Women's soccer to face challenging 2019 slate

By Jacob Knabel on Mar. 23, 2019 in Women's Soccer

2019 Women’s Soccer Schedule | PDF

SEWARD, Neb. – At least on paper, the 2019 schedule appears to be the most challenging one ever faced by a Concordia University women’s soccer squad. Head coach Greg Henson’s team will face a series of stiff challenges in nonconference play before getting into GPAC action. The newly announced slate features a total of 18 regular-season games, including 12 within the conference.

Henson has built the program into one that regularly competes for GPAC titles. The 2018 team fell just short of league championships in both the regular season and postseason. For the fifth-straight year, the Bulldogs advanced to the GPAC postseason final game. Led by senior Maria Deeter, Concordia went 13-3-5 overall this past fall and received votes nationally in the postseason poll.

The spring practice season is now underway for the Bulldogs, who will officially open up the 2019 campaign by hosting Missouri Valley College on Aug. 24. That contest will mark one of nine home games during the regular season. Some of the marquee home dates are Sept. 11 against in-state rival Bellevue University, Oct. 9 versus Midland, a 2018 national quarterfinalist, and Oct. 30 when Concordia has its regular-season home finale.

The Bulldogs are slated to play four squads that were ranked in the 2018 NAIA postseason poll: No. 9 Midland, No. 11 Hastings, No. 13 John Brown University (Ark.) and No. 23 University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma. The latter two foes will come in succession in late August as part of a weekend event in Siloam Springs, Ark. Bellevue also picked votes nationally at various times during the season.

Despite the losses to graduation of Deeter and fellow all-conference players such as the Martin twins, Ashley and Lauren, expectations will remain high for a program that has a combined record of 73-19-15 over the past five seasons. The program has celebrated conference championships in 2014 (postseason), 2016 (postseason) and 2017 (regular season).