2012 Men's Soccer schedule/results

11-8 Overall, 4-6 GPAC - Season Stats

AUGUST
Aug. 18	Alumni Game	Seward, Neb.	4 p.m.
William Penn Tournament: Aug. 24-25
Aug. 24	William Penn University (Iowa)	Oskaloosa, Iowa	W, 3-0
Aug. 25	Ottawa University* (Kan.)*	Oskaloosa, Iowa	W, 2-0
SEPTEMBER
Sept. 1	William Woods University	Seward, Neb.	W, 2-1
Hastings Tournament: Sept. 7-8
Sept. 7	Bethel College (Ind.)	Hastings, Neb.	L, 0-1
Sept. 8	#20 Grand View University (Iowa)	Hastings, Neb.	W, 2-1
Sept. 15	Sterling College	Sterling, Kan.	W, 2-0
Sept. 19	York College	Seward, Neb.	W, 3-1
Sept. 22	* Dordt College	Sioux Center, Iowa	L, 0-2
Sept. 26	* #23 Hastings College	Seward, Neb.	L, 1-2 OT
Sept. 29	* Dakota Wesleyan Univeristy	Seward, Neb.	W, 6-0
OCTOBER
Oct. 3	Central Christian College (Kan.)	Seward, Neb.	W, 2-0
Oct. 6	* Mount Marty College	Yankton, S.D.	W, 2-0
Oct. 9	* Midland University	Fremont, Neb.	L, 1-3
Oct. 13	* Morningside College (Homecoming)	Seward, Neb.	L, 2-3
Oct. 17	* Nebraska Wesleyan University	Lincoln, Neb.	W, 2-1 (2 OT)
Oct. 20	* Briar Cliff University	Sioux City, Iowa	W, 2-1
Oct. 23	* Doane College	Seward, Neb.	L, 1-2 (2 OT)
Oct. 27	* Northwestern College (Senior Day)	Seward, Neb.	L, 0-2
NOVEMBER
GPAC Tournament: Nov. 1-10
Nov. 1	Midland University	Fremont, Neb.	L, 0-2

*Great Plains Athletic Conference Games
All Home Games in BOLD

2012 Bulldog Men's Soccer

No.

Name

Pos.

Ht.

Yr.

Hometown

Previous School

Skylar Lewis

5-11

Sr.

Adel, Iowa

Adel DeSoto Minburn

Brendan Buchanan

5-7

So.

Broomfield, Colo.

Broomfield

Chris Podlich

6-0

Sr.

Brisbane, Australia

Grace Lutheran

Sean Doran

6-6

Fr.

Dublin, Ireland

Colaiste Ide

Daniel Moore

5-10

So.

Fruita, Colo.

Central

Marcos Leon

6-0

Fr.

San Luis, Ariz.

San Luis

Ben Walker

6-1

Fr.

Fort Collins, Colo.

Fort Collins

Tom Gass

5-10

Sr.

Lincoln, Neb.

University of Nebraska

Aaron Skipworth

6-0

Sr.

Colorado Springs, Colo.

Fort Collins

Jake Sells

5-6

Fr.

Woodland Park, Colo.

Woodland Park

Nathan Douglas

6-0

Jr.

Winnipeg, Can.

Westgate Mennonite

Gideon Soenksen

5-8

Fr.

Lincoln, Neb.

Lincoln Lutheran

Eric Fox

5-11

Sr.

Smithville, Mo.

Smithville

Will Gabbert

6-2

Fr.

Sedalia, Mo.

Home school

Carlos Bolanos

6-1

Sr.

Surprise, Ariz.

Willow Canyon

Chris DeFeyter

5-8

So.

Scottsdale, Ariz.

Saguaro

Dean Stevens

6-1

Fr.

Scottsdale, Ariz.

Notre Dame Prep

Tony Brandner

6-1

Fr.

Sioux Falls, S.D.

Lincoln

Matt Meisinger

5-7

Fr.

Sioux Falls, S.D.

O'Gorman

Tyler Kohmetscher

5-9

Sr.

Lincoln, Neb.

Lincoln Southeast

Kevin Soenksen

6-0

So.

Lincoln, Neb.

Lincoln Lutheran

Dane Stahr

6-1

So.

Lincoln, Neb.

Lincoln Lutheran

Mark Anderson

5-10

Fr.

Morton, Ill.

Morton

Ian Euler

5-9

Sr.

Lincoln, Neb.

Lincoln Northstar

Nathan Northcutt

5-10

Fr.

Dublin, Ireland

Mount Temple

Justin Lawrie

6-1

Fr.

Winnipeg, Canada

St. Paul's

Nick Koszewski

5-10

Fr.

Lincoln, Neb.

Lincoln Lutheran

Marcelino Varona

5-6

Fr.

Olathe, Kan.

Olathe South

Jacob Hawthorne

6-0

Jr.

Ft. Smith, Ark.

Concordia Univ. Chicago

David Tegler

5-8

Fr.

Lincoln, Neb.

Lincoln Lutheran

Josh Blankenship

6-1

So.

Ft. Myers, Fla.

Cypress Lake

Martin Kond

5-8

Fr.

Lincoln, Neb.

Lincoln Lutheran

Jeff Kirkland

5-10

Fr.

Lincoln, Neb.

Lincoln Lutheran

Coaching staff

Head coach: Jason Weides

Assistant coach: Benny Hanaphy

Assistant coach: Nick Holmes

Assistant coach: Brett Rosenberger

Assistant coach: Josh Loos

Assistant coach: Raul Lopez

Douglas, Skipworth lead men's soccer squad with high hopes

23 AUG 2012

At a glance:
2011 Record: 11-5-3 Overall; 5-3-2 Great Plains Athletic Conference
Head Coach: Jason Weides
Record at School: 28-37-8 (four years)
Returning Starters: 6
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 9/9
Key Returners: MF Chris DeFeyter, F Nathan Douglas, MF Ian Euler, D Eric Fox, GK Chris Podlich, F Aaron Skipworth
Key Losses: D Jonathan Avalos, MF Raul Lopez, MF Todd May, F Kolt O’Kelly, D Kurt O’Kelly, MF Tim Soenksen
2011 GPAC All-Conference (*denotes returnee): *Chris DeFeyter (Honorable Mention), *Nathan Douglas (Second Team), Kurt O’Kelly (Second Team), *Chris Podlich (Honorable Mention), *Aaron Skipworth (Honorable Mention)

A senior-laden 2011 roster helped guide the Bulldogs to 11 wins in 2011, just one off the school mark of 12 victories set by the 2000 team. The graduation of nine seniors and the departure of two transfers from that squad means the 2012 edition of Concordia men’s soccer will have a different look, but not necessarily lowered expectations.

“In terms of a transition, yeah, there will be a transition to new faces, but not a transition of expectations,” head coach Jason Weides said. “It’s not like this is a rebuilding year. Expectations are not lowered because these guys are such good players and we’re missing them. Really it’s just a transition of faces. We have the same expectations for some of the guys coming in that we feel can really step in without missing a beat, and in some cases, may help elevate us to a new level.”

Forward Nathan Douglas, one of six starters back in the fold in 2012, returns for his junior season after a stellar sophomore campaign in which he led the team with 11 goals, a figure that tied for third in the GPAC. Douglas’ ability to find the back of the net powered Concordia to an average of 2.37 goals per game in 2011, second in the league behind only national runner up Hastings.

Douglas, who now has 18 goals and eight assists in his first two seasons as a Bulldog, impressed Weides from the very beginning.

“We have great expectations of Douglas,” Weides said. “He’s been a guy who’s done great things since the day he stepped on our campus. From an academic side to the athletic side he’s done a lot.

“He’s got a nose for putting it in the back of the net. He’s got a strong desire to be as professional as possible. He’s got a winning mentality. He certainly brings a winning mentality to our team. Losing is never good enough for him, and it’s not even just winning – it’s winning the right way.”

Douglas teams with senior Aaron Skipworth on an accomplished forward line. Skipworth tallied nine goals in 2011, giving him 29 goals in three solid seasons as a Bulldog. The Colorado Springs, Colo., native is just two goals off the school’s career goals record of 31, a mark held by Bernie Ochoa (2000-02).

Douglas and Skipworth are a talented pair of goal scorers with a great feel for how one another plays.

“Basically me and ‘Skip’ like to score goals,” Douglas said. “But we also like to express all of our other skills. We both have a lot of technical skills. We don’t get in each other’s way. We anticipate what each other’s going to do. We’ve had a great relationship the last two years.”

The biggest transformation comes on the back line where Concordia loses the services of GPAC Second Team All-Conference honoree Kurt O’Kelly and Jonathan Avalos. Weides hopes to offset those loses in part with newcomer Sean Doran, a 6-foot-6 physical presence from Ireland. Weides believes Doran will give the Bulldogs “a guy that can win the ball in the air.”

Midfielders Chris DeFeyter and Ian Euler, defender Eric Fox and goalkeeper Chris Podlich headline the rest of the returning core. The quartet combined for a total of 67 games started in 2011. Euler started all 19 of the team’s games, while Podlich played in 1,423 minutes of a possible 1,794. Podlich collected 91 saves and posted an .858 save percentage.

A potential breakout candidate singled out by Douglas is sophomore midfielder Kevin Soenksen. The Lincoln native saw action in 12 games last season and figures to have an increased role in 2012 after an impressive spring season.

The emergence of players like Soenksen combined with a highly-regarded recruiting class of 17 freshmen and the return of Douglas and Skipworth has Concordia hoping to rise to the top of the GPAC. The Bulldogs were left unsatisfied after a disappointing final stretch in 2011 in which they let home field in the league tourney slip away and then lost 3-1 to Midland to close the campaign. That sour taste leftover has them motivated to achieve much more.

“I usually put a lot of pressure on myself,” Douglas said. “I want to score as many goals and get as many assists as possible. If I’m doing that, it’s going to translate to more wins for Concordia. If it means scoring or even playing defense, I’ll do whatever I’m asked to do. I want to do everything to win the conference.”

Weides and Douglas think alike.

“I think our expectations are that’s not good enough,” Weides said of a potential repeat of last season. “I think, truth be told, if we finish 11-5-3, us as a coaching staff would be disappointed. Our players would be disappointed because we see what we’re capable of. We want more.

“We want to be in the GPAC Championship game.”

The Bulldogs begin their quest to reach the GPAC Championship game on Friday when they take on William Penn (Iowa) in Oskaloosa, Iowa, at 7 p.m.

Bulldogs breeze past Statesmen in men's soccer opener

24 AUG 2012

Head coach Jason Weides’ men’s soccer team began the 2012 season on Friday night much the way it started the 2011 season. The Bulldogs, who pounded William Penn 5-0 to open last year’s campaign, started 2012 off right with a 3-0 victory over William Penn of the NAIA’s Midwest Collegiate Conference on Friday in Oskaloosa, Iowa.

“We challenged them with a lot of pressure defensively and did it effectively,” Weides said. “We looked sharp doing it. You know it’s not always going to be pretty in your first game, but the effort and intensity was there. The young guys came out and really played well. I’m proud of the effort.”

Concordia got on top early with a goal by freshman Ben Walker after only 1:16 elapsed and cruised the rest of the way. Walker was set up by a long free kick that senior forward Aaron Skipworth skillfully headed to Walker, who promptly gave Concordia a 1-0 lead with his first collegiate goal.

Senior midfielder Tom Gass added the second goal from six yards out off a near post cross from freshman forward Dean Stevens in the 18^th minute. The score remained 2-0 until a William Penn gaffe led to an own goal in the 54^thminute to provide the final 3-0 margin.

Sophomore goalkeeper Brendan Buchanan and company stifled the William Penn attackers all night, as Buchanan recorded his first shutout as a Bulldog in the fourth start of his young career. Buchanan collected three saves on the night.

The youth movement was on full display on Friday as five freshmen started and another five saw time off the bench for the Bulldogs. Six-foot-6 freshman center back Sean Doran carried over his impressive play from fall practice and logged all 90 minutes, using his size and athleticism to win the ball in the back line and keep William Penn at bay.

The Bulldogs were a familiar foe for first-year Statesmen head coach Greg Jarosik, who coached GPAC rival Doane for the past five seasons. Concordia and Jarosik’s Tiger squad played to a 0-0 draw in a double overtime duel last season.

The Bulldogs continue play in Oskaloosa, Iowa, on Saturday when they challenge Ottawa (Kan.) at 3 p.m. Concordia will then look forward to its home opener on Sept. 1 versus William Woods (Mo.).

Stifling defense keys perfect weekend for men's soccer

25 AUG 2012

Bulldog men’s soccer finished off a perfect 2-0 weekend in Oskaloosa, Iowa, by shutting out Ottawa (Kan.), 2-0, on Saturday afternoon. Concordia improved to 2-0-0 on the season and recorded back-to-back shutouts for the first time since mid-September of last year.

“It was a good win for us. We came out right away and got an early goal and just kept on pressing,” head coach Jason Weides said. “Defensively we really constricted their time and space on the ball. It started with our front three and our midfield stepped up.”

The Braves, a member of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference, struggled when faced with the intense pressure defense of the Bulldogs. Concordia kept Ottawa from establishing any offensive rhythm, rarely allowing the Braves more than two or three passes on a possession.

Freshmen outside backs Justin Lawrie and Ben Walker and midfielders Ian Euhler and Gideon Soenksen combined to put the squeeze on the Braves. The pesky Euhler consistently broke up play for Ottawa and helped goalkeeper Brendan Buchanan (four saves) post his second-consecutive shutout one day after a 3-0 victory over William Penn (Iowa).

Sophomore midfielder Kevin Soenksen staked the Bulldogs to a 1-0 lead only 2:07 into the contest when he buried a shot from the near post off a crossing pass delivered by senior forward Aaron Skipworth from the left side. Lawrie added the team’s second goal when his shot glanced off the Brave goalkeeper Drinnan Sante and into the back of the net at the 26:41 mark.

Once again, Concordia’s super-sized freshmen class came through, led by standouts such as Sean Doran, Soenksen and Walker.

“They have done very well. We’ve thrown a lot to the fire right away,” Weides said. “(Friday) night five freshmen started and another five came off the bench and provided some quality minutes, and there’s really no drop off.”

The Bulldogs finished with a 15-9 edge in shots and 12-4 advantage in shots on goal in the win.

Concordia is off until Sept. 1 when it hosts its home opener against William Woods (Mo.) at 7 p.m.

'Skip' proves worthy of second chance

31 AUG 2012

By Jake Knabel, Sports Information Director

With just three more goals, senior forward Aaron Skipworth will take his place among Bulldog men’s soccer greats as the program’s all-time career goals leader. Incredibly, Skipworth’s fabulous collegiate playing career nearly fell flat after just a single semester at Concordia.

The Colorado Springs, Colo., native stood out immediately as a Bulldog, as he collected 11 goals while earning GPAC Second Team All-Conference honors as only a freshman in the fall of 2008. Off the pitch, however, the adjustment from high school to college proved to be too much. Skipworth was forced to leave Concordia in December of 2008 due to his academic performance.

“I was upset. I didn’t do well in my classes. I didn’t transition well from high school academically,” Skipworth said.

Skipworth, originally from El Paso, Texas, retreated to Colorado Springs where he enrolled at a local community college and began full-time work. No longer a member of an organized soccer team, he longed to rejoin his Bulldog teammates.

“I just went home, kind of fell off and maybe gave up,” Skipworth said. “It made me realize everything that I had here (at Concordia).”

He recalls sitting outside near his apartment mired in his gloomy thoughts, praying for the opportunity to be back on scholarship as a student-athlete.

When his phone rang and coach Jason Weides was on the line, he felt like his dreams were again in reach. “[He] calls me out of nowhere one day, and I still had his number saved. I think he just called to see what was up, really.”

The phone call initiated Skipworth’s return to Concordia for the fall 2010 semester. Weides had not given up on a young man who the Bulldog head coach knew to be a smart, confident student-athlete. As long as Skipworth could learn to better manage his time and better apply himself as a student, he would have his chance to again be the player that consistently burned opposing goalkeepers.

Skipworth reenrolled and refocused. He set his sights on earning his degree in May 2013.

Weides noted the change when Skipworth returned. The biology major's grades improved and he found a better balance for school and athletics.

"I think his freshman year it was really about, ‘hey, I want to play soccer collegiately,’" Weides said. "He loved the game, but it was academics and everything else going on in his life that were way, way down the priority list.”

Now in his final soccer season, Skipworth aims to do something special. He sits just two goals shy of Bernie Ochoa’s school record of 31 career goals. To reach that mark, Skipworth, or ‘Skip’ as his teammates call him, will lean on that flair that makes him unmistakable on the pitch.

So what would the title of Concordia’s all-time leading goal scorer mean to Skipworth?

“I don’t think when I signed on that I had that envisioned,” Skipworth said. “Leading up to this point, I really haven’t kept track that well of my goals, assists and points. The wins, it’s the wins that mean the most to me. Having two assists and being 2-0 so far this season – so excited."

Skipworth concedes that setting a new career mark would be an amazing accomplishment. Having had his career put on hold for a year-and-a-half has made him even more appreciative.

Skipworth is thankful for Concordia professors such as Dr. Joseph Gubanyi, the natural science department chair and academic advisor to Skipworth. Gubanyi worked with Skipworth through it all and he has enjoyed seeing Skipworth's academic effort and progress.

“As a student in class, he’s always been engaged," Gubanyi said. "He’s a very good participant.

“As far as being respectful, he’s always been at the top. We as professors certainly appreciate that.”

Weides has also witnessed growth in the fearsome striker. He sees Skipworth’s potential career record-breaking accomplishment as a symbol of the senior’s achievement, on and off the field.

“I think it would be a real testament to him and what he has overcome and what he continues to try to overcome,” Weides said. “He hasn’t crossed the finish line. Even graduation won’t be crossing the finish line. It will be a continuation of his long race that he has. It will be a proud moment for him. He’s not a stats guy and I don’t think he probably really even cares about it, but I think he’ll feel proud of what he’s done.”

Skipworth, spurred throughout those dark days by a love for soccer, sits on the brink of becoming Concordia’s most prolific goal scorer, and perhaps something even more special.

“As far as biology, when I started this gig, I wanted to be a Navy corpsman,” Skipworth said. “So hopefully with my degree I can join the Navy, maybe become an officer and work my way up.”

Skipworth knows a thing or two about working his way up.

Doran, freshmen key ninth-straight home win

01 SEP 2012

SEWARD, Neb. – The Bulldogs extended their home winning streak to nine games on Saturday night by defeating William Woods (Mo.) 2-1 in a non-conference matchup. Concordia improved to 3-0-0 on the season in its first game at Bulldog Stadium of 2012.

Just as they did in their first two games this season, the Bulldogs got on top early and then relied on their stingy defense to shut the door. Sean Doran, a freshman defender, curled in his first collegiate goal off a free kick from 20 yards out at the 20:55 mark of the first period. The score, which caromed off the intersection of the left post and the cross bar before finding the back of the net, gave Concordia a 1-0 lead that it would not relinquish.

“Once again we came out of the gates firing and got a couple goals in the first half,” head coach Jason Weides said. “We’re really proving we can score some goals in the first half. It was a good performance. I thought we really controlled the play the first half. Again some young guys played really well.”

Weides also noted that Concordia has yet to score a goal in the second half of any of its first three games this season, but a Gideon Soenksen goal off the assist from Aaron Skipworth in the 34^th minute proved to be just enough against the Owls.

Another theme continued as freshmen came up big for the Bulldogs, who have now seen four of their seven goals this season netted by rookies. Doran, a Dublin, Ireland, native known for his rugged defense in the back, even found the back of the net. The 6-foot-6 Doran has made a seamless transition to collegiate soccer.

“I’ve been playing soccer for so long and fit into the team nice and easy,” Doran said. “All the guys here are easy to get along with so that’s what makes it great.”

Concordia had held all of its 2012 opponents scoreless until William Woods’ Ryan Mann grounded the ball past Bulldog keeper Chris Podlich in the 88^th minute off a scramble that resulted from a corner kick. The Owls failed to threaten the remainder of the contest and fell to 0-2 on the season after finishing 10-9-1 overall last season out of the American Midwest Conference.

“We’re certainly excited. You can’t complain when you start out 3-0,” Weides said. “But I think our expectations continue to grow, so we want to get better. We’ve got a really tough week this next week with two games against Top 25-type teams, so they should be great contests.”

Concordia sophomore keeper Brendan Buchanan still has yet to allow a goal in just over 252 minutes in goal this season. He notched four saves on Saturday before being relieved by the senior Podlich.

The Bulldogs get back to action on Friday when they play Bethel College (Ind.) at 7:30 p.m. as part of the Hastings Tournament. They then turn around for a challenge from No. 6 Grand View (Iowa) on Saturday at 5 p.m. in Hastings, Neb.

Doran earns GPAC weekly honor

04 SEP 2012

Freshman defender Sean Doran was named the Great Plains Athletic Conference Men's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week, the league announced on Tuesday. The 6-foot-6 Doran immediately grabbed a spot in the starting lineup and has solidified the back line for head coach Jason Weides.

“Sean’s been an integral part in our season so far,” Weides said. “In the 2-1 win the other day versus William Woods (Mo.), he was instrumental in helping to control two very good forwards. He’s done things outside of just being a physical presence. I think when you first see him you think he’s just a big center back who’s going to go win the ball, but he’s been far more than that.”

In the Bulldogs only game over the past week, Doran continued to shine as he played all 90 minutes and helped Concordia to the 2-1 victory over William Woods on Sept. 1. The Dublin, Ireland, native starred as the main cog in a defense that kept a pair of returning Owl all-conference performers off the scoreboard. The Bulldogs, bidding for a third-straight shutout to begin the season, did not allow a William Woods goal until the 88^th minute. Doran also added his first collegiate goal in the game, striking from 20 yards out on a free kick.

Bethlel ends Concordia's unbeaten run

07 SEP 2012

HASTINGS, Neb. – Concordia men’s soccer head coach Jason Weides knew the competition would ratchet up this weekend with games against a pair of teams either ranked or receiving votes in the latest NAIA coaches’ poll. The Bulldogs were unable to get off to their typical fast start on the offensive end on Friday and fell, 1-0, to Bethel College (Ind.) in their first game of the Hastings Tournament in Hastings, Neb.

The Pilots (3-0-1), who were in the “receiving votes” category in the NAIA rankings, nipped Concordia (3-1) by notching the game’s lone goal in the 52^nd minute. Bethel’s Daniel Moyo assisted Ricardo Carvalho, who deposited the goal from eight yards out to send the Bulldogs to their first defeat of the season.

“We played a poor second half after conceding the goal,” Weides said. “We played too direct and didn’t hold the ball well. We didn’t handle their speed and direct play well.”

Concordia had just as many opportunities as the Pilots in terms of shots and shots on goal, with each team posting 10 shots and four on goal. Attacking senior forward Aaron Skipworth fired off a match-high four shots and one on goal but is still looking to find the back of the net for the first time this season. Skipworth and company had clean looks in the final minutes, but couldn’t capitalize.

Bulldog sophomore keeper Brendan Buchanan, who earned shutouts in each of the team’s first two wins, played all 90 minutes in goal. He collected three saves.

Concordia continues play in Hastings on Saturday with another tough opponent in No. 20 Grand View (Iowa) at 5 p.m. The Vikings were previously ranked No. 6, but dropped 14 spots after losing their first two games. However, Grand View hung tough with GPAC power and No. 14 Hastings on Friday before the Broncos prevailed, 1-0.

Concordia scores upset of No. 20 Grand View

09 SEP 2012

HASTINGS, Neb. – 20^th-ranked Grand View (Iowa) limited the Bulldogs to just five total shots on Saturday, but head coach Jason Weides’ squad made them count in a 2-1 upset of the Vikings, as Concordia finished up a two-game weekend tournament in Hastings, Neb. The Bulldogs overcame a 1-0 deficit in beating a ranked opponent for the first time this season to improve to 4-1.

“I’m very proud of our guys’ efforts (Saturday),” Weides said. “We responded well to a difficult loss the night before to a top 25-type team (Bethel College) to bounce back and get the win against another top level team. Despite giving up an easy early goal, we kept focus and continued to get better as the game wore on.”

Freshman forward Dean Stevens collected the decisive goal in the 88^th minute off the assist from senior midfielder Ian Euler. Stevens’ first career goal ended a drought of more than 60 minutes without a score from either team. Senior forward Aaron Skipworth had tied the game in the 28^th minute with his first goal of the season. The goal was set up by a well-executed diagonal pass from freshman defender Sean Doran that he drove behind the Grand View defense.

The Vikings got on the board first with an Aaron Scott strike, assisted by Ryan Adamson, in the 18^th minute. Grand View had chances to add to its tally, but couldn’t connect on any of its other six shots on goal. Bulldog sophomore goalkeeper Brendan Buchanan played all 90 minutes and turned in two especially difficult saves in preserving the win.

“Both teams looked fatigued in the late stages of the game,” Weides said. “We did a good job of putting our bodies on the line to make a much needed block or tackle. Grand View pressed hard the last two minutes but our guys did the job in seeing the game out.”

Concordia also played in Hastings on Friday night when it lost 1-0 to Bethel College (Ind.).

Up next for Skipworth and the Bulldogs is a road contest at Sterling College (Kan.) on Sept. 15 with kickoff set for 3 p.m.

Defense pitches shutout in route to road victory

15 SEP 2012

STERLING, Kan. – The host Warriors gave the Bulldogs all they could handle on Saturday afternoon in what was a scoreless contest until the 77^th minute when Concordia finally drew first blood. The Bulldogs would add one more goal on the way to a 2-0 road shutout of Sterling College.

The game’s first goal came on a free kick delivered by freshman defender Sean Doran that was driven past the Warrior defense and headed into the net by freshman forward Dean Stevens. Stevens was able to beat the hard-charging Sterling goalkeeper to give Concordia (5-1) all it would need to ride to victory.

“We had to grind out a tough contest,” Bulldog head coach Jason Weides said. “We surrendered possession far easier than we should have and gave them opportunities on quick counters after giveaways on what normally are simple passes for us. We didn't play that well but were able to grind out a victory. It's great to see that even when we don't play to the caliber we expect that we can earn a shutout and score a couple goals.”

The Bulldogs got some breathing room with 4:02 remaining in the game when freshman midfielder Gideon Soenksen played through to Nathan Douglas, who was taken down in the box and given a penalty kick. The junior forward, held out of the team’s first two games due to injury, drilled the penalty kick for his first goal of 2012. He led the team with 11 goals last season.

Following the game, Weides complimented the feisty Warriors of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference. It took nearly the entire 90 minutes for Concordia to put away Sterling, which dropped to 2-3 on the season.

“We give credit to Sterling who played well and made for a very challenging game in a tough place to play,” Weides said.

The shutout was the third of the season for Concordia, which has allowed only three goals in six games.

The Bulldogs return home on Wednesday when they welcome York College to Seward for a 7:30 p.m. non-conference battle. The women’s game, set for a 5 p.m. start, precedes the men’s contest.

Douglas stays hot; Bulldogs protect home turf

19 SEP 2012

SEWARD, Neb. – Visiting York College threatened to end the Bulldogs’ nine-game home winning streak, playing even through almost 76 minutes of action. But freshman Sean Doran’s goal with just 14:05 remaining in the game broke the tie and allowed Concordia to come away with a 3-1 victory. Wednesday’s triumph bumps Concordia to 6-1 on the season and extended its win streak to 10 games at Bulldog Stadium.

“We really gutted one out today,” Bulldog head coach Jason Weides said. “To be fair to York, they played a really good game. They made it a really tough game for us. We just got better throughout the game and in the second half we picked it up quite a bit and were able to get a couple goals.”

The Bulldogs attempted to employ their familiar formula of getting on top early and then putting the clamps on the opposition defensively. Junior forward Nathan Douglas scored off a great find from Aaron Skipworth only 4:01 into the game to give Concordia the early lead.

However, York (2-7-1) responded with a goal in the 32^ndminute when Concordia misplayed the ball near its own net. Panther forward Nick Mueting took advantage by heading it past goalkeeper Brendan Buchanan.

Both teams went scoreless for the next 44:13 until Doran notched his second goal of the season, assisted by Kevin Soenksen. Doran used his size at 6-foot-6, out-leaping everyone else and heading it past York goalkeeper Luis Pulido in the 76^th minute for the game-winning score.

Douglas added the exclamation point with 4:25 left in the game on a free kick goal that hit the crossbar and dropped in to provide the final 3-1 margin. The Winnipeg, Can., now has three goals in the last two games. After a slow start due to injury, Douglas has found his groove.

“It’s always a good feeling scoring,” Douglas said. “The first one was real early. We started off real quick, but then we kind of faded a bit and let them back in the game. Second half we just persevered and kept pushing as a team. I’m just thankful to get those balls to finish the game off for us.”

Concordia had several other clean looks in the second half, including open shots from Dean Stevens and Kevin Soenksen that missed the mark. The Bulldogs tallied 23 shots to the Panthers’ eight and 14 shots on goal to York’s one.

Concordia has out-scored its opponents 14-4 in its first seven games with no opponent putting up more than one goal in a single game. Nine different players have scored at least one goal this season for the Bulldogs. Douglas’ three scores lead the team.

With Douglas on a roll, Concordia is an even more dangerous squad.

“We knew he would get on the scoresheet soon and start putting them in the back of the net,” Weides said. “He’s definitely capable of that as one of our leading goal scorers the last couple of years. Once you get that first one, the second, the third and the fourth just come easier. He’s a confident guy around the net and we know he’s not going to shy away from taking on that shot.”

The Bulldogs will play their GPAC opener on Saturday when they travel to Sioux Center, Iowa, to challenge Dordt (4-3).

Three-game win streak snapped at Dordt

22 SEP 2012

SIOUX CENTER, Iowa – The GPAC’s second-most prolific offensive attack was shut down on Saturday as host Dordt defeated the Bulldogs 2-0. Two early goals carried the Defenders to victory in the GPAC openers for both squads and snapped Concordia’s three-game win streak.

“We found ourselves in a hole that proved too much to overcome today,” head coach Jason Weides said. “We had plenty of opportunities for ourselves but couldn't get the first breakthrough. We played good in small spurts but just not consistent enough to win the match.”

Eric Grootenboer staked Dordt to a 1-0 lead just 47 seconds into the game with a strike past Bulldog goalkeeper Chris Podlich. Scott Van Wylen added the game’s final goal with a tally in the sixth minute. Both goals came much too easy according to Weides.

Each team had 11 total shots and five on goal in an evenly matched contest. Dordt (5-3, 1-0 GPAC) limited junior Concordia (6-2, 0-1 GPAC) forward Nathan Douglas, who had scored three goals in his previous two games, to two shots, including one on goal. Sophomore midfielder Chris DeFeyter was the most active on the attack for the Bulldogs with three total shots and two on goal.

Podlich started and played all 90 minutes in goal for the first time this season. He recorded three saves on the day.

Concordia will get another stiff challenge on Wednesday as No. 16 Hastings comes to town for a 7:30 p.m. contest.

Broncos pull out physical overtime thriller at Bulldog Stadium

26 SEP 2012

SEWARD, Neb. – The Bulldogs had Wednesday night’s contest circled on their calendars as soon as the 2012 schedule was released. GPAC powerhouse Hastings, defending champion and 2011 national runner-up, came into the game at Bulldog Stadium seemingly more vulnerable than years past, already sporting four losses on the season. However, visiting No. 23 Hastings (5-4, 2-0 GPAC) secured the 2-1 victory in overtime with a Dru Kobs goal six minutes into the extra stanza.

“We were looking forward to it all season,” sophomore midfielder Kevin Soenksen said. “This is the one, but we’ll get them another time.”

Kevin Soenksen’s goal in the 70^th minute off the assist from his brother Gideon Soenksen had broken a scoreless tie and intensified an already animated Concordia crowd, hoping to see the Bulldogs defeat Hastings for the first time since 1998. But the Broncos had other ideas and tied the score in the 79^th minute after Jordan Green was taken down in the 18-yard box. Green then capitalized on a penalty kick.

Green’s goal came on the heels of a flurry of action near the Concordia goal in the 78^th minute when Hastings players expressed disbelief when officials ruled the ball had not crossed the goal. The Bulldogs (6-3, 0-2 GPAC) survived the attack, but continued to allow more Bronco offensive chances.

Concordia sophomore defender Daniel Moore had an opportunity late in the game when a teammate’s corner kick found Moore near the right post. Moore’s header was promptly denied by goalkeeper Alex Guyer, marking the last clean look for the Bulldogs, who fell in their first overtime game of 2012.

“It was just a really energetic atmosphere,” Concordia head coach Jason Weides said. “Both teams expended a lot of energy tonight, especially going into overtime. I couldn’t be more proud of the effort. Our guys fought hard. There was a lot of passion and intensity, and it was one of those physical games.”

The intensity of the rivalry was clear on the stat sheet as the two squads combined for eight yellow cards and 35 fouls. The Bulldogs, whose 10-game home winning streak was snapped in the loss, played with the energy of a team determined to beat one of the nation’s elite programs.

“It’s been too long,” said Weides of the team’s losing streak versus Hastings. “We’ve come close a few times. Obviously really, we were knocking on the door (tonight). We had the lead there in the second half, just weren’t able to quite hold it. It’s definitely a painful one.

“I think it will be fuel for the rest of the season.”

Hastings, which suffered only two defeats the entire 2011 season, fell to ranked opponents in three of its first four losses. The Broncos only win against a Top 25 squad came on Sept. 7 when they squeaked by then No. 20 Grand View (Iowa) 1-0.

Hastings ranked No. 1 in the nation at the time of last year’s game, defeated Concordia 3-0 in Hastings on Sept. 28 in the most recent meeting.

Concordia will remain at home on Saturday when Dakota Wesleyan (2-7, 1-1 GPAC) visits Seward for a 2:30 p.m. battle. The Tigers won a double overtime thriller, 3-2, over Mount Marty on Tuesday.

Offensive outburst propels Bulldogs to first GPAC victory

29 SEP 2012

SEWARD, Neb. – The Bulldogs needed only 28 minutes to equal their season high of three goals on the way to a 6-0 win over visiting Dakota Wesleyan on Saturday. Concordia junior forward Nathan Douglas posted his second two-goal game of the season in powering the Bulldogs to victory.

“We got goals in both first and second halves, which is something we haven’t done a lot this season,” Concordia head coach Jason Weides said. “We’ve been coming out hot and scoring a lot of goals and then cooling off in the second half, or vice-versa. So it was really pleasing to see us score goals consistently throughout the game – really the definition of a team effort.”

Douglas got started early with a goal in the second minute that allowed Concordia (7-3, 1-2 GPAC) to draw first blood. About 22 minutes later, the Winnipeg, Canada, native laced another shot into the net for his team-leading fifth goal of 2012.

Douglas would not be the only one to get in on the offensive explosion. The Soenksen brothers, who combined for Concordia’s lone goal in Wednesday’s 2-1 overtime loss to Hastings, both added goals of their own on Saturday. Gideon Soenksen struck first with a score in the 28^th minute prior to Kevin Soenksen’s back-of-the-netter, which came in the 54^th minute off an assist from Kevin Soensken.

Freshman defender Sean Doran posted his third goal of the season in the 57^th minute to add the exclamation point in the blowout win. The 6-foot-6 Doran got well above the Dakota Wesleyan defense off a free kick and headed in the pass from senior midfielder Ian Euler.

“We wrote up on our marker board that we had a target area on long free kicks,” Euler said. “I just hit it there and Sean had a nice finish with his head.”

Bulldog sophomore defender Daniel Moore tucked the ball inside the left post in the 79^th minute for his first career goal to provide the final tally of Saturday’s contest.

Weides was happy with the way his team came back from Wednesday’s tough 2-1 overtime loss to No. 23 Hastings.

“They responded really well,” Weides said. “They didn’t feel sorry for themselves. They didn’t feel like they were cheated or slighted. They knew it was a good game, we just didn’t get on the good end of it. They were hungry to get back at it.”

Dakota Wesleyan (2-8, 1-2 GPAC) failed to crack the scoreboard on the few solid chances it set up. Chaz Foss tried to give the Tigers some life early in the second half with his team down 3-0. With the swing of his right leg, Foss struck the ball off the crossbar from about 25 yards out.

Concordia will break from GPAC play on Wednesday when Central Christian College (Kan.) (5-3-1) of the Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference visits Bulldog Stadium. The Bulldogs then return to GPAC play next Saturday at Mount Marty (1-8, 0-2 GPAC) with kickoff scheduled for 3:30 p.m.

Relative of Euler serves as Honorary Bulldog Junior: Jagger Schindler, a cousin of Ian Euler, served as Honorary Bulldog Junior on Saturday. The five-year-old Jagger, who has a condition called Childhood Apraxia of Speech, joined Concordia on the field for pre-game introductions.

“It was real nice,” Euler said. “He got a lot of smiles out of it today. We’ll all remember it.”

Second-half splurge fuels nonconference win

03 OCT 2012

SEWARD, Neb. – Unfamiliar foes felt each other out in a scoreless first half before the Bulldogs kicked it into gear in the second stanza. Concordia (8-3, 1-2 GPAC) improved to 7-1 in nonconference play with a 2-0 victory over Central Christian College (Kan.) on Wednesday night at Bulldog Stadium.

After a slow start to the game that included only 10 combined shots in the first half, Concordia awakened offensively over the final 45 minutes. Freshman midfielder Jake Sells became the 11^th Bulldog to score a goal this season when sophomore defender Daniel Moore’s strike deflected off of Tiger keeper Alex Akrawi. Sells, who found himself in an opportune place in line with the right post, deposited the ball into the net to break the scoreless tie.

“It definitely illustrates quality depth,” head coach Jason Weides said of his team’s ability to get goals throughout the roster. “It’s not just there’s five guys, there’s 10 guys. We can go beyond that. We can go all the way to our 30^th person on our team and we can provide great minutes and get goals. It’s really dangerous for other teams because it’s not just shut down this one guy and you shut down the team.”

Sells, who has played in eight of nine games, made his first start on Wednesday. The Woodland Park, Colo., native made the best of it.

“Danny made an excellent run down the wing,” Sells said. “He had a really good shot, really hard, and I just knew it was coming off. I was in the right spot at the right time, so it worked out good.”

Junior forward Nathan Douglas notched his team-leading sixth goal of the season in the 60^th minute, scooting the ball along the turf past Akrawi. Senior midfielder Tom Gass earned the assist on the play after playing the ball on the ground from the right side of the field. Douglas atoned for missing on a one-on-one with the goalkeeper back in the 37^th minute.

Central Christian (6-4-1), a member of the Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference, entered the contest averaging 2.7 goals per game – third best in the MCAC. The Tigers’ Ronnie Rocha misfired to the right on a clean look midway through the first half, but Central Christian was stymied most of the night and finished with just two shots on goal.

“Central Christian had come in and had a great start to the year,” Weides said. “It’s a team that scored a ton of goals last year and has the weapons to score a lot of goals this year. To put a goose egg up on the board is great for us defensively.”

Senior goalkeeper Chris Podlich picked up his first shutout of the season. It was the fifth team shutout in 2012 for the GPAC’s stingiest defense that came into Wednesday allowing only 0.8 goals per game.

With several players seeing more minutes on Wednesday than they typically have this season, the quality of the complete roster was on full display in the win.

“It really just speaks to our collectiveness as a team,” Sells said of the Bulldogs’ depth. “Nobody’s a superstar. We can all play. We can all get in. We can all score. It really helps the camaraderie of the team. We all know we can count on each other day in and day out.”

Concordia gets back to GPAC action on Saturday when it travels to Yankton, S.D., to take on Mount Marty (1-10, 0-4 GPAC).

Douglas nets two more goals as Bulldogs even up GPAC mark

06 OCT 2012

YANKTON, S.D. – Junior forward Nathan Douglas continued his impressive run of goal scoring on Saturday, striking for both of Concordia’s goals in a 2-0 victory at Mount Marty (1-11, 0-5 GPAC). The Bulldogs improved to 9-3 overall and evened up at 2-2 in GPAC action.

“We controlled the play and dominated shots,” head coach Jason Weides said. “Defensively we did a great job of not allowing a shot on goal. Despite creating several scoring chances we weren't able to put a few more in the net. I really liked how we dictated the pace of the game today. We just need to convert more of our chances in future games.”

Douglas got going early when he drilled the back of the net off a throw in in the second minute. His second goal came in the 36^th minute when senior midfielder Tom Gass played through to the Winnipeg, Canada native, who deposited into the net once again.

Douglas has heated up considerably after missing action early in the season due to injury. He now has eight goals on the season, including five in the last three games. He led the team with 11 goals in 2011.

Concordia’s .750 overall win percentage leads the GPAC. The Bulldogs are also tops in fewest goals allowed per game at 0.67.

Douglas and the Bulldogs will be on the road again on Tuesday when they play at Midland (5-4-2, 3-1 GPAC) at 4 p.m. They return home on Oct. 13 for homecoming when they take on Morningside (4-8-1, 2-2-1 GPAC) at 7:30 p.m.

Skipworth ties school career goals mark in loss

09 OCT 2012

FREMONT, Neb. – Concordia senior forward Aaron Skipworth’s goal in the 54^th minute knotted the score on Tuesday and placed the Colorado Springs, Colo., native in a tie with Bernie Ochoa for the school’s career goals record of 31. Unfortunately, Skipworth’s second goal of the season was not enough as host Midland came up with a 3-1 victory.

“It was a closer game than what the score ended up,” Concordia head coach Jason Weides said. “There were periods where we dominated play and there were periods where they dominated play. It was cyclical.

“We couldn’t get enough chances on goal in the first 20 minutes when we really played well. We were aggressive, we were all over them. It just didn’t result in a goal.”

For Skipworth, the goal was his first since Sept. 8 when the Bulldogs knocked off then No. 20 Grand View 2-1. His back of the netter off the assist from junior forward Nathan Douglas gave Concordia (9-4, 2-3 GPAC) life after it was held scoreless in the first half on Tuesday evening. But the Warriors would respond about nine minutes later.

That’s when Danny Pollard connected on an unassisted goal to put Midland (7-4-2, 5-1 GPAC) up for good. Then in the 75^th minute, the Warriors’ Alan Craig added his second goal of the game, and 10^th on the season, to give Midland plenty of breathing room in the closing minutes.

“The positive was that we never backed down,” Weides said. “We still worked hard to score. We had a couple opportunities where we narrowly missed making it 3-2, which would have made things interesting down the stretch.”

In the absence of sophomores Chris DeFeyter and Kevin Soenksen, freshman Gideon Soenksen stepped up and performed exceptionally well as a midfielder. The younger Soenksen “was all over the pitch and covered up a lot of things defensively,” according to Weides.

Skipworth still has at least six more games to try to break Ochoa’s school goals record. It’s been a remarkable career for Skipworth, who posted 11 goals as freshman during a First Team All-GPAC campaign, nine as a sophomore and nine more last season as a junior.

Tuesday’s 3-1 score was identical to the final tally of last year’s GPAC quarterfinal game on Nov. 1 when the Warriors ended Concordia’s season.

The Bulldogs return home Saturday to Bulldog Stadium where they have won 14 of their last 15 games. Morningside (4-8-1, 2-2-1 GPAC) will serve as the homecoming opponent for a contest that is scheduled to get underway at 7:30 p.m.

Douglas named GPAC Offensive POW

09 OCT 2012

Concordia junior forward Nathan Douglas has been named the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Men’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week, the league announced on Tuesday.

“Nathan has been very impactful for us this year,” men’s soccer head coach Jason Weides said. “Recently he has scored many important goals but his impact has gone beyond the score sheet for our team.

“He has made good decisions in transition that have allowed for our team to get into good scoring positions and has played well with his back to goal. The timing of Nathan’s goals has been helpful as well with early goals in contests. He embraces the challenges we are faced with and is eager to take them head on.”

Douglas, a Winnipeg, Canada, native, scored three of Concordia’s four goals last week in powering the Bulldogs to wins over Central Christian (Kan.) and Mount Marty. In doing so, he pushed his season total to eight goals, a figure that ranked second in the GPAC entering play on Tuesday. He is also second in the conference in points per game at 1.6.

Prior to Tuesday, Douglas netted five goals in his previous three games and has scored all eight of his goals since Sept. 15. His two-goal game against Mount Marty was his third multi-goal game of the season and the fifth of his career.

Douglas is the second men’s soccer player for Concordia to earn weekly GPAC honors this season. Freshman defender Sean Doran took the defensive player of the week award back on Sept. 4.

Second half struggles lead to homecoming loss

13 OCT 2012

SEWARD, Neb. – Saturday night’s homecoming loss featured as many lightning delays as Nathan Douglas goals – two – before Concordia finally succumbed, 3-2, to visiting Morningside. The strange contest saw the Bulldogs take a 2-0 lead in the 66^th minute, but a typically stingy defense broke down in the final 20 minutes of play.

“I think we panicked a little bit,” Concordia head coach Jason Weides said. “We just didn’t seem to be able to get our foot through the ball. We played around with it a little too much in the back. We were in good positions to clear the ball and win it, we just had poor clearances. It was unusual.”

The Mustangs Zoro Martinez headed in the game-winner in the 86^th minute off a corner kick from Chico Hernandez, capping their run of three unanswered goals to complete the comeback against a Concordia (9-5, 2-4 GPAC) defense that came in allowing a GPAC best 0.73 goals per game.

Douglas, a Winnipeg, Canada, native, got the Bulldogs on top early when he chased down his shot that struck the Morningside keeper and bounded in line with the right post. Douglas took advantage of the second chance and rolled the ball past the Mustangs’ Evaristo Hernandez. Douglas then added another in the 66^th minute as Concordia appeared to be in control.

Morningside (6-8-1, 4-2-1 GPAC) responded with a Cameron Meter goal, assisted by Saxx Adams and Blake Fostvedt, to put the Mustangs on the board in the 73^rdminute. Kyle Larkin then knotted the score at 2-2 when he curled in a corner kick in the 77^th minute.

“The two 30-minute breaks didn’t help, but essentially we just came out too flat today,” Douglas said. “We weren’t prepared for this battle tonight. The team that worked harder won. They wanted this win more than we did. It took us 85 minutes to get settled into this game, and by then it was too late.

“We didn’t defend well down the stretch.”

The first weather delay occurred with 19:53 remaining in the first half when lightning strikes in the area forced play to halt with Concordia leading 1-0. Then with 7:54 left in the game, officials stopped the action again with more frequent lightning brightening the sky in the background.

“Certainly it’s unique with two weather delays,” Weides said. “It usually doesn’t happen. Usually to have one is an odd thing to happen, but that’s not an excuse for us. We just didn’t come out and play well enough. Credit to Morningside. They came out and played with a lot of heart and passion.”

Douglas now has seven goals in his last five games and 10 on the season, all since Sept. 15. His 28 career goals are three behind current teammate Aaron Skipworth and former Bulldog Bernie Ochoa for the school record.

The Mustangs finished with 18 shots (11 on goal) to the Concordia’s 10 (six on goal). Morningside dominated the second half with 13 shots compared to the Bulldogs’ five.

Concordia will be back in action on Wednesday at 8 p.m. when it plays at Nebraska Wesleyan (7-5-1, 4-2 GPAC).

Bulldogs nip Wolves in double overtime

17 OCT 2012

LINCOLN, Neb. – The Bulldogs found goals much more difficult to come by on Wednesday after scorching Nebraska Wesleyan for a combined seven goals in the previous two meetings in the series – both Bulldog victories. An improved Prairie Wolf squad pushed Concordia hard until the Bulldogs ultimately won with junior Nathan Douglas’ decisive goal in the sixth minute of the second overtime period.

Douglas helped relieve frustrations stemming from two-straight losses by drilling the back of the net inside the right post to cap the come-from-behind victory. Douglas maneuvered the ball up the right side of the field on a breakaway before unleashing a shot into the net for his 11^th goal of the season (matching his career high from 2011) and the 29^th of his career, as he got the best of the opposing keeper in a one-on-one situation.

Thanks to a Colby Twist theft from the Bulldog back line and a goal (his 13^th of 2012) in the 52^nd minute, Nebraska Wesleyan held the lead for nearly 30 minutes in the second half. Things appeared bleak for Concordia until freshman defender Sean Doran knocked in his fourth goal of the season in the 82^nd minute off a deflection to force overtime.

“That was a big moment because we had been knocking on the door, but just couldn’t get a goal,” Bulldog head coach Jason Weides said. “That was a big breath of life for us. Once we equalized we were confident we could get another.”

Both teams recorded 14 total shots in an evenly-contested match. The Bulldogs connected on the only shot attempted in the second overtime stanza and made a winner out of sophomore goalkeeper Brendan Buchanan, who played the entire game in goal and made four saves for Concordia.

“I thought we held the ball really well on defense,” Weides said. “We didn’t hold the ball as well on the attacking end, especially in the first 60 minutes. Once we cleaned that up, we were able to create a lot more opportunities.

“Overall, we defended well. Wesleyan has a real productive attacker (Twist), and he got one goal, but we did a good job of shutting him down most of the night.”

With the win, Concordia (10-4, 3-4 GPAC) captured its third-straight win over rival Nebraska Wesleyan (7-6-2, 4-3 GPAC), who entered play a full two games in front of the Bulldogs in the GPAC standings despite not ranking in the top five of the league in goals scored or fewest goals allowed.

Wednesday’s overtime match was the second of the season for Concordia, which lost 2-1 to then No. 23 Hastings on Sept. 26. The Bulldogs went 1-0-3 in 2011 in overtime contests.

Concordia will be on the road again Saturday when it challenges Briar Cliff (1-12-2, 0-6-1) in Sioux City, Iowa, at 3:15 p.m. The Bulldogs return home Oct. 23 and 27 for their final regular-season games of 2012.

First half effort keys GPAC road win

20 OCT 2012

SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The Bulldogs got all they could handle on Saturday against a Briar Cliff team still looking for its first GPAC win of the season. In the end, head coach Jason Weides’ club hung on for a 2-1 road victory in Sioux City, Iowa, on Saturday to give Concordia two-consecutive league wins, both away from home.

A stellar first-half for the Bulldogs yielded only one goal on nine total shots with the lone scoring strike coming from freshman defender Sean Doran. Another freshman defender, Ben Walker, played a cross to Doran who tapped the ball into the net from about eight yards out to break the scoreless tie in the 42^nd minute.

“We created a lot of chances in the first half,” Concordia head coach Jason Weides said. “I felt like we completely dominated play over the first 45 minutes. I thought we deserved a couple more goals.”

The Bulldogs finally did add another tally in the 76^thminute. Freshman midfielder Gideon Soenksen headed a corner kick back to freshman Dean Stevens, who booted it past the keeper with his left foot from 12 yards away, making it 2-0 in favor of Concordia.

The final 25 minutes were tense for the Bulldogs, who simply tried to hold on against a feisty Charger club that hoped to snap a seven-game winless streak. Parker Staroscik got Briar Cliff (1-13-2, 0-7-1 GPAC) within one goal when he scored off the assist from Dominic Wetzbarger in the 81^st minute.

From there, Concordia (11-5, 4-4 GPAC) fended off a couple more prime opportunities from a suddenly more aggressive opponent on the attack. One such chance came with about five minutes remaining in the game when sophomore Bulldog goalkeeper Brendan Buchanan made a great save to maintain the 2-1 lead.

“I thought we were by far the better team for the first 75 minutes or so,” Weides said. “Suddenly things turned around quickly. Their goal gave them a lifeline. Credit Briar Cliff for not giving up. They got some chances late that made it interesting.

“It was a really big win against a team that is much better than their record.”

According to Weides, the tough road win was made possible in part by some strong efforts off the bench. The quartet of Tom Gass, Carlos Bolanos, Tyler Kohmetscher and Mark Anderson provided quality minutes in reserve on an afternoon that saw a couple key players leave the game with injuries.

For the game, Concordia totaled 14 shots (five on goal) to the Chargers’ 10 (four on goal).

The Bulldogs now enter the home stretch with just two more regular-season games remaining. They will host Doane (4-9-2, 3-4-1 GPAC) on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. prior to entertaining Northwestern (10-4-1, 5-2-1 GPAC) at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at Bulldog Stadium. The conference tournament will begin Nov. 1. Concordia currently sits seventh in the league with 12 points.

Bulldogs fall in heartbreaker to rival Doane

23 OCT 2012

SEWARD, Neb. – A Concordia-Doane men’s soccer matchup almost always results in an overtime contest. For the seventh time in the last eight meetings, the two rivals needed more than 90 minutes to determine the outcome. Less than a minute into the second overtime, the Tigers’ Isaac Beber struck for the golden goal to keep Doane (5-9-2, 4-4-1 GPAC) unbeaten in the last five games in the series with Concordia.

“It’s always been an intense rivalry with Doane,” Bulldog head coach Jason Weides said. “That dates way back. I remember as a player some great heated, back-and-forth games. In recent years there have been a lot of overtimes.

“You just know no matter what’s going on with either team that year, it’s going to be a tough, competitive battle.”

Concordia sophomore midfielder Chris DeFeyter tallied the final goal of regulation when he scored directly off the corner kick from freshman midfielder Gideon Soenksen in the 28^th minute. It was the first goal of the season for DeFeyter, who drilled the ball into the net from just inside the 18-yard box in the middle of the field to knot the score at 1-1.

“It was a good ball in by Gideon and it just kind of skipped through Nathan Douglas’ foot,” DeFeyter said. “Got a touch and it popped up, so I just kind of went for it. I didn’t really think about it. I just kind of dove at it and it happened to go in.”

The Bulldogs (11-6, 4-5 GPAC) created several more chances, including in the waning moments of regulation. Concordia’s top goal scorer Douglas connected on a strike with about 13 minutes left in the second half that Doane goalkeeper Casey Clark rejected.

Then in the 88^th minute, the Bulldogs pressured the Tiger defense with several cracks at the net, culminating with a Douglas shot that went wide left of the post to end the threat.

“Sometimes finding the back of the net requires a little bit of luck and we just didn’t have that little bit of luck,” Weides said. “We fought hard. We found ourselves in good positions. We created chances. A lot of times those chances fall in the back of the net. We’ve been fairly successful late in games at that, but for whatever reason we weren’t able to find it today.”

Concordia is now 1-2 in overtime this contests and drops to 4-3 at home this season following an 8-0 mark at Bulldog Stadium in 2011. The Bulldogs, who have lost three league games by a single goal and two by a pair of goals, remain confident that they can make a late-season run despite another tight defeat on Tuesday.

“We’re getting all these heartbreaking losses,” said DeFeyter, who became the 12^th Bulldog to score this season with his goal on Tuesday. “We’re not losing (in the GPAC Championships). We’ve worked too hard this season.”

While Doane had 13 shots to Concordia’s 12, the Bulldogs placed more shots on frame with an 8-5 edge in shots on goal.

Concordia remains home on Saturday when Northwestern (10-4-1, 5-2-1 GPAC) comes to town for Concordia’s Senior Day. The Bulldogs, who sit in eighth place in the GPAC, hope to better position themselves for the GPAC Championships, which get started Nov. 1, by knocking off the Red Raiders.

Offensive attack sputters in shutout loss

27 OCT 2012

SEWARD, Neb. – Senior forward Aaron Skipworth and the Bulldog attack went scoreless on Saturday night as Concordia closed the regular season with a 2-0 loss to visiting Northwestern. Despite three more shots than the Red Raiders, Concordia (11-7, 4-5 GPAC) was unable to capitalize on several good looks on frame and never could dig out of an early hole on senior night.

“We started a little slow,” Bulldog head coach Jason Weides said. “It was really just the opening five or 10 minutes where we just didn’t seem to be awake. We didn’t have the energy that Northwestern did to start the game. Unfortunately that really proved to be the big difference.”

The game had barely kicked off when Northwestern midfielder Gabriel Gonclaves drilled the back of the net 41 seconds into the contest. From that point on the game was a dead heat as the Bulldogs began to play with greater energy and created more chances.

“I thought we worked back into it and got better through the first half,” Weides said. “We started to create chances of our own, started to hold the ball better and started to defend better. In the second half we did some good things, too. It was one of those things where we just couldn’t get that first goal.”

Skipworth and junior forward Nathan Douglas showed visible frustration on near misses throughout the contest. Skipworth had a couple great opportunities to take sole possession of the school career goals record.

“I had two good chances – one in each half – and I think the keeper made two good saves,” Skipworth said. “I felt like he played well. I put them on frame and he made saves.”

One of those chances came with just under 12 minutes remaining in the first half when Skipworth broke free from the Northwestern back line and maneuvered up the right side of the field. He then fired a shot that forced the Red Raiders’ Austin Stoesz to dive to his right to maintain Northwestern’s 1-0 lead.

The Red Raiders’ Travis Sytsma then provided the final margin in the 69^th minute when he found himself in the right spot after a scramble on a penalty kick. Sytsma tapped into the net to give Northwestern (11-5-1, 6-3-1 GPAC) more than enough room to breathe on this night.

The loss likely marks the final game at Bulldog Stadium for Skipworth and the six other Concordia seniors (barring a GPAC Championships matchup with eighth-seeded Dakota Wesleyan in the title game). Skipworth will always look back fondly at his time in front of the home fans.

“Most of all it’s been a good experience for me,” Skipworth said. “It’s been a good series out here on the turf – a lot of good memories. I’m not looking at it as a downfall. It’s one of the greatest places in the world. I’m just happy to have been here that amount of time.”

Saturday’s game was the third time the Bulldogs have been shut out this season. They fell to 4-4 at home this season following an 8-0 mark at Bulldog Stadium in 2011.

Concordia now looks forward to a new season when it plays Thursday, Nov. 1 in the opening round of the GPAC Championships. The seventh-seeded Bulldogs will be at second-seeded Midland in a rematch of Concordia’s Oct. 9 loss in Fremont. Game time is set for 2 p.m.

Concordia unable to cool off red-hot Midland

01 NOV 2012

FREMONT, Neb. – Thursday’s GPAC quarterfinal between Concordia and Midland saw the defenses dominate for the bulk of the afternoon. The host Warriors (11-5-2, 8-2 GPAC) got an Andy Jones goal in the 12^thminute and never looked back on the way to a 2-0 victory over the Bulldogs in Fremont.

“It was a good competitive, physical match,” Concordia head coach Jason Weides said of the aggressive play on both sides.

For the second-straight year, the Bulldogs’ season comes to an end at the hands of Midland, which defeated Concordia 3-1 in the GPAC quarterfinals in 2011. The Warriors will attempt to get back to the GPAC Championship game after falling 4-1 to Hastings last year in the title contest.

Jones and teammate Daniel McGowin were the only players to score on Thursday. Jones finished off a play that began with a free kick and involved assists awarded to both McGowin and Jason Wong. The next score came roughly 69 minutes later when McGowin deposited the ball into the net on a penalty kick to put Midland well on its way to the next round.

“Our spirits were still good coming into the second half,” said Weides, whose team trailed 1-0 at the break. “We were disappointed we couldn’t do more after a good first half. We tried to make a couple adjustments going into the second half. We just couldn’t get that first goal.”

The Bulldogs (11-8, 4-6 GPAC) struggled again on the attack after scoring just one goal combined in their previous two games. According to Weides, one of the team’s best opportunities on Thursday came when freshman Ben Walker played a cross from the left wing to a Concordia striker who was bothered just enough by the Midland defender to force an errant shot.

On the day, the Warriors (winners of four straight) tallied 10 shots (four on goal) to the Bulldogs’ nine (three on goal). Junior Nathan Douglas had the most opportunities for Concordia with three shots and one on goal that Midland keeper Lewis Wilcox denied. Wilcox picked up the shutout after playing all 90 minutes in goal.

The Bulldogs have now won exactly 11 games in back-to-back seasons, marking one of the most successful two-year runs in Concordia soccer history. The Bulldogs are 22-13-3 over the past two seasons. The school record for most wins in a season is 12, a feat that was accomplished by the 2000 Bulldog squad that included Weides as a player.

Concordia will say goodbye to senior forward Aaron Skipworth, who finishes his career in a tie for No. 1 on the school’s all-time goals list (31) and alone atop Concordia’s assists chart (17), and six other seniors. However, with the return of several freshmen who saw significant time and top goal scorer Nathan Douglas (11 goals), the Bulldogs are positioned for another solid season in 2013.

“We certainly haven’t thought too much about next year yet,” Weides said. “Right now it stings a bit. I’m just proud of the seniors that we will be losing. This senior class has given so much to us. We’re really going to miss them. That’s where our focus is right now.”

Douglas chosen for CoSIDA Academic All-District honors

02 NOV 2012

Concordia men’s soccer student-athlete Nathan Douglas has been named to the Capital One Academic All-District 6 team of the College Division. The College Division of District 6 encompasses the states of Kansas, Montana, Nebraska and South Dakota and includes a total of 11 honorees.

Nearly 4,000 student-athletes across all sports nationally receive All-District honors for their all-around accomplishments in the classroom, in the community and in competition. Student-athletes (sophomores through seniors) who have achieved cumulative grade-point averages above 3.5 and have performed at a high level on the playing field receive greatest consideration for the All-District teams.

Douglas, a junior from Winnipeg, Canada, led the Bulldogs in goals for the second-straight year with 11. The 2011 Second Team All-GPAC performer has 29 career goals, two behind teammate Aaron Skipworth and former Bulldog Bernie Ochoa for the most in school history. Douglas, a physics major and math minor, is a highly respected student-athlete who has put forth excellent work in the classroom.

As a Capital One Academic All-District 6 honoree, Douglas will now be placed on the CoSIDA Academic All-America® ballot. Academic All-Americans will be announced at a later date.

*NOTE: Each district is separated into College Division, NCAA Division I, II and III teams.

Capital One Academic All-District 6: College Division
GK	Chris Eriksson	MIDAMERICA NAZARENE UNIVERSITY	Jr.	Kungsbacka, Sweden
MF	Andrew Suits	MCPHERSON COLLEGE	Sr.	Henderson, Nev.
MF	Nick Aguilar	BAKER UNIVERSITY	Sr.	Olathe, Kan.
MF	Alex Reynolds	DOANE COLLEGE	Sr.	Lenexa, Kan.
D	Josh Rydberg	BAKER UNIVERSITY	Sr.	Overland Park, Kan.
D	Taylor Esparza	MIDAMERICA NAZARENE UNIVERSITY	Jr.	Olathe, Kan.
D	Tyler Hageman	MIDAMERICA NAZARENE UNIVERSITY	Sr.	Wichita, Kan.
D	Alex Duff	BENEDICTINE COLLEGE	Jr.	Lincoln, Neb.
F	Nathan Douglas	CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY (NE)	Jr.	Winnipeg, Canada
F	Trent Remmich	MIDAMERICA NAZARENE UNIVERSITY	Sr.	Wichita, Kan.
F	Joe Sbarro	BENEDICTINE COLLEGE	Jr.	Kansas City, Mo.

Douglas, Doran named to All-GPAC soccer teams

12 NOV 2012

View complete All-GPAC men’s soccer teams

Concordia junior Nathan Douglas and freshman Sean Doran have been named to the GPAC men’s soccer all-conference teams, the league announced Monday.

Douglas garners first team recognition from the GPAC following second team all-GPAC honors in 2011. The Winnipeg, Canada, native starred as the Bulldogs leading goal scorer for the second-consecutive season with 11 goals in each of the past two years. He ranked fourth in the GPAC in goals and fifth in points with 23 despite missing two games due to injury. Douglas is the first Concordia men’s soccer player to be tabbed first team all-conference since Arturo Vega in 2007.

Doran, a second team all-conference selection, burst onto the scene in his first collegiate season with his fine play at center back. The Dublin, Ireland, native was a big reason why Concordia held its opponents to just 1.16 goals per game – a figure that ranked third in the GPAC. Doran was also a dangerous weapon on set pieces as he finished with five goals and four assists on the season.

Senior Aaron Skipworth also earned honorable mention all-GPAC. Skipworth will leave the Bulldogs tied atop the school’s all-time leaderboard with 31 career goals and with sole possession of Concordia’s career assists mark with 17. This season the Colorado Springs, Colo., native recorded two goals and five assists in 16 games. Skipworth is a two-time second team all-conference honoree (2008 and 2010) and a two-time honorable mention choice (2011 and 2012).

Douglas collects Capital One Academic All-America® College Division honors

26 NOV 2012

CoSIDA Release

Concordia junior men’s soccer student-athlete Nathan Douglas has been named to the Capital One Academic All-America® College Division third team, the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) announced Monday.

As a Capital One Academic All-District 6 team honoree of the College Division, Douglas was automatically placed on the ballot for All-America consideration. Just 33 collegiate men’s soccer players nationally are named to one of the three Academic All-America teams in the College Division, which is comprised of student-athletes from the NAIA, Canadian and two-year institutions.

The physics major and math minor from Winnipeg, Canada, joins Morningside’s Cameron Meter as the only two men’s soccer Academic All-Americans from the GPAC. Douglas, a 2012 first team all-conference selection, led the Bulldogs in goals for the second-straight year with 11 and now has 29 for his career, two behind teammate Aaron Skipworth and former Bulldog Bernie Ochoa for the most in school history. Douglas is also highly respected for his work in the classroom.

Nearly 4,000 student-athletes across all men’s and women’s sports nationally receive All-District honors for their all-around accomplishments in the classroom, in the community and in competition. Student-athletes (sophomores through seniors) who have achieved cumulative grade-point averages above 3.5 and have performed at a high level on the playing field receive greatest consideration for the All-District teams.

Concordia’s Mitchell Cherney (football), Emily Fleming (soccer) and Rachel Mussell (soccer) also collected all-district honors.

Three Bulldogs receive men's soccer Scholar-Athlete honors

30 NOV 2012

2012 Daktronics-NAIA Men's Soccer Scholar-Athletes - PDF

With Friday’s release of 2012 men’s and women’s soccer Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes, Concordia pushed its Scholar-Athlete total to 19 for the fall of 2012. Concordia junior Nathan Douglas and seniors Skylar Lewis and Chris Podlich were named men’s soccer Scholar-Athletes by the NAIA on Friday. Podlich also earned the same honor in 2011.

A total of 315 NAIA men’s soccer student-athletes nationally received the honor. Westminster (Utah) led the nation with nine Scholar-Athletes.

In order to be nominated by an institution's head coach or sports information director, a student-athlete must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale and must have achieved a junior academic status to qualify for this honor.

Honorees for football and volleyball will be released on the day prior to each sport’s respective national championship.

Douglas heads list of OWH men's soccer honorees

26 DEC 2012

Omaha World-Herald All-Nebraska soccer teams

Junior forward Nathan Douglas continues to rake in postseason honors with the release of the Omaha World-Herald All-Nebraska soccer teams. Douglas was the lone Bulldog named to the team while freshman defender Sean Doran and senior forward Aaron Skipworth were awarded honorable mention status.

Douglas, a native of Winnipeg, Canada, has picked up a laundry list of 2012 accolades, including first team all-conference, Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete, Capital One Academic All-America and All-District recognition. Douglas led the Bulldogs with 11 goals for the second straight season.

Doran, a native of Dublin, Ireland, earned second team all-conference mention after tallying five goals and four assists in 2012. He was part of a back line that held opponents to just 1.16 goals per game – a figure that ranked third in the GPAC.

Skipworth will leave the Bulldogs tied atop the school’s all-time leaderboard with 31 career goals and with sole possession of Concordia’s career assists mark with 17. This season the Colorado Springs, Colo., native recorded two goals and five assists in 16 games. Skipworth is a two-time second team all-conference honoree (2008 and 2010) and a two-time honorable mention choice (2011 and 2012).