Three Bulldogs land on GPAC women’s soccer all-conference first team

GPAC women’s soccer all-conference teams

SEWARD, Neb. – Three Bulldogs represent the GPAC women’s soccer tournament champions with first team all-conference honors. A total of eight Bulldogs received some form of all-conference recognition, as announced by the GPAC on Monday. The headliners were first team selections in senior defender Rachel Mussell, senior forward Melissa Stine and freshman forward Jessica Skerston and one second team choice in senior defender Marcie Sindt.

Mussell, the team’s top goal scorer during her sophomore and junior seasons, transitioned to center back this season and helped the 24th-ranked Bulldogs (15-2-4) become one of the nation’s stingiest defenses. A first team all-conference pick in 2012, the native of Buffalo, Minn., has helped Concordia break a school record with 12 shutouts while posting a goals against average of .710 (third best in the GPAC). Mussell enters national tournament play with 26 career goals (career high 14 in 2012) over 75 games.

Skerston emerged this season as one of the top goal scorers in the GPAC and across NAIA women’s soccer. The former St. Charles Lutheran star ranks 20th in the nation with 17 goals. Her eight game-winning goals are a program single-season record and top all players in the NAIA. Skerston has scored at least one goal in 14 of 21 games with multiple-goal efforts on three occasions.

On the wing, Stine has produced career highs with six goals and a team-leading five assists. Stine put up two goals in a 5-1 win over Doane on Oct. 8. The Omaha native has career totals of 14 goals and 11 assists over 73 games in her four-year run as a Bulldog.

Concordia’s four honorable mention all-conference honorees were junior midfielder Madison Hawkins, sophomore goalkeeper Chrissy Lind, senior defender Katrina Muther and senior midfielder Ashlie Sklenicka.

Lind has broken school records for shutouts in a single-season (10) and career (13). Lind has made 83 saves and sports a goals against average of .710 and a save percentage of .847 in more than 1,900 minutes in goal this season.

The Bulldogs will make their first-ever national tournament appearance on Saturday when they take on Benedictine (18-1) in the opening round in Atchison, Kan.