SEWARD, Neb. – Things could have gotten sideways for the Concordia University Women’s Soccer team, but that gritty can-do attitude persists within the program. A PK save by goalkeeper Angela Banks and a clearance off the goal line by Lisa McClain swung the momentum and helped carry the Bulldogs to a 3-2 win over Southwestern College (Kan.) on a rainy Saturday (Aug. 27) afternoon inside Bulldog Stadium. By game’s end, it was Concordia ringin’ in the rain in celebration of the season opening victory.
Head Coach Thomas Goines’ squad has beaten the Moundbuilders for the second year in a row. Last year’s clash in Winfield, Kan., was decided by a 2-1 score.
“What we’ve talked about and embraced since I’ve been here is doing your job – embrace your role, whatever it is,” Goines said. “Our players have stepped up and done these things. It’s the little things like being in position on corner kick defense. Lisa was right where she needed to be and made a huge save that saved the game for us. It doesn’t put us down a goal. Our goalkeeper Angela comes up with a huge PK save in her first college start. Big moments all around. Then we played probably six or seven freshmen today.”
It appeared Southwestern had the Bulldogs on their heels a bit in the second half after Keiana Jones knotted the score, 1-1, with a goal in the 59th minute. A rare turnover by the Concordia back line was the culprit. Mere moments later, Banks surfaced with the PK save and McClain was like Johnny-on-the-spot in denying what would have been a certain go-ahead goal for the Moundbuilders.
Those missed opportunities came back to bite Southwestern. The Bulldogs retook the lead in the 78th minute when a ball lofted into the box by Taylor Slaymaker was headed into the goal by a Moundbuilder defender. Seconds after the ensuing kickoff, Niah Kirchner played a cross that found Aliyah Aldama unmarked for a shot that she tucked inside the left post.
The Aldama goal proved to be the game winner as Southwestern struck in the 83rd minute thanks to Kenzie Saul’s perfectly executed corner that Natalia Bak deposited into the back of the net. Concordia managed to see out a resourceful, soggy victory despite taking one shot for the entirety of the second half. Three days earlier, Southwestern (0-1-1), a 13-win team in 2021, drew with Midland.
Said Aldama, “Our team chemistry and the love we have for each other (played a role). This preseason has just been different with our team environment. We’re playing for each other and playing for something bigger than ourselves. We got scored on and we were like, no, let’s get it back for each other. I think that’s what got us through the game.”
One of those Bulldog freshmen, Kirchner, got on the board with her first career goal. She scored in the 24th minute after a corner deflected off multiple people in the box. The 1-0 lead stood for roughly 35 minutes. Two freshmen found their way into the starting lineup, Kierstynn Garner and Hannah Kile. Garner is expected to add some scoring punch up top. At keeper, Banks collected five saves in her first-ever start.
Concordia will hope to play a cleaner game next time out, but this was a positive first step. Said Goines, “We told the girls we’ll take a win, even if it’s not the prettiest win we’re going to have. The weather kind of changes the game play. It takes a little bit of the skill away and puts it into more of a fighting-type mode. We definitely want them to enjoy that. The mentality and the fight they put into it was very, very good. We have five games in the nonconference to get better.”
The Bulldogs will wait until next Saturday (Sept. 3)’s road trip to Tabor College (Kan.) before returning to action. Kickoff from Hillsboro, Kan., is set for 6 p.m. CT.