulate a sentence that really covers it all. I believe in everyone of the guys and they believe in everyone of us. I think we all believe that we can take home the (GPAC) title this season. That’s our objective – to get to nationals.”
The next three outings will all take place on the road. This coming Wednesday, the Bulldogs will be headed to Crete to meet up with rival Doane (4-6-2, 2-4 GPAC) at 7:15 p.m. CT. In last season’s matchup (also in Crete), Concordia polished off an unbeaten regular season with a 5-1 rout of the Tigers.