SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University Women’s Soccer team carries a 2-0 record into a week of action that features two road trips destined for opponents that reside within the Heart of America Athletic Conference. Head Coach Thomas Goines will take his team into battles with Graceland University (Iowa) on Tuesday and then with No. 22 Benedictine College (Kan.) on Saturday. The Bulldogs are fresh off a 1-0 victory at Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference member Tabor College (Kan.).
This Week
Tuesday, Sept. 6 at Graceland (1-1-1), 5 p.m.
--Live Stats
Saturday, Sept. 10 at No. 22 Benedictine (2-2), 5 p.m.
--Live Webcast | Live Stats (link will be added when available)
By the numbers
· The Bulldogs are one of four teams in the GPAC without a blemish on the record. The other three are Presentation (3-0), College of Saint Mary (2-0) and Hastings (2-0). Every team in the conference has played at least two games against non-league foes. Concordia placed sixth in the GPAC a year ago but has many veterans who experienced the GPAC tournament title run in the spring of 2021. The favorites in the GPAC are the likes of Jamestown, Briar Cliff and Hastings, according to the preseason poll.
· The lineup last week featured a unique mix of seniors (academically) and freshmen. Fourth-year Bulldogs in the starting 11 were Aliyah Aldama, Allee Downing, Ellie Eason, Lina Kirst and Grace Soenksen. Meanwhile, the rookies who got the nod were Kierstynn Garner, Hannah Kile, Niah Kirchner and Elena Ruiz. The seniors are battle-tested having played in a combined 255 career collegiate games. Below is a breakdown of career games by individual.
o Aliyah Aldama – 56
o Allee Downing – 58
o Ellie Eason – 53
o Lina Kirst – 32
o Grace Soenksen – 56
· Not only did Goines lead the Bulldogs to a GPAC title in the spring of 2021 (season moved due to COVID-19), he owns an overall record of 22-13-4 at CUNE. This marks his 11th season as a collegiate head coach during a career that has included stops at NCAA Division III Concordia-Chicago and NCAA Division II Barton College (N.C.). Goines just might reach a milestone in the coming weeks. His career win total rests at 95 (overall record of 95-68-20).
· It looks as though the Bulldogs have at least two goalkeepers they feel confident can get the job done on game days. Sophomore keeper Angela Banks left last week’s game with an injury and was replaced in the first half by 2021 starter Kalie “Rocket” Ward. Named Honorable Mention All-GPAC last season, Ward was late in arriving to campus due to her military duties. Together, Banks and Ward combined for six saves while preserving the season’s first shutout. Concordia is comfortable in these types of low-scoring affairs. The Bulldogs won three times by 1-0 scores in 2021.
· Ruiz came through with a goal in the 47th minute at Tabor College and was credited with a game-winner. The Omaha South High School is one of a group of freshmen capable of making the attack more dangerous. It’s likely just a matter of time before Garner, a Kearney High School alum, gets on the board with her first career goal. Through two games, Aldama, Kirchner and Ruiz have recorded a goal apiece with one additional goal being an own goal.
Opponents
Graceland sports a record of 1-1-1 with a 1-0 win coming this past weekend over Stephens College (Mo.). The loss was a 5-1 defeat last week at the hands of Midland. The Yellowjackets finished last season at 5-12 overall. Graceland would like to be closer to its 2017 level when it defeated Concordia that season, 2-1, and went 14-5-1 overall. The team’s head coach is Bryan Courtney.
Benedictine is known to have a strong program year-in and year-out. The Bulldogs are still looking to knock off the Ravens for the first time in series history (0-11). Benedictine won last year’s matchup, 3-0, in Seward. So far this season, Head Coach Lincoln Roblee’s squad is 2-2 with wins over Midland and the University of Sant Mary (Kan.) and losses to No. 11 John Brown University (Ark.) and No. 15 Columbia College (Mo.).
Next week
The Bulldogs will return home on Sept. 13 to host Bethany College (Kan.) for the final game of the nonconference regular season slate. GPAC play will then get started with a road trip to Mount Marty on Sept. 17.