Head Coach: Thomas Goines (20-13-4; 3rd season at Concordia; 93-68-20 in 10 years overall)
2021 Record: 9-7-2 overall; 6-4-2 GPAC (6th)
Key Returners: MF Aliyah Aldama; D Allee Downing; D Ellie Eason; MF Lina Kirst; MF Kadyn Lane; F Lisa McClain; D Taylor Slaymaker; D Grace Soenksen; GK Kalie Ward.
Key Losses: F Bethany Fuchs; MF Madeline Haugen; MF Mikeila Martinez; D Callie McNary; D Cheyenne Smith; MF Michaela Twito.
2021 GPAC All-Conference: Grace Soenksen (First Team); Madeline Haugen (Second Team); Allee Downing (Honorable Mention); Mikeila Martinez (Honorable Mention); Kalie Ward (Honorable Mention).
Outlook
Fresh off a normal spring for the first time since 2019, the Concordia University Women’s Soccer program is working on building towards another season of GPAC championship contention. From the 2014 through 2020 seasons, the Bulldogs captured three GPAC tournament titles and a conference regular season championship and appeared in six GPAC tournament finals. In other words, the blueprint is in place for the 2022 Bulldogs, who will feature a mix of veterans and freshmen.
Head Coach Thomas Goines enters his third season at Concordia with hopes of channeling the program’s typical gritty defensive play while ramping up its attacking prowess. In 2021, the Bulldogs regularly played defensive grinders that came down to a single goal.
Says Goines, “We’re working as a team on the defensive side, which is really where we started our training in the first week. We have areas for growth in possession, in the final third and some of the things we haven’t spent much time on (so far in preseason). We’re going to develop those areas over the course of the next week or two as we develop this group’s identity relative to seasons before. What is this group going to be? They’re really beginning that process of developing who they’re going to be when they step on the field.”
Concordia finished last season at 9-7-2 overall and landed at No. 6 in the 2022 GPAC preseason coaches’ poll. Led by First Team All-GPAC center back Grace Soenksen, the ’21 Bulldogs surrendered only 20 goals in 18 games. The campaign concluded with a 1-0 loss at Hastings in the GPAC quarterfinals. It marked the seventh time last season that Concordia played a match that wound up with a 1-0 final score. There just wasn’t much margin for error for a squad that also claimed overtime wins over Bellevue and Morningside.
It's not necessarily a bad thing to say that the Bulldogs can hang their hat on defense. The back line includes Soenksen in addition to All-GPAC outside back Allee Downing and center back Taylor Slaymaker, a starter in 2021 as a freshman. In addition, the program welcomes back Kalie “Rocket” Ward, who stepped into the goalkeeper role last season and started 17 of 18 contests. The other outside back spot could be won by a freshman. At least on paper, this area of the field may be the team’s biggest strength. Soenksen is a two-time first team all-conference honoree and a three-year starter. She’s a rock.
“When you go into a game knowing the opponent is going to have to do something special to score on you, it gives you a sense of confidence and freedom to try some other things,” Goines said. “You know that if there’s a breakdown, you’re going to be okay – and there will be in the first two or three weeks of the season. You’re not playing perfect. Having returners in the back and in the midfield that understand how to do certain things gives you a little sense of security that you can lean on as you develop other areas of your team.”
The midfield was hit hardest by graduation as Concordia said goodbye to significant four-year (or five-year) contributors Madeline Haugen, Mikeila Martinez and Michaela Twito (program record for games played). The program also graduated Cheyenne Smith, who played all over the park in her four years as a Bulldog. Those departures mean this fall is an important one for development and for determining the best 11 that Goines can put on the field.
Among other veteran returners, Aliyah Aldama, Ellie Eason, Lina Kirst and Lisa McClain bring starting experience as part of a class of four-year players that numbers nine strong. Aldama and Eason both started 17 games last season. The class also includes the likes of Caitlin Davis, Hannah Haas and Kadyn Lane.
That bunch will help mentor a talented freshman class. According to Goines, a handful of freshmen are in the running for starting spots. The rookies will attempt to add some goal scoring punch to a program that finished 2021 with 23 goals, led by the four from Haugen.
The Sioux City, Iowa, native Downing has high praise for the freshmen. Says Downing, “With the freshman class that we have, we’re able to change the formation from what we have done. We have a lot of good talent offensively. I think we’re going to be able to run a 4-3-3 and hopefully put a lot of goals on the board this season. They have a lot of quickness. They’re really technical and have really good attitudes.”
Someone who may be able to help in the goal scoring department is freshman Kierstynn Garner, already one of the team’s fastest players. Garner notched 13 goals and 12 assists in her senior season at Kearney High School. Meanwhile, Omaha South High School alum Elena Ruiz has been immediately impressive in August training. Additional freshmen to keep an eye on are Savannah Andrews, Niah Kirchner and Shi-Lynn Yon, among others.
That group has the potential to change the way Concordia looks and plays this fall. Says Goines, “They’ve certainly come in and made a splash. They bring in a good amount of athleticism, pace and energy. We were a little lacking in the final third as a group. They give us a chance to play maybe a higher-paced game and a different type of match.”
As for Ward, she missed the first week of preseason training while continuing to fulfill her military duties. Upon her return, she’ll have to win a goalkeeper competition that includes Angela Banks, Zoe Lavigne and Bradi Ore. The position has been one of strength for the program, going back to four-year starters in Chrissy Lind and Lindsey Carley.
Overall, there are enough moving pieces that Concordia still has some unknowns as the season opener approaches. Considering the program’s extended run of success, it would be foolish to count the Bulldogs out. Downing and the senior leadership of this team will play a role in how much success is experienced this fall. Said Downing, “We have to find the right formation for this group of players and see what works. We’ve been working a lot on how to pressure. I think if we can get that down and not overexert ourselves, we’ll be able to get up high and hopefully score lots of goals this season.”
Jamestown and Briar Cliff were neck-and-neck at the top of the league standings last season. The Bulldogs fell by a 1-0 score at Jamestown last season and edged the Jimmies in the 2020 GPAC tournament title game. The margins are often slim within conference play.
“You really have to focus on every single game being that important,” Goines said. “Two years ago we came within about a minute-and-a-half from winning the conference (regular season) because we gave up two plays. That was the separation between us and winning the conference. Last year we just struggled to find goals, but we still competed. Hopefully we can turn the corner and put 12 consistent games together and put ourselves in position to host in the GPAC playoffs and make another run at the national tournament.”
Concordia will open the 2022 season by hosting Southwestern College (Kan.) on Aug. 27. A significant nonconference test is coming up Sept. 10 when the Bulldogs will be at 22nd-ranked Benedictine College (Kan.). The first GPAC action is slated for Sept. 17 at Mount Marty.