HASTINGS, Neb. – From 0-3 in conference play to GPAC regular season and tournament runner up. That’s the story the 2024 Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Soccer team has written. It just wasn’t the Bulldogs’ night on Tuesday (Nov. 12) as top-seeded Hastings jumped the visitors from the kickoff and ran away with the GPAC postseason championship game, 4-0, at Lloyd Wilson Field. Concordia made its seventh all-time GPAC tournament title match appearance (all coming in the past 11 years).
Despite the result, Head Coach Nick Smith’s will continue its season into the NAIA national tournament after securing the GPAC’s second automatic bid. The Bulldogs (13-6-1) saw their 10-game winning streak hit a wall in Hastings.
“We knew that coming here was going to be a tough task for us – obviously Hastings is the regular season champion,” Smith said. “They played really well tonight. Coming into tonight, I think the first goal was going to be crucial to who was ultimately going to succeed. The manner that we gave the first one was a little bit disappointing. I think it led to a little bit of a deflated response after that ball goes in. We just struggled to get ourselves back into the game.”
From the whistle, the Broncos had Concordia playing on its heels. Hastings peppered the Bulldogs with the contest’s first six shots before Kierstynn Garner finally got a clean look that was saved by keeper Tatiana Villasenor. On the other attacking end, it took only five minutes for the Broncos to become the first opponent to score on Concordia since Oct. 16. A turnover led to that first goal, converted by Madison Rhodes, who appeared primed for a second goal in the opening 10 minutes before freshman center back Triniti Rowe swooped in to momentarily thwart Hastings.
The missed opportunity was a mere speed bump for the Broncos, who added to their lead via a goal from Erica Inay in the 26th minute and two goals from Dulce Lopez (42nd and 80th minutes). The shot count – 23-4 in Hastings’ favor – was a reflection of the scoreline. Under consistent pressure, Bulldog goalkeeper Angela Banks totaled eight saves while playing all 90 minutes.
Almost exactly 10 years to the date of Concordia’s first GPAC tournament championship celebration (at the same location) as a program, the Bulldogs looked unlike the squad that had outscored its previous 10 foes by a combined total of 36-3. Hastings has handed Concordia its two most recent defeats, including the 2-0 decision in the regular season. Though the result on Tuesday wasn’t the competitive game the Bulldogs expected, they have an opportunity to regroup before appearing at nationals on Nov. 21.
Said Smith, “What we saw from Hastings at this level is what we’re going to see in the next game. Soccer being a game of mistakes, we really have to limit ours. We’re going to be playing against teams that really punish you when those mistakes occur. Tonight is a growing opportunity. This is a new experience for everyone, but I think it’s a good one for prepping us for what we’ll see at the national tournament. We want to go there, and we want to leave our mark.”
Hastings (15-1-5, 8-0-3 GPAC) has just one blemish on its record all season. The Broncos have qualified for the national tournament for the 13th time in school history. Hastings affectively limited the potent Garner to a single shot for the entire 90 minutes and came away with its 12th clean sheet in 2024.
The Bulldogs will learn of their national tournament draw on Saturday when the NAIA unveils the pairings in a selection show scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. CT. More details about the selection show can be found HERE. The first/second rounds of the tournament are held at campus sites that will be announced on Saturday. Concordia has earned a national tournament bid for the fourth time in program history.