SEWARD, Neb. – The 2018 schedule has been rolled out for the defending GPAC regular-season champion Concordia University women’s soccer program. The sixth season of head coach Greg Henson’s tenure is slated to open up at home with Tabor College (Kan.) visiting Bulldog Stadium on Aug. 25. Twelve of the 18 regular-season outings will be GPAC contests.
Under Henson’s direction, Concordia continues to raise the bar. The 2017 squad went 9-0-1 during GPAC regular-season action while capturing the program’s first-ever regular-season title. The Bulldogs finished 15-2-4 overall and reached the conference tournament championship game for the fourth year in a row.
The GPAC schedule jumps from 10 to 12 games due to the additions of the University of Jamestown and Presentation College to the league. The Jimmies finished just outside the top 25 in the final national poll of 2017. They will host Concordia on Oct. 20. The most anticipated game of the regular season will take place Oct. 3 when Hastings makes its way to Seward in a rematch of the 2017 GPAC championship game. In nonconference action, the Bulldogs will also have home dates with MidAmerica Nazarene University (Aug. 29) and McPherson College (Sept. 5).
The reigning GPAC coach of the year, Henson brings back a solid nucleus that includes GPAC defensive player of the year Lindsey Carley, a junior-to-be. Fellow first team all-conference performers in Chelsea Bright and Maria Deeter will be back in the fold along with other All-GPAC choices in Lauren Martin (second team), Kaitlyn Radebaugh (second team), Tori Cera (honorable mention) and Michaela Twito (honorable mention).
Dates for the GPAC tournament are Oct. 30 for the quarterfinals, Nov. 3 for the semifinals and Nov. 8 for the championship game. The opening round of the national championships are set for Nov. 17 with action at the final site in Orange Beach, Ala., to get started on Nov. 26. Due to conference expansion, the GPAC will receive two automatic bids to the national championships beginning this fall.