OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – The Bulldog offense came out firing in the opening half but couldn’t find the answer to defend the net in a 4-3 loss to Mid-America Christian University (Okla.). Concordia University, Nebraska kept the Evangels silent for 45 minutes but ran out of steam in the home team’s resurgence on Saturday morning (Aug. 22).
Head Coach Jason Weides and company go 0-2 in the start of the 2026 season in the Sooner State.
“At the end of the day, we built so much better against a high pressing team,” Coach Weides said. “We played a lot simpler. We completed a much higher percentage of the first actions and that was critical for us. The team did a better job of adjusting and working on what we wanted to work on. They (MACU) applied a lot of pressure and were really successful on set plays. That can be a difference in a match. We will have to be better in those areas to see out wins.”
The Bulldog first half lead had melted away as MACU looked to take the game winner late. Evangel’s Brae Baker kicked in the final goal in the 89th minute to seal the comeback.
In the first half, Sadie Mares opened up the scoring for Concordia finding space from a MACU cleared ball. Via 40 yards out, Mares squared up and shot a rocket just under the center crossbar to go-ahead in the 8th minute. The senior out of Scottsdale, Ariz., notches her third goal of her career.
In the 32nd minute, sophomore Guadalupe Sanchez continued her goal-scoring form from a season ago, finding the back of the net from the top of the box. An All-GPAC selection as a freshman, Sanchez entered the season as the Bulldogs’ returning leader in goals with seven and added another to her career total. She also paced the team with four shots in the contest.
The final score for the Bulldogs came from freshman Molli Kalsbeck as she has shown final strike capabilities in the early going of her career. Kyana Rios, delivered a through ball to a one-v-one showdown with Kalsbeck fighting through a jersey pull to finish the first goal of her collegiate career.
Aaliya Matthews finished with a clean sheet in the first half in goal with five saves. Concordia has moved players to different positions trying to find the right fit for the new squad as Triniti Rowe made her first appearance after coming back from an injury in 2025.
Weides continued, “We have people playing out of normal positions. We have a lot of unique factors for our team. I was proud of the way they competed this weekend. We will grow and get better.”
MACU (2-0) relied on Baker for a brace as she shot a game high 10 releases. Stephanie Arrivillaga provided a goal and an assist off the bench for the home win. The Evangels led the Bulldogs in shots (30-12), corners (12-0) and assists (4-1).
Concordia (0-2) will host its home opener against Bellevue (0-0) on Wednesday (Sept. 2). The Bulldogs will touch the first kick at 5:30 p.m. CT.