YANKTON, S.D. – This was about taking care of business. There were some missed opportunities on the attack, but eventually the Concordia University Women’s Soccer team found the mark and peppered the back of the net on the way to a comfy 6-0 win at Mount Marty on Saturday (Sept. 17). As part of the conference opening victory, five different Bulldogs scored at least one goal and Bradi Ore earned credit for a shutout in her first career start at goalkeeper.
Not since 2003 has the program started a campaign at 6-0. Head Coach Thomas Goines’ squad came into Saturday’s match as a heavy favorite, but it still had to go out and earn it.
“That first half we came out a little slower than we wanted to,” Goines said. “The girls came out in the second half and took it a little bit personally. They stepped up to the challenge and applied pressure and held the ball as we wanted to. There were some really nice goals in the second half. We’re playing with some intensity in the attack, but we’re still searching for more consistency.”
In program history, Concordia has never lost to Mount Marty. They wanted to keep it that way. However, the first half wasn’t a stroll through the park. Nearly 20 minutes had elapsed before star freshman Kierstynn Garner put away the first goal of the evening. Then in the 31st minute, Kassidy Johnson made it 2-0 with her first career goal (assisted by Niah Kirchner).
The Bulldogs proceeded to leave no doubt in the second half when Garner (62’), Lina Kirst (66’), Savannah Andrews (77’) and Ellie Eason (79’) each contributed a goal. The occurrence also marked the first career goal for Andrews, a freshman from Gretna. As for Garner, the goals just keep coming. She’s up to seven through her first six games wearing Concordia blue. Garner tested the Lancers with six shots on goal.
The 25-7 advantage in the shot count told the story of the Bulldogs’ dominance in possession. When called upon, Ore met the challenge. She collected five saves and played all 90 minutes in goal. Ore is the third different keeper to start this season for Concordia, which has shut out three opponents in a row. The lopsided affair allowed for most of the roster to see action.
The Bulldogs are passing every test so far. Goines likes how his team is responding to success. It’s time to forget about what happened in the nonconference portion of the season. Said Goines, “We turned the page on going 5-0 out of conference. It’s something we take pride in, but we had to turn the page. We’re more worried now about our wins and losses in the GPAC. We want to keep focusing game-by-game on each GPAC game. We’re looking to go 1-0 every time we step on the field.”
With the victory, Goines moved within one of 100 in his head coaching career, which has included stops at Concordia University Chicago and Barton College (N.C.). He guided CUNE to a GPAC tournament title run in the spring of 2021.
The Lancers fell to 1-3-2 overall (0-2 GPAC). Mount Marty keeper Kelsey Tabbert piled up 14 saves in Saturday's defeat.
Conference play will continue on Wednesday with a trip to Dordt (4-3, 1-1 GPAC) for a 5 p.m. CT kickoff in Sioux Center, Iowa. Concordia and Dordt played to a 1-1 draw last season in Seward.