SEWARD, Neb. – Two well-taken headers by visiting Hastings in the early moments of Wednesday (Sept. 25)’s rivalry clash made the difference in what became a contest ruled by strong defensive play. The Broncos saw out the 2-0 win while not allowing the Concordia University Women’s Soccer team to place a single shot on goal. The Bulldogs were shut out for the third time this season.
Head Coach Nick Smith’s squad slipped to 0-3 in GPAC play (3-5-1 overall) as Hastings surged to 3-0 in the conference (7-1-2 overall). Despite the difference in records, a fine line separated the two sides in their 40th all-time meeting.
“It’s frustrating right now, because I do think we’re competing well,” Smith said. “We’re routinely losing key moments right now that are costing us. We knew coming into today that set pieces are an area Hastings is good at. We just didn’t react well enough in the moment and all of the sudden we’re down 1-0. The immediate reaction from that is disappointment. We conceded two goals within two minutes, and that just makes the game so hard against Hastings. After we settled in, I think we competed really well.”
There’s a feeling within the Concordia locker room that this team is close to turning a corner, but it will have to reverse an ugly trend moving forward. For the third straight game to begin conference play, the Bulldogs found themselves staring down a deficit of at least two goals. Bronco star Dekota Schubert converted on a header (off a corner) for her 10th goal of the season. Less than two minutes later, Hastings celebrated a header goal from Madison Rhodes, just after a throw-in.
Those were the lone two shots the Broncos had for the entirety of the first half. A matchup featuring the GPAC’s co-goals leaders in Schubert and Concordia’s Kierstynn Garner became a defensive stalemate. The Bulldogs never quite found the spark that a first goal could have provided. A header by Rosie Gyllenswan late in the first half hit the crossbar. Then in the second half, Garner missed to the right of the goal in a 1v1 situation. Hastings finished with an 8-3 advantage in shots.
As Smith explained, Concordia made some strategic adjustments specifically for this game with a defensive-minded approach. While coming back from injury, Hannah Kile made her first start since Sept. 4 versus Bellevue University. It worked well enough to limit the dangerous chances for the Broncos. In goal, Angela Banks fully extended herself to make a fine save in the 74th minute. She made two saves.
Said Smith, “We changed things up a little bit with our shape and added an extra center back. For it being the first time playing in it, we looked really good. We moved the ball really well – it’s just killing us that we’re not able to key off the moments we’re creating for ourselves. We make our own luck. We are at this level. The results just aren’t going our way right now. We have another opportunity on Saturday.”
Champions of the 2023 GPAC regular season, the Broncos have been ranked as high as 17th this season. Hastings earned the shutout on Wednesday behind keeper Jackson Pedersen. The Broncos have also beaten Morningside and Briar Cliff within league play.
The Bulldogs will remain at home as they look ahead to Saturday’s homecoming clash with Briar Cliff (0-6-2, 0-2-1 GPAC). Kickoff is set for 5:30 p.m. CT from Bulldog Stadium. The two sides played to a 0-0 draw last season in Sioux City, Iowa. In Wednesday’s action, the Chargers engaged in a scoreless tie with crosstown rival Morningside.