2024 Women's Soccer Schedule/Results

14-7-1 Overall | 8-3 GPAC (2nd) | Season Stats | Roster

Date Opponent Location Result Record
Aug. 28 Graceland University (Iowa) Lamoni, Iowa W, 4-2 1-0
Aug. 31 (10) Columbia College (Mo.) Columbia, Mo. L, 0-4 1-1
Sept. 4 Bellevue University Seward, Neb. T, 1-1 1-1-1
Sept. 11 Benedictine College (Kan.) Seward, Neb. L, 0-2 1-2-1
Sept. 14 York University York, Neb. W, 2-1 2-2-1
Sept. 16 Nebraska Wesleyan University Lincoln, Neb. W, 2-0 3-2-1
Sept. 18 *Northwestern College Seward, Neb. L, 3-4 3-3-1, 0-1
Sept. 21 *Dordt University Sioux Center, Iowa L, 2-3 3-4-1, 0-2
Sept. 25 *Hastings College Seward, Neb. L, 0-2 3-5-1, 0-3
Sept. 28 *Briar Cliff University (Homecoming) Seward, Neb. W, 1-0 4-5-1, 1-3
Oct. 5 *Dakota Wesleyan University Mitchell, S.D. W, 2-1 5-5-1, 2-3
Oct. 12 *Morningside University (Senior Day) Seward, Neb. W, 3-1 6-5-1, 3-3
Oct. 16 *Doane University Crete, Neb. W, 2-1 7-5-1, 4-3
Oct. 19 *Waldorf University Forest City, Iowa W, 8-0 8-5-1, 5-3
Oct. 23 *College of Saint Mary Seward, Neb. W, 4-0 9-5-1, 6-3
Oct. 26 *Mount Marty University Yankton, S.D. W, 6-0 10-5-1, 7-3
Oct. 30 *Midland University Seward, Neb. W, 6-0 11-5-1, 8-3
  GPAC Tournament      
Nov. 2 College of Saint Mary (Quarterfinals) Seward, Neb. W, 3-0 12-5-1
Nov. 7 Dordt University (GPAC Semifinals) Seward, Neb. W, 1-0 13-5-1
Nov. 12 Hastings College (GPAC Championship) Hastings, Neb. L, 0-4 13-6-1
  NAIA National Tournament      
Nov. 21 Benedictine College (NAIA 1st Round) Grand Rapids, Mich. W, 2-0 14-6-1
Nov. 23 (5) Aquinas College (NAIA 2nd Round) Grand Rapids, Mich. L, 0-4 14-7-1
  *indicates GPAC game      

2024 Roster

No. Name Pos. Ht. Year Hometown Previous School
0 Bradi Ore GK 5-6 Sr. Keller, Texas Northwest HS / Allen CC
00 Zoe Lavigne GK 5-5 Jr. Anaheim, Calif. Orange Lutheran HS
1 Angela Banks GK 5-4 Sr. Downey, Calif. Saint Joseph HS
3 Hannah Haas MF 5-4 Sr. Colorado Springs, Colo. Doherty HS
4 Kassidy Johnson MF 5-7 Sr. Lincoln, Neb. Raymond Central HS
5 Camryn Higer MF 5-6 So. Savannah, Mo. Savannah HS
6 Senna McMullen D 5-5 Sr. Olathe, Kan. Olathe South HS
7 Niah Kirchner MF 5-2 Jr. Omaha, Neb. Milard West HS
8 Savannah Andrews F 5-5 Jr. Gretna, Neb. Gretna HS
9 Sierra Springer F 5-3 Jr. Valparaiso, Neb. Raymond Central HS
10 Kyana Rios MF 5-4 Fr. Omaha, Neb. Omaha South HS
11 Katelyn Smith F 5-0 Sr. Omaha, Neb. Millard North HS
12 Olivia Pyle MF 4-10 So. Blaine, Minn. Concordia Academy (Minn.)
13 Sadie Mares D 5-4 So. Scottsdale, Ariz. Chaparral HS
14 Lilley Barber D 5-2 Sr. Overland Park, Kan. Olathe East HS
15 Selah Draper MF 5-4 Jr. Fresno, Calif. Feather River CC
16 Ashlee Trujillo F 5-4 Jr. Brighton, Colo. Riverdale Ridge HS
17 Elena Ruiz MF 5-1 Jr. Omaha, Neb. Omaha South HS
18 Abigail Allen F 5-5 Jr. Cheyenne, Wyo. Northwest CC
19 Molly Roberts D 5-4 Sr. Columbus, Neb. Columbus HS
20 Shelby Rugg D 5-2 Jr. Clovis, Calif. Clovis HS
21 Hannah Kile D 5-7 Jr. Lincoln, Neb. Raymond Central HS
22 Laine Michael D 5-4 Fr. Bellevue, Neb. Gross Catholic HS
23 Rosie Gyllenswan MF 5-7 Sr. Menifee, Calif. U of Jamestown
24 Olivia Kohl D 5-5 So. Springfield, Neb. Platteview HS
25 Sierra McElhannon MF 5-6 Fr. Ewa Beach, Hawaii James Campbell HS
26 Avery Black D 5-4 Fr. Omaha, Neb. Elkhorn South HS
27 Kierstynn Garner F 5-5 Jr. Kearney, Neb. Kearney HS
28 Emily Howard D 5-1 Sr. Overland Park, Kan. Olathe East HS
29 Taylor Slaymaker D 5-7 Sr. Kearney, Neb. Kearney HS
30 Aliya Vidro GK 5-7 Fr. Colorado Springs, Colo. Air Academy HS
31 Triniti Rowe D 5-5 Fr. Omaha, Neb. Millard South HS
32 Augustine Abshagen D 5-10 Jr. Middleville, Mich. Thornapple Kellogg HS
33 Melissa Howard MF 5-9 Fr. Menomonee Falls, Wisc. Living Word Lutheran HS
41 Grady Smith GK 5-4 So. Richmond, Va. Monacan HS

STAFF

Nick Smith, Head Coach (2nd season)

Kim Nagel, Graduate Assistant Coach

Haakon Utesch, Goalkeeper Coach

Nick Holmes, Assistant Coach

Grace Soenksen, Assistant Coach

Season Preview: 2024 Concordia Women's Soccer

 August 16, 2024

Head Coach: Nick Smith (13-4-3, 2nd year)
2023 Record: 13-4-3, 8-1-3 GPAC (2nd)
Key Returners: MF Savanah Andrews; F Kierstynn Garner; MF Hannah Haas; MF Emily Howard; D Hannah Kile; F Kassidy Johnson; MF Niah Kirchner; D Sadie Mares; D Senna McMullen; GK Bradi Ore; D Shelby Rugg; MF Elena Ruiz; D Taylor Slaymaker; F Sierra Springer; F Ashlee Trujillo.
Key Loss: D Grace Soenksen.
2023 GPAC All-Conference: Grace Soenksen (First Team; Defensive POY); Savannah Andrews (First Team); Kierstynn Garner (First Team Team); Hannah Kile (First Team); Niah Kirchner (First Team); Sierra Springer (Second Team); Bradi Ore (Honorable Mention); Taylor Slaymaker (Honorable Mention).

Outlook

Concordia Women’s Soccer may have caught some of its GPAC rivals by surprise last fall, but Head Coach Nick Smith and company don’t expect to fly under the radar in 2024. Expectations are about as high for the Bulldogs as they’ve been since coming off a GPAC tournament championship in 2016. There’s also greater comfort for the veterans who now have a better understanding of what Head Coach Nick Smith expects on a daily basis. Smith took over the reins in 2023 and hit the ground running.

After the program vaulted from 10-6-2 in 2022 to 13-4-3 in 2023, Concordia appears in line to compete for a GPAC championship, just as it did last fall when it seemed to be ahead of schedule from a competitive standpoint. The only significant departure is a big one, GPAC Defensive Player of the Year Grace Soenksen, but the cupboard is well-stocked with talent.

“If you look at the playing roster that we had, the only player that we lost from last year's squad is Grace,” Smith said. “Since then, we've added ten new faces, so it's just an entirely different dynamic this year, having so many more players out in the field. I don't think any player right now feels comfortable, which is good. Every position now has some depth and we've got multiple players that are pushing each other to earn the starting spot and to earn the minutes on the field. Everyone has really embraced that. I don't think anyone has shied away from that, so there's really good energy right now within the group. I would say that the energy and the vibe that we have as a team is better than what it was last year.”

The returners will remember how agonizingly close the 2023 team was to earning a spot in the national tournament field. The Bulldogs finished a measly two points behind arch nemesis Hastings at the top of the GPAC regular season standings and then fell at home to Midland in the GPAC semifinals. Overall, the results were quite impressive considering the relative youth within the starting 11. Concordia brings back seven GPAC all-conference players, including four first teamers: midfielder Savannah Andrews, forward Kierstynn Garner, defender Hannah Kile and midfielder Niah Kirchner – each of whom are now juniors.

The junior class played a significant role in helping Concordia rip through its ’23 opponents by a combined total of 51-16. Of the 51 goals tallied, 50 were scored by players who return to the 2024 roster (a whopping 98.0 percent!). The dynamic Garner, or “KG” as she’s often called, peppered the back of the net with 19 goals as a sophomore and is a GPAC Offensive Player of the Year candidate heading into year three. Three of her teammates posted at least five goals: Andrews (13), Sierra Springer (five) and Elena Ruiz (five).

Of course opponents are going to want to mark Garner, but they’ll do so at the risk of letting Concordia’s many other dangerous attackers get loose. Said Smith, “This year for her is going to be about personal growth too. Teams are going to keep on keying on her. She's going to have to use that sometimes to let other people be the ones to step up for the goals. If she's occupying two or three defenders, that means she has space for everyone else that's out there on the field. That can be difficult for forwards because they want to be the ones scoring goals. There are going to be times when she's going to have to give the ball up because there are going to be teammates in better spots.”

KG and Andrews earned plenty of attention last season for their goal-scoring exploits, but Concordia was successful because it had a well-rounded team. Kirchner consistently draws rave reviews from the coaching staff for her work in the middle of the park while fellow junior Sierra Springer burst onto the scene and put her name on the All-GPAC second team. On the back line, Taylor Slaymaker serves as an anchor (along with Kile) with two years of starting experience. It would be three if not for the injury she endured early in her sophomore season.

Slaymaker headlines a senior class that includes the likes of Emily Howard and Senna McMullen, among those who have seen the most on-field action. There are also fifth-year players in the form of Hannah Haas, Kassidy Johnson and Bradi Ore. The seniors and fifth-year players will be counted upon for leadership on a team that will transition into one characterized by accomplished veterans.

Says Slaymaker, “It’s really awesome. Our team is relatively the same this year besides Grace. Plus, we have added 10 new people, whether that be transfers or freshmen. They’re all super talented. It’s exciting because we have the experience from last year, and we were already so talented last year. This year we have that same talent, plus more – we’ll have more depth. It’s just really exciting to think that we can do some awesome things this year.”

Another senior, Angie Banks may now be primed to get the nod at the goalkeeper position. She filled that role in the spring and has made major strides after starting three games in 2023. Ore opened 17 games at keeper last season and was recognized with Honorable Mention All-GPAC accolades. Collectively, Concordia will attempt to build upon the eight shutouts it registered last season.

A sophomore from Scottsdale, Ariz., Sadie Mares made the largest impact among the 2023 newcomers. She started 15 games last season and is another key piece of the puzzle. The question becomes: who could be this year’s significant newcomer? Smith believes there will be several, including Jamestown transfer Mirarosa Gyllenswan, who has played in 56 collegiate games (35 starts). There are also a couple of transfers who have joined the junior class, Abigail Allen and Selah Draper, and the program welcomed in seven freshmen this August.

That junior class is seemingly endless. Third-year players Ashlee Trujillo and Shelby Rugg were additional major contributors. Rugg started all 20 games in 2023 but unfortunately, she’s out indefinitely with an injury.

Says Smith of the junior class, “The growth within that group over the last fall was outstanding. I do think we reached a point last year where some parts of the season where we looked young. One of our messaging points this last spring and in the preseason right now is that we're now a team that is becoming an older group. Now you've got a junior class that is now upperclassmen and it's time to behave like upperclassmen. They need to talk more and take more leadership roles, which is something that I don't think was expected of them as sophomores, and probably rightly so. Now that that group is largely some standard bearers within the team.”

According to the GPAC preseason poll, Hastings begins this season as the league favorite, but the Bulldogs have every reason to believe they can contend for a championship. They aren’t likely to be overlooked within the conference, but they are a bit off the grid when it comes to the national landscape. That could change quickly.

“If you talk to anyone who is a part of our team last fall, when we did lose that game in the semifinals last year, that stung,” Smith said. “That's a sting that hasn't healed itself. I think that's a big motivator for us. Everyone within the team right now understands that we're deeper. Everyone in the team right now understands that we've got a lot more internal competition. Our top to bottom depth has improved from last year to this year. We have every opportunity to be as successful or more successful than we were last year. We're constantly messaging two things to them right now. One, no one now is going to overlook anybody. We had our surprise year last year. Teams won't do that to us this year. We're going to be circled and teams are going to give us the best shot. Two, we've got to be able to embrace what those expectations are.”

According to Slaymaker, the closeness of the team will be a factor. Said Slaymaker of the best aspect of the women’s soccer program, “My teammates. A lot of people say we are the closest team on campus, and I fully agree with that. I love all the girls. We are super close. Concordia is like a family atmosphere. It is really refreshing to be on a campus that cares.”

Concordia will officially open the 2024 season with a road trip to Graceland University (Iowa) on Aug. 28. The complete schedule can be found HERE.

Concordia opens season in Iowa and Missouri for week one

 August 26, 2024

 The wait of anticipation is almost over for the Concordia Women’s Soccer team with two upcoming matches on the docket entering its first week of play. The Bulldogs will start their season on the road against Graceland University (Iowa) and No. 12 Columbia College (Mo.). After finishing second in the conference his first year, Head Coach Nick Smith will look to build on a season ago with a now veteran group that boasts a deeper bench in his short time at CUNE.

This Week

Wednesday, Aug. 28 at Graceland (2-0-1), 5 p.m.

Live Webcast Live Stats | Location: John Rasmussen Soccer Complex (Lamoni, Iowa)

Saturday, Aug. 31 at No. 12 Columbia (2-0), 5 p.m.

Live Webcast Live Stats | Location: R. Marvin Owens Field (Columbia, Mo.)

Buy Tickets to home events
 

Concordia has a roster with 23 players which are either juniors, seniors or 5th year players, giving a huge experience advantage to most teams they will face. Many of the notable junior class team members have two years of starting experience and have names that many who follow the program know. The Bulldogs return All-GPAC nominees Savannah Andrews, Kierstynn Garner, Hannah Kile, Niah Kirchner, Sierra Springer, Bradi Ore and Taylor Slaymaker. Many others with a wealth of experience return such as Angela Banks, Hannah Haas, Kassidy Johnson, Sadie Mares, Senna McMullen, Shelby Rugg, Elena Ruiz and Ashlee Trujillo. The program has added transfers and freshmen, making the roster potentially the deepest it has been in years.

After finishing at the No. 2 in the conference last year, the preseason expectations have risen to be the same. Concordia was picked to finish second as opposed to last year’s preseason poll (fifth). The Bulldogs went 13-4-3 overall and 8-1-3 in the GPAC in 2023. A late season tie at Briar Cliff eventually became a deciding factor for Concordia to lose the tie for first place with Hastings dropping to second. Nick Smith’s squad defeated Jamestown (2-1) in the quarterfinals but fell to Midland (2-0) in the semis on its way to a GPAC Tournament Championship.

Graceland

The Yellow Jackets come into the match with an unbeaten 2-0-1 record having played three consecutive GPAC opponents. By these three games anyone can see this isn’t the Graceland from a year ago. Having bested Mount Marty (4-0), Northwestern (5-3) plus tying GPAC preseason favorite Hastings (1-1), the Yellow Jackets have tied their season win total (two) from 2023 through only three games. Head Coach Randall Porter is also in his second year at the helm of the women’s soccer program. The home team has scored 10 goals in three games with freshmen Skye Hernandez (four) and Caitlin Lageman (two) leading the charge. Graceland has a mix of talent, but the freshmen have tallied seven of its 10 goals and four of the five assists. They have averaged 14.7 shots per game and a .705 shot-on-goal percentage. Goalkeeper Alexia Johnson got the starting nod in the previous game only allowing one goal through 177 minutes between the posts thus far.

Columbia

A powerhouse last season, the Cougars went 17-2-1 with a national tournament berth in 2023. Their dominant play has continued with a 2-0 record defeating GPAC foe Briar Cliff (4-0) and No. 24 Missouri Valley College (1-0). They will begin their week versus Campbellsville University (Ky.) before facing the Bulldogs on Saturday. Head Coach John Klein enters his 25th year as the frontman of Columbia. They have scored five goals in two games by Riley Porter (three) and Macie Lucas (two). The team has eight assists with Madeleine Shylanski and Delfina Zolesio having two apiece. Alba Vigo has played all 180 minutes as goalkeeper with two shutouts and eight saves.

Next Week

The Bulldogs will come home to host a nonconference match on Sept. 4. The match is listed below and will be played at Bulldog Stadium in Seward, Neb. CUNE will have next Saturday off from competition.

Wednesday, Sept. 4

5:30 p.m. – vs. Bellevue

Garner and company collect win over Graceland

 August 28, 2024

Kierstynn Garner put four goals behind the keepers of Graceland University (Iowa), leading the Concordia Women’s Soccer team to a 4-2 victory. The Wednesday night (Aug. 28) season opener went back and forth with seven shots on goal per team, but the visitors were able to make the most of their chances at John Rasmussen Soccer Complex.

 Nick Smith collected his 14th win as head coach of the Bulldogs and commented on the first game of 2024 and how Garner and the whole offense is being used in different ways.

“We had some moments where we looked really good and we had some moments where we looked like it was the first game of the year. What I told them afterward was that a mark of a great team is when you can win games and you are not at your peak performance. With KG (Garner) and others, we have more pace with this team. On offense, we are trying to be a little bit different and be more intentional. We are looking for specific moments and that requires the delivery to be on time and the runs to be made at the right time.”

With the four goal performance, Garner became one of five players to score four goals in one contest. Two former Bulldogs have five goals, but current teammate Savannah Andrews scored four versus Mount Marty on Sept. 16, 2023, in an 8-1 route over the Lancers.

With less than 30 seconds left in the first half, freshman Sierra McElhannon struck a through ball to a sprinting Garner. The Kearney, Neb., native ran down the pass and eventually kicked the ball from the left side into the right corner for her third goal of the game. With the score, Garner tied the most career game winning goals (13) matching Jessica Skerston (2014-16) for the program record.

The Kearney High School product broke the silence early with a scoop and score in the 5th minute of the first half. After intercepting a pass from a defender intended for the Yellow Jacket goalkeeper, Garner finished in front with her first goal of 2024. With these four goals, she has amassed 31 career goals as a junior.

Goalkeeper Angela Banks collected a career-high five saves and kept Graceland at bay enough to help seal the win. The All-GPAC nominees that returned to the starting lineup were Savannah Andrews, Hannah Kile, Niah Kirchner and Taylor Slaymaker.

Graceland scored two goals, one in each half. Emily Carmen and Caitlin Lageman scored each on assists via their teammates. The Bulldogs narrowly outshot the Yellow Jackets 9-8. Graceland moves to 2-1-1 as Concordia hands it their first loss. The Yellow Jackets will face the University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth, Kan. on Saturday.

The Bulldogs will face No. 10 Columbia (2-0) on Saturday in Columbia, Missouri. First kick is set for 5 p.m. CT at R. Marvin Owens Field.

Slow start leads to season's first defeat in road clash with No. 10 Columbia

September 1, 2024

 The degree of difficulty ramped up several notches on Saturday (Aug. 31) as the Concordia University Women’s Soccer team took on a Columbia College program that reached the NAIA national tournament second round in 2023. Though the result was a 4-0 defeat at the hands of the 10th-ranked Cougars of Columbia, Mo., the Bulldogs actually showed progress in a number of areas compared to their 4-2 win from three days earlier. Concordia settled in after a slow start on Saturday – but it had dug too large of a hole.

Head Coach Nick Smith’s squad stands at 1-1 after a week on the road in nonconference play. The Bulldogs earned a win on Wednesday at Graceland University (Iowa).

“We played a really good team in Columbia tonight,” Smith said. “We made it hard on ourselves by starting slow and conceding two goals and a number of good chances in the first 10 minutes. We settled in really well after that. We hit the post while it was 2-0 and grew into the game really well.”

In the mind of Smith, this was a necessary step in Concordia building towards the aspirations it has of competing for a GPAC championship. There is no margin for error on the road in a matchup such as this one. Columbia standout striker Macie Lucas got on the board after just 2:17 had elapsed. She scored again right at the eight-minute mark, putting the Bulldogs in a vulnerable position on the road. The lead ballooned with another goal by Lucas before halftime and via a 53rd-minute goal from Riley Porter.

The Cougars (3-1) held a 14-4 advantage in the shot count. They put Concordia keeper Angela Banks to the test, and she managed to come up with four saves. Both Bulldog shots on goal were credited to junior Sierra Springer. Meanwhile, Kierstynn Garner was limited to one shot three days after she buried all four goals in the win at Graceland.

Of note, freshman Kyana Rios made her first career start on Saturday for Concordia. The Bulldogs used a total of 20 players as a show of their increased depth in 2024. Despite the ugly scoreline, Smith is convinced his team is moving in the right direction.

Said Smith, “It was a much better performance compared to our Graceland game. We are growing really well and will be better for playing teams like Columbia. I don’t like losing, but this was a good step for us as a team.”

The Bulldogs will host their home opener this coming Wednesday when Bellevue University (4-0) makes its way to town. The Bruins have beaten three GPAC opponents already this season: Dakota Wesleyan, Northwestern and College of Saint Mary. Wednesday’s kickoff is slated for 5:30 p.m. CT from Bulldog Stadium.

Garner Tabbed as GPAC Offensive Player of the Week

September 3, 2024

 A four goal takeover was more than enough for junior Kierstynn Garner to be selected as the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Women’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week. The league office announced the award on Tuesday (Sept. 3). This was the first time to receive the honor this year and the fourth time in her career.

The Kearney, Neb., native bolstered the Bulldogs to a 4-2 win over Graceland, scoring all four tallies. Even more impressive, Garner did so with only four shots. With the third goal, Garner tied the most career game winning goals (13) matching Jessica Skerston (2014-16) for the program record. The Kearney High School alum has amassed 31 career goals in 40 games played. In 2023, the First Team All-GPAC selection posted a team high 19 goals and seven game winners as a sophomore.

Head Coach Nick Smith’s squad will return to the field on Wednesday night against Bellevue at Bulldog Stadium. The matchup will be Concordia Women’s soccer’s home opener for 2024.

Bulldogs set to host Bruins in home opener

September 3, 2024

After opening the season with a two match week, the Concordia Women’s soccer team will have the weekend off from competition. Before that, the Bulldogs will host their home opener against in-state competitor Bellevue University on Wednesday (Sept. 4). Concordia went 1-1 last week taking home a 4-2 win versus Graceland University (Iowa) but fell to No. 10 Columbia University (Mo.), 4-0.  

This Week

Wednesday, Sept. 4 vs. Bellevue (4-0), 5:30 p.m.

Live Webcast Live Stats | Location: Bulldog Stadium (Seward, Neb.)

Buy Tickets to home events

By the numbers

·       The Bulldogs traveled for their first two games and began with a bout versus the Yellowjackets. First Team All-GPAC Kierstynn Garner returned to mid-season form with four goals on four shots. The Kearney, Neb., native was assisted by newcomer Sierra McElhannon and long time teammate Hannah Haas. The senior midfielder, out of Colorado Springs, Colo., claimed her 10th career assist with the kick. Goalkeeper Angela Banks was the game one starter and punched out five saves, a single game career high for the senior from Downey, Calif.

·       Columbia came out firing versus Concordia and scored two early. The Bulldogs tried to respond via a Garner kick that hit the post. Mirarosa Gyllenswan and Sierra Springer were able to get shots off but couldn’t find the back of the net against the frequent national tournament side. Macie Lucas scored a hat trick for the Cougars and Riley Porter finished with the final score. After the slow start, the defense settled and allowed only one score in the final fifty-nine minutes of the match.

·       With the four goal performance, Garner became one of five players to score four goals in one contest. Two former Bulldogs have five goals, but current teammate Savannah Andrews scored four versus Mount Marty on Sept. 16, 2023, in an 8-1 route over the Lancers. KG (Garner) tied the most career game winning goals (13) matching Jessica Skerston (2014-16) for the program record. The Kearney High School alum has amassed 31 career goals in 40 games played.

·       Concordia has a roster with 23 players which are either juniors, seniors or 5th year players, giving a huge experience advantage to most teams they will face. Many of the notable junior class team members have two years of starting experience and have names that many who follow the program know. The Bulldogs return All-GPAC nominees Savannah Andrews, Kierstynn Garner, Hannah Kile, Niah Kirchner, Sierra Springer, Bradi Ore and Taylor Slaymaker. Many others with a wealth of experience return such as Angela Banks, Hannah Haas, Kassidy Johnson, Sadie Mares, Senna McMullen, Shelby Rugg, Elena Ruiz and Ashlee Trujillo. The program has added transfers and freshmen, making the roster potentially the deepest it has been in years.

·       After finishing at the No. 2 in the conference last year, the preseason expectations have risen to be the same. Concordia was picked to finish second as opposed to last year’s preseason poll (fifth). The Bulldogs went 13-4-3 overall and 8-1-3 in the GPAC in 2023. A late season tie at Briar Cliff eventually became a deciding factor for Concordia to lose the tie for first place with Hastings dropping to second. Nick Smith’s squad defeated Jamestown (2-1) in the quarterfinals but fell to Midland (2-0) in the semis on its way to a GPAC Tournament Championship.

Bellevue

The Bruins come into the game with an unblemished 4-0 record, having beaten three GPAC teams in the process. Dakota Wesleyan (1-0), Northwestern (5-0) and College of Saint Mary (2-1) all came up short against Bellevue in their contests. In their last match, the Bruins defeated Tabor (4-1) at their home field, Papillion Landing. The visitors have scored 12 goals and average 16.3 shots per contest with a .523 shot on goal percentage. They have a high assist to goal ratio with 10 of the 12 coming via a teammate. The offense is tough to defend with four players having two scores apiece in Mia Hurt, Adi Kasel, Sami Reding and Ketlyn Rota. Maju Serrano is the assist leader with three passes going in for goal. Sophomore goal keeper Alessia Ricciardi has played all 360 minutes tallying five saves and two goals allowed.

Next Week

The Bulldogs will host a nonconference versus Benedictine College (Kan.) and travel to York University on Sept. 14. The first match will be played at Bulldog Stadium and the next at the York Soccer Complex.

Wednesday, Sept. 4

5:30 p.m. – vs. Benedictine

Wednesday, Sept. 4

12 p.m. – at York

A ‘more confident’ Bulldogs seize draw with Bellevue

September 4, 2024

Each team had moments of dominant possession in the in-state clash between Concordia Women’s Soccer and Bellevue University on Wednesday night (Sept. 4). The final score ended in the same way with a 1-1 draw after 90 minutes. Kierstynn Garner broke through for her fifth score of the season.

The Bulldogs are 1-1-1 after three rigorous non-conference contests. Head Coach Nick Smith commented on the home opener and about the high and low possession stretches.

“It’s nice to be back in Bulldog Stadium. It’s nice to play in front of our fans and under the lights. We are a team that is consistently getting better through the early part of the season. A lot of the possession switches is a result of maintaining belief that we can compete with teams at this level. Bellevue is a good team. It is a team that is receiving votes and may be ranked next week. They have already beaten three conference opponents.”

After conceding a goal in the second frame, Savannah Andrews splits two defenders, in the 71st minute, to the ever-dangerous Kierstynn Garner. On the right side of the goal, she kicked a low ball from right to left in the far bottom corner to tie the contest. Last week’s GPAC Offensive Player award winner has tallied five goals and 32 in her career.

Garner spoke about the team gaining confidence with every match.

“We are more confident on the ball. Players are holding it longer. We are more confident in dribbling and one v. one. If we continue with that, we will be good this season.”

A mainstay midfielder, Niah Kirchner, was pivotal in the middle third winning the ball consistently over the Bruins in one v. one situations to kill the visitors' attack before it started. Coach Smith spoke about the type of player Kirchner is and has been.  

“Niah is one of our smartest players. Her IQ is off the charts. She sees the play before it happens and gets herself in position to be a pesky defender.”

Many gave quality minutes to limit the talented Bellevue squad. Defenders Taylor Slaymaker and Hannah Kile were pivotal in limiting the chances the Bruins were able to take. Avery Black and Kyana Rios claimed their second start for the Bulldogs as the depth of Coach Smith’s squad continues to grow.

The Bruins had a 4-2 shot on goal advantage and Sami Reding scored her third goal of the year via Ketlyn Rota. Bellevue came into the match 4-0 but will now add a tie to the end of its record. The visitors from Papillion will face yet another GPAC competitor in Morningside on Saturday.

Concordia (1-1-1) will have the weekend off before taking on a tough Benedictine College (1-2-1) of Kansas. The bout will be played in Bulldog Stadium at 5:30 p.m. CT. The Ravens defeated the Bulldogs 3-0 in 2023.

Last three nonconference opponents incoming

 September 9, 2024

Concordia Women’s Soccer team and in-state rival Bellevue University ended in a 1-1 deadlock after full time on Wednesday night. The Bulldogs will have a busy upcoming schedule with five games in 11 days. CUNE will take on No. 25 Benedictine College (Kan.), York University and Nebraska Wesleyan University in its next three contests.

This Week

Wednesday, Sept. 11 vs. No. 25 Benedictine (1-3-1), 5:30 p.m.

Live Webcast Live Stats | Location: Bulldog Stadium (Seward, Neb.)

Saturday, Sept. 14 at York (1-2-1), 12 p.m.

Live Webcast Live Stats | Location: York Soccer Complex (York, Neb.)

Monday, Sept. 16 at Nebraska Wesleyan (3-2), 7 p.m.

Live Webcast Live Stats | Location: Abel Stadium (Lincoln, Neb.)

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By the numbers

·       Bellevue had a clear majority possession in the first half of each frame and Concordia took over in the second half of each 45 minutes. Shots were at a premium but after giving up a goal, the Bulldogs responded with a score of their own. Savannah Andrews split two defenders in the 71st minute to the ever-dangerous Kierstynn Garner. On the right side of the goal, she kicked a low ball from right to left in the far bottom corner to tie the match. Veterans Hannah Kile, Niah Kirchner, and Taylor Slaymaker helped erase many of the Bruins’ offensive runs to keep the draw intact.

·       After three games, Concordia (1-1-1) has shown a mixed bag of results so far this season. The upcoming opportunities will show us more of this veteran team. Garner has scored all five goals but the three assists have come via Andrews, Hannah Haas and Sierra McElhannon. The next two leaders in shots have been Kirchner (five) and Sierra Springer (three). The opponents have shot 32 compared to the Bulldogs’ 18. In shots on goal percentage, the offense (.611) has edged out its opponents (.594).

·       Midfielder Niah Kirchner has been labeled “the engine” by Head Coach Nick Smith multiple times throughout her career and has proven it on the field time and time again. Her career numbers won’t flash to most as she has four goals and six assists in her 41 games played. The junior, out of Omaha, Neb., has started 37 games and has continued to build on her ability to win possession back in the middle third of the field. Coach Smith said postgame on Wednesday, “Niah is one of our smartest players. Her IQ is off the charts. She sees the play before it happens and gets herself in position to be a pesky defender. She is another player who has grown these past couple games. We are a much better team when she is performing at a good level.”

·       The Massey Ratings have Concordia rated 76 with a strength of schedule rating of 65. Massey has the upcoming opponents slotted 71st (Benedictine), 118th (York) and 232nd (NCAA D-III Nebraska Wesleyan). The teams strength of schedule rankings are; Ravens (106), Panthers (165) and Prairie Wolves (314).

·       Concordia has a roster with 23 players which are either juniors, seniors or 5th year players, giving a huge experience advantage to most teams they will face. Many of the notable junior class team members have two years of starting experience and have names that many who follow the program know. The Bulldogs return All-GPAC nominees Savannah Andrews, Kierstynn Garner, Hannah Kile, Niah Kirchner, Sierra Springer, Bradi Ore and Taylor Slaymaker. Many others with a wealth of experience return such as Angela Banks, Hannah Haas, Kassidy Johnson, Sadie Mares, Senna McMullen, Shelby Rugg, Elena Ruiz and Ashlee Trujillo. The program has added transfers and freshmen, making the roster potentially the deepest it has been in years.

Bendictine

The Ravens come into the match with a 1-3-1 record having fell (1-0) to common opponent Dordt last week. Benedictine defeated (7-0) Williams Baptist (Ark.) and tied (1-1) St. Ambrose University (Iowa). The team scored 10 goals while allowing five on a .471 shot on goal percentage. Audrey Bolan and Brook Hatzmann have collected two goals to lead the Ravens and Jenna Wilken leads with two assists. Mackenzie Korzenecki has played all five games as the goalkeeper. Korzenecki has 20 saves on a .769 save percentage.

York

The Panthers are 3-1 having played all common opponents, falling Nebraska Wesleyan (1-0) but defeated all three GPAC competitors. York bested Mount Marty (3-0), Doane (1-0) and Dakota Wesleyan (3-1). The Panthers have scored seven goals and allowed two on shots with a .551 shot on goal percentage. Led by Gracie Reynolds, she has a goal and an assist so far in 2024. Goalkeeper Harumi Cornejo has 11 saves and a .917 save percentage in her three games played.

Nebraska Wesleyan

The Prairie Wolves come into this week with a 3-2 overall showing after defeating common upcoming opponent York (1-0). Nebraska Wesleyan also defeated Cornell College (5-0) and Principia College (8-0). It will play two GPAC opponents, Northwestern and Dordt, before stepping on the field versus Concordia. The Prairie Wolves have scored 15 goals while only allowing three. The offense is averaging three goals per game and 17.6 shots per contest. Averie Hike leads the charge in goal scoring with four and three players follow with two apiece. Amanda Olivas (three) and Emma Parker (two) have collected the top assists. Goalkeeper Jena Schultz has played 383 minutes between the posts grabbing 17 saves with a .895 save percentage.

Next Week

The Bulldogs will break into conference play after the three contests and face off against Northwestern and Dordt to open with tough opponents. Concordia will host the Red Raiders in Bulldog Stadium and travel to Sioux Center, Iowa for the clash with Defenders.

Wednesday, Sept. 18

5:30 p.m. – vs. Northwestern

Saturday, Sept. 21

2 p.m. – at Dordt

Ravens capitalize on early mistakes in win over Bulldogs

September 11, 2024

A half mast flag graced Bulldog Stadium in remembrance of 9-11 before the privileged clash between Concordia Women’s Soccer and Benedictine College (Kan.). The midweek matchup left the Bulldogs scoreless to the Ravens, falling 2-0 in full time. Concordia turned it on the second half with five second half shots but was unable to find the back of the net in the final third.

Head Coach Nick Smith’s squad is 1-2-1 after working through four contests in its challenging non-conference schedule. Coach Smith commented on playing through the full 90 minutes and bright spots in the game.

“We scheduled a really tough nonconference on purpose. We have to learn to compete for the full duration of these games. We lost the game tonight because of a two and a half minute spell. We made a couple mistakes and that ultimately cost us the game. We battled and outshot them in the second half but you can’t put yourself in a two goal hole against a team like Benedictine.”

Starting in the 21st minute, Jenna Wilken was able to collect two goals in less than three minutes of play on behalf of the visitors. The Ravens would outshoot the Bulldogs 9-4 in the first half and 4-2 shots on goal.

Out of the break, Concordia took the fight to Benedictine and outshot the visitors, 5-3, in the final frame. Savannah Andrews, Kierstynn Garner, Elena Ruiz, and Mirarosa Gyllenswan all fired shots off and the most dangerous came via Andrews outside the box.

Gyllenswan put an end to many of the Ravens’ attacks in their final third. Typically a midfielder, the Menifee, Calif., native was moved to center back due to an injury from All-GPAC player Hannah Kile. On an island at points in the match, the University of Jamestown transfer was able to corral attacks and shoot twice herself.

Coach Smith said, “We do see a lot from her game back there. She’s a leader and a ball winner. She is aggressive and plays the game really well. I do think the pairing of her and Taylor, at times, looks really really good.”

The Bulldogs played 19 different players and mixed up rotation due to Kile. Newcomer Kyana Rios attained a lot of quality minutes along with Avery Black and Triniti Rowe.

Benedictine moves to 2-3-1 after dropping just outside the NAIA Coaches’ poll this morning. Forward Payton Vogelbacher earned an assist and goalkeeper Mackenzie Korzenecki a shutout. The Ravens are set to enter Heart of America Athletic Conference play against Culver-Stockton College (Mo.) this Saturday.

Concordia (1-2-1) is set to travel to York University (3-1) on Saturday afternoon. The Bulldogs and Panthers will face off at 12 p.m. CT at the York Soccer Complex. CUNE bested York (1-0) in the 2023 matchup in Seward.

Haas energy helps fuel Bulldogs back into win column

September 14, 2024

 Concordia Women’s Soccer went 30 minutes west to face York University at noon on Saturday (Sept. 14). Hannah Haas made the difference with a score right before halftime in the 2-1 win over the Panthers. The Bulldogs come back after being down 1-0 for their first win in four games, at the York Soccer Complex.

CUNE moves to 2-2-1 to break even on the year and have one more contest before entering conference play. Head Coach Nick Smith commented on getting back in the win column.

“I’ll take it. It is certainly what we strive for and was one of our goals for today. I don’t think our performance was where it needed to be. It is a step in the right direction. Again, it is good to get a result when you are not playing your best, but we have a long road ahead of us.”

Entering the final minute of the first half, Kierstynn Garner attracted a few defenders outside of the box and sent a pass to an open Hannah Haas. The Colorado Springs, Colo., native received the ball with a touch and crushed a bending shot to the opposite side of the goal for her first score of the season. Haas, a midfielder, has earned more minutes as a senior and now has three goals in her career.

Coach Smith said, “She (Haas) really helped turn the game. She was constant energy. She was really proactive and got to her spots. She picked up the ball in the box and had a really confident finish.”

In the 49th minute, the Panther goalkeeper kicked the ball in an attempt to get it out of the box and hit the back of another teammate and into their own goal. Haas created the pressure, pushing the defender back into the ball.

Goalkeeper Angela Banks was able to punch out six saves in seven shots on goal. The Saint Joseph product has doubled her starts (5) from her previous three seasons. The Bulldogs’ back line was still missing all-conference Hannah Kile for the second straight game.

York was able to take the advantage in shots (13-7) but much of the offensive play stayed with Concordia with seven corner kicks to its opponents one. The two teams matched each other in fouls (9).

The Panthers scored off a defensive error by the Bulldogs in 28th minute claiming the early lead in the game. Laia Gallego garnered the unassisted score. York (3-2) will look to bounce back versus the Coyotes of Kansas Wesleyan on Wednesday at home.

Concordia (1-2-1) will have a quick turn around before facing Nebraska Wesleyan (4-3) at Abel Stadium on Monday. First kick is at 7 p.m. CT. The Bulldogs and Prairie Wolves are deadlocked in history with a 4-4-2 record against each other.

Dawgs roll Prairie Wolves in first shutout; Garner claims record

September 16, 2024

With only one nonconference performance left against Nebraska Wesleyan University, the Bulldogs ended this part of the season with a 2-0 shutout on Monday night (Sept. 16). Kierstynn Garner and Hannah Haas collected a goal apiece but the effort put on by the full Concordia squad was evident in the road win. After the eventual game winning score, Garner claimed full control of the career record for game winning goals (14) in program history.

The Bulldogs are 3-2-1 as they finish conference play on a high note at the Prairie Wolves expense. Head Coach Nick Smith commented on playing at Nebraska Wesleyan and being able to get the first shutout.

“Our ball movement was really good tonight. We expected Nebraska Wesleyan to be organized against us and they were. Playing here is more narrow than we are used to and so we want to maximize the space, and let the ball do the work for us. It is huge for us (shutout). I felt like this was the first 90 minutes where we were relatively sound the entire game. We are a group that’s growing right now.”

In the waning minutes of a scoreless first frame, Savannah Andrews and Kierstynn Garner were able to connect with a score in the 42nd minute. This was the second time this season the duo were a one-two punch as the first came in the tie versus Bellevue University. The Kearney, Neb., native is team leader in goals scored and second in the conference (six).

Haas provided a spark in the previous match and is starting to catch fire in the final third. Garner was able to dodge the sliding goalie and put the ball on a cross finding the feet of Haas. The Doherty High School product kicked the pass beyond a defender for the second goal of the game. Senior Haas has scored two goals in two games as she begins to pick up steam in her final season.

Haas said, “Tonight, it was big on possession for us. Coach has been talking to us about doing a lot of quick passes, 500 a game, and they really executed on that to get to the final third. I think that helped us possession wise. Coach told me when I went in, it’s the final ball and after Kierstynn’s run, she gave me the final ball.”

The defense allowed 10 shots but only two were on goal through the 90 minutes. Without all-conference center backs Taylor Slaymaker and Hannah Kile, Concordia used veteran Rosie Gyllenswan and freshman Triniti Rowe to fill in the gaps in the back line. Every Bulldog in between the lines won the ball at different times of the night and the team play clinched the 2024 team’s first shutout. Angela Banks collected both saves and the second shutout of her career.

Nebraska Wesleyan bested the Bulldogs in corner kicks (6-3) and limited themselves to only two fouls. The Prairie Wolves (4-4) will face Webster University in their upcoming match on Saturday.

Concordia (3-2-1) will enter into conference play against Northwestern (0-5-1) in two short days. First kick is set for 5:30 p.m. CT in Seward. The Bulldogs dusted the Red Raiders (8-0) last season in Orange City.

Concordia plows into GPAC versus Northwestern and Dordt

September 17, 2024

After six nonconference contests, Concordia Women’s Soccer will enter into conference play hosting Northwestern and travel to Sioux Center to face Dordt over the weekend. The Bulldogs recently played three games in six days and came out 2-1 versus Benedictine College (Kan.), York University and Nebraska Wesleyan University. Head Coach Nick Smith’s squad has earned a 3-2-1 overall record in 2024.

This Week

Wednesday, Sept. 18 vs. Northwestern (0-5-1), 5:30 p.m.

Live Webcast Live Stats | Location: Bulldog Stadium (Seward, Neb.)

Saturday, Sept. 21 at Dordt (4-1), 2 p.m.

Live Webcast Live Stats | Location: Dordt Soccer Complex (Sioux Center, Iowa)

Buy Tickets to home events

By the numbers

·       The Bulldogs came out sluggish versus the Ravens and allowed two scores within three minutes of each other. That would ultimately define the 2-0 win for Benedictine in a bottom-line view of the match. While Concordia was able to outshoot the visitors in the 2nd half of the match, it was unable to make it count in the attacking third. The Ravens held a 12-9 shot advantage but the teams broke even in shots on goal (4).

·       The Bulldogs were able to get back on track with a 2-1 win over York. Entering the final minute of the first half, Kierstynn Garner attracted a few defenders outside of the box and sent a pass to an open Hannah Haas. The Colorado Springs, Colo., native received the ball with a touch and crushed a bending shot to the opposite side of the goal for her first score of the season. In the 49th minute, the Panther goalkeeper kicked the ball in an attempt to get it out of the box and hit the back of another teammate and into their own goal leading to a game winning score.  

·       In its second consecutive road match, Concordia acquired the first shutout of the season with a 2-0 2 win over Nebraska Wesleyan. Kierstynn Garner and Hannah Haas collected a goal apiece but the effort put on by the full Bulldog squad was evident in the triumph. The defense allowed 10 shots (most in the final minutes) but only two were on goal through the 90 minutes. Without all-conference center backs Taylor Slaymaker and Hannah Kile, Concordia used veteran Rosie Gyllenswan and freshman Triniti Rowe to fill in the gaps in the back line.

·       The conference has only two teams with four wins so far, including Dordt (4-1) and Hastings (4-1-2). Nipping on their heels, Concordia (3-2-1), Mount Marty (3-2-1) then Doane follows with a 2-5 record. Morningside (1-1-2), College of Saint Mary (1-3-2) are just before the four winless teams: Briar Cliff (0-4-1), Northwestern (0-5-1), Waldorf (0-5) and Midland (0-0), who hasn’t played a match.

·       Haas, a 5th year senior, has doubled her career goals (four) in the past two games with back to back scores. The Colorado Springs, Colo., native is making the most of her minutes with a low four shots on the season and a .750 shot on goal percentage. The product, out of Doherty High School, has seen her role grow in past seasons producing five points though six games with her previous season high sitting at six (2023). In both of her scores, Garner was on the assist end of the connection.

·       Garner, a junior forward, has scored six goals (team leader) and tallied two assists. With the game-winner versus Nebraska Wesleyan, she has 14 game winning goals in her career and solidifies her as No. 1 in the program in that category. The Kearney High School graduate has two game winners this season and seven in 2023.

·       The Massey Ratings have Concordia rated 73 with a strength of schedule rating of 86. Massey has the upcoming opponents slotted 162nd (Northwestern) and 43rd (Dordt). The teams strength of schedule rankings has the Red Raiders (124) and Defenders (102).

Northwestern

Northwestern is winless (0-5-1) in its six contests having played common opponents Graceland University (5-3) and Bellevue (5-0). The Red Raiders have scored 11 goals while allowing 21 and are shooting 15.3 times a game. They have four assists as a team and shoot a .511 shot on goal percentage. Their leading scorers are Kylie Baccam (3), Avril Baccam (2) and Marissa Talamantes (2). Avril has all four assists for Northwestern and a team high 16 shots on goal. The Red Raiders have split minutes in goal with Genesis Maldonado (270) and Peyton Anderson (225). Maldonado has 23 saves and Anderson has 19.

Dordt

The Defenders are 4-1 coming into the week and will be a tough contest on the road in Sioux Center. Common opponents include wins over a then-ranked No. 25 Benedictine (1-0) and Nebraska Wesleyan (5-0). They will travel to Midland in the Warriors season opener before facing the Bulldogs. Dordt has scored a scorching 18 goals and has only allowed 4 total. Averaging almost four goals a game (3.60), the Defenders average 13.6 shots per game and surprisingly allow 15 a game. The Defenders have a .605 shot on goal percentage and have a high 15 assists out of their 18 goals. They are led by a two-headed monster attack in Karinna Tel (five goals, three assists) and Joslyn Terpstra (three goals, three assists). Tel, the 2023 GPAC Offensive Player of the Year, has 17 shots with a .529 shot on goal percentage. Jenna Wright has played 360 minutes between the posts and has 29 saves with a .906 save percentage, earning national player of the week for her game against Benedictine College.

Next Week

The Bulldogs will continue conference play against Hastings and Briar Cliff. Concordia will host the Broncos and Chargers at Bulldog Stadium, and the Briar Cliff match is part of a big homecoming weekend schedule. The matches are listed below. 

Wednesday, Sept. 25

5:30 p.m. – vs. Hastings

Saturday, Sept. 28

5:30 p.m. – vs. Briar Cliff (Homecoming)

Despite dominant stretches, Bulldogs doomed by Northwestern second half flurry

September 18, 2024

The most nightmarish 10 minutes the Concordia University Women’s Soccer team has experienced in some time put a stain on the GPAC opener on a muggy Wednesday (Sept. 18) evening. A Northwestern flurry just after halftime spurred the visitors from Orange City, Iowa, to a 4-3 victory inside Bulldog Stadium. The Bulldogs suffered defeat despite a thoroughly dominant first half (12-0 shot advantage) that featured junior Savannah Andrews’ first goal of the season.

Head Coach Nick Smith’s squad played for the fourth time in eight days and was fresh off a Monday road win over Nebraska Wesleyan. With Wednesday’s loss, Concordia slipped to 3-3-1 overall (0-1 GPAC).

“Soccer can be cruel, but we can only look at ourselves,” Smith said. “It’s a game that we dominate for 80 minutes entirely. Unfortunately for us, you have to play for 90. We knew Northwestern had some good attacking players, and they took full advantage of our slow start to the second half. There were a lot of good things over the course of the game, scored some good goals and had some really good play at times. We didn’t finish our chances in the first half when we had the opportunity to kill off the game.”

The switch flipped in stunning fashion after the halftime break. The 1-0 Bulldog lead that felt like it should have been a three- or four-goal margin quickly evaporated. Northwestern got its first goal just 22 seconds into the second half when its attacking duo of Kylie and Avril Baccam outhustled the Concordia back line. Kylie played the ball ahead to Avril for a clean look at the goal.

Suddenly, the floodgates were open. The Red Raiders built their lead to 4-1 as a goal apiece peppered the back of the net in the 51st, 52nd and 54th minutes. Avril Baccam put away her side’s first two goals while Grace Timm and Kylie Baccam notched a goal each while running free in the attacking third. Northwestern (1-5-1, 1-0 GPAC) made its six shots on goal (eight total) count.

Down 4-1, Concordia attempted to mount a comeback while countering with the exploits of Kierstynn Garner and company. After setting up Andrews’ goal (18th career) with a corner in the first half, sophomore Sadie Maries played Garner in behind the Northwestern back line, and Garner promptly cashed in with a goal in the 55th minute. Eleven minutes later, the Bulldogs were celebrating Garner’s second goal of the night, eighth of the season and 35th of her career. This one was facilitated by a cross from Andrews.

Just like that, the well dried up and both teams went scoreless over the final 24 minutes. Northwestern keeper Peyton Anderson came up with two crucial saves during that time period to preserve the Red Raiders’ first win of 2024. Garner had a crack at a hat trick and Andrews and Sierra Springer both tested Northwestern’s keeper, with help from the always energetic play of Niah Kirchner. Ultimately, the Red Raiders held on and avenged the 8-0 defeat they suffered at the hands of Concordia in 2023. To its credit, Northwestern has tallied 15 goals in seven games this season.

Conference play will continue on Saturday with a road trip to Sioux Center, Iowa. Concordia and Dordt will kick things off at 2 p.m. CT from the Dordt Soccer Complex. The Bulldogs won last season’s meeting by a 4-0 score in Seward. The Defenders (4-1-1, 0-0-1 GPAC) tied Midland, 2-2, in their GPAC opener on Wednesday.

Dawgs comeback falls short in final seconds

September 21, 2024

Concordia Women’s Soccer traveled to face Dordt on Saturday afternoon. Down 2-0, the Bulldogs showed heart in the second half, tying the Defenders (2-2) with under two minutes to go. The 2023 GPAC Offensive Player of the Year Karinna Tel, scored a heartbreaker in the final seconds to seal a 3-2 win in favor of the home team.

CUNE has collected an overall record of 3-4-1 and 0-2 early in the conference season. Head Coach Nick Smith commented on what his team did to score the two late goals and moments the team can improve.  

“We were doing what we did all game long. At halftime, I felt like it was unfair that we were losing the game. We out-chanced them in the first half. We passed the ball really well. We are just losing in critical moments. Right now, it’s the counter moments. It’s the small numbers game when they are going towards our goal. The two goals were just a reward for the way that we play. In the final seconds, we had a penalty that wasn’t given, and we didn’t react well. We allowed the ball to be pushed up the field. At a minimum, we deserved to get a tie out of this game, and it is really disappointing not to win.”

Down 2-0 with 11 minutes to play, Senior Katelyn Smith rocketed a shot off the left posts, followed the clang, and buried her second try in the bottom right corner. The Millard North product tallied the second goal in her career and helped start the comeback in Sioux Center.

With under two minutes to play, goal-scoring machine Kierstynn Garner was able to make use of a Rosie Gyllenswan shot that hit the post for a tap in score. The Kearney, Neb., native has tied (9) Hastings’ Dekota Schubert for the top goal scorer in the league and led the Bulldogs with five shots (three on goal).

After a Joslyn Terpstra takeaway, she kicked a clear ball out of the opposing side and toward her teammate Karinna Tel. Tel was able to beat a Concordia defender to the ball and score with only seconds left in the match.

The Bulldog side played 19 and found success in different points of the game. The Defenders edged out the visitors in shots (13-11) but were beaten in quality chances (6-5 SOG). Concordia was able to edge out the home team in corners (6-4).  

In the 65th minute, Aliya Vidro was subbed in as goalkeeper for Angela Banks. The freshman, out of Colorado Springs, Colo., saw her first playing time in her career.

After a 4-0 shutout in favor of the Bulldogs in 2023, Dordt (5-1-1, 1-0-1 GPAC) kept its powerful offensive line up from last year that included 2023 GPAC Offensive Player of the Year Tel, along with all-conference players Terpstra and Ellie Stuart. Tel was instrumental in the win scoring two goals, along with the game winner, and an assist on the day. Terpstra scored the first half goal and both are in the top-5 in goals scored for the GPAC. The Defenders will face Waldorf this coming Wednesday.

CUNE (3-4-1, 0-2 GPAC) will be back in Bulldog Stadium for both matches next week, including Homecoming on Saturday. No. 25 Hastings (6-1-2, 2-0 GPAC) will travel to Seward on Wednesday. The Bulldogs and Broncos tied (2-2) last season in October.

Broncos and Chargers travel to Bulldog Stadium

September 23, 2024

Concordia Women’s Soccer continues its conference slate, welcoming No. 25 Hastings on Wednesday and Briar Cliff for Homecoming (Sept. 28). The Bulldogs entered the GPAC play and dropped two games versus Northwestern (4-3) and Dordt (3-2). CUNE has earned a 3-4-1 overall record and 0-2 in the conference.

This Week

Wednesday, Sept. 25 vs. No. 25 Hastings (6-1-2, 2-0 GPAC), 5:30 p.m.

Live Webcast Live Stats | Location: Bulldog Stadium (Seward, Neb.)

Saturday, Sept. 28 vs. Briar Cliff (0-6-1, 0-2 GPAC), 5:30 p.m.

Live Webcast Live Stats | Location: Bulldog Stadium (Seward, Neb.)

Buy Tickets to home events
 

By the numbers

·       With a 12-0 shot advantage in the first half, the Bulldogs gave in to a four goal onslot by the visiting Northwestern last Wednesday. Suddenly down 4-1, Concordia answered with two goals of its own via Kierstynn Garner. Sadie Mares and Savannah Andrews set up the goals and the sophomore, out of Scottsdale, Ariz., had two assists on the night. CUNE took an 18-8 shot advantage in the contest, but the scoring frenzy ended by both teams after the 66th minute.

·       Hope was starting to dwindle for the Bulldogs, down 2-0 in the road match against Dordt with only 12 minutes remaining. Senior Katelyn Smith gave the sputtering offense an expresso like energy boost off the bench. Six minutes after being subbed in, the Omaha, Neb., native scorched a shot off the post and followed it up with a goal scoring boot off the original bare miss. Smith's second career goal ignited the offense and Garner for the game tying score with less than two minutes to play. Defender forward Karinna Tel found a game winner to complete a stunning loss in the final seconds.

·       The conference win leaders include Hastings (6-1-2, 2-0 GPAC), Dordt (5-1-, 1-0-1 GPAC) and College of Saint Mary (3-3-2, 2-0 GPAC). Winless outside of the conference, Northwestern (2-5-1, 2-0 GPAC) has answered with two straight conference wins. Nipping on their heels, Mount Marty (4-3-1), Concordia (3-4-1), and then Doane follows with a 3-5-1 record. Morningside (1-2-3) sits just before three winless teams: Midland (0-1-1), Briar Cliff (0-6-1) and Waldorf (0-7).

·       Garner, a junior forward, has scored nine goals (team leader) and tallied two assists. After a three goal week, she is tied with Hastings’ Dekota Schubert for the most goals in the conference. Garner has 36 career goals scored and is only two away from tying Jessica Skerston’s 38, who is No. 5 on the program’s all-time list. With the game-winner versus Nebraska Wesleyan, she has 14 game winning goals in her career and solidifies her as No. 1 in the program in that category. The Kearney High School graduate has two game winners this season and seven in 2023.

·       GPAC’s 2023 5th leading goal scorer, Savannah Andrews, broke through for her first two pointer of the season against the Red Raiders. She hit the back of the net for the 19th time this season as the Bulldogs will look to get her going in the following games. While she leads the team in assists (three), Concordia becomes a much more dangerous offense with the ball at her feet inside the box.

·       The Massey Ratings have Concordia rated 88th with an 89th strength of schedule ranking. Massey has the upcoming opponents slotted at 60th (Hastings) and 123rd (Briar Cliff). The teams' strength of schedule rankings has the Broncos (128) and Chargers (57).

Hastings

The Broncos are 6-1-2 overall and 2-0 in GPAC play. Hastings was able to best Morningside (3-2) and Briar Cliff (3-1) and tied common opponent Graceland University (1-1) of Iowa. The team has 20 goals in its first nine games, while allowing seven. With 16 assists on the year, the Broncos have a high assist to goal ratio and the assist leader, by a wide margin, is Megan Lampe (seven). Dekota Schubert is tied for the league lead in goals scored (nine) and is followed by Dakota Pritchard (three) in finishes in the final third. Averaging 2.22 goals per outing, the Broncos level out at 19.1 shots per game and tallied a .529 shots on goal percentage with 172 total strikes. Senior Jackson Pedersen has held onto all 810 minutes in the net garnering 37 saves and a .841 save percentage.

Briar Cliff

The Chargers have yet to defeat an opposing squad with a 0-7-1 overall record and an 0-2-1 GPAC showing through three contests. Briar Cliff tied with Mount Marty (1-1) in its conference opener and followed the performance with two losses versus Doane (3-1) and Hastings (3-1). The Sioux City, Iowa squad has scored six goals and has allowed 25 against tough competition. Having 72 total shots on the year, BCU has a .583 shots on goal percentage on nine shots per contest. Manu Polachini and Emily Moran are the only two Broncos with multiple goals and Polachini has one of the team's two assists. Addison Frisch leads with 11 shots and goalkeeper Jaime Rowlands has started seven of their eight games. Rowlands has allowed 20 goals and punched out 45 saves on a .692 save percentage. Her record is 0-5-1 between the posts.

Next Week

The Bulldogs will continue conference play against Dakota Wesleyan in the lone match next week. Concordia will travel to face the Tigers in Mitchell, S.D. on Saturday. The match is listed below. 

Saturday, Oct. 5

3 p.m. – at Dakota Wesleyan

Defensive battle won by Broncos in rivalry tussle

September 25, 2024

Two well-taken headers by visiting Hastings in the early moments of Wednesday (Sept. 25)’s rivalry clash made the difference in what became a contest ruled by strong defensive play. The Broncos saw out the 2-0 win while not allowing the Concordia University Women’s Soccer team to place a single shot on goal. The Bulldogs were shut out for the third time this season.

Head Coach Nick Smith’s squad slipped to 0-3 in GPAC play (3-5-1 overall) as Hastings surged to 3-0 in the conference (7-1-2 overall). Despite the difference in records, a fine line separated the two sides in their 40th all-time meeting.

“It’s frustrating right now, because I do think we’re competing well,” Smith said. “We’re routinely losing key moments right now that are costing us. We knew coming into today that set pieces are an area Hastings is good at. We just didn’t react well enough in the moment and all of the sudden we’re down 1-0. The immediate reaction from that is disappointment. We conceded two goals within two minutes, and that just makes the game so hard against Hastings. After we settled in, I think we competed really well.”

There’s a feeling within the Concordia locker room that this team is close to turning a corner, but it will have to reverse an ugly trend moving forward. For the third straight game to begin conference play, the Bulldogs found themselves staring down a deficit of at least two goals. Bronco star Dekota Schubert converted on a header (off a corner) for her 10th goal of the season. Less than two minutes later, Hastings celebrated a header goal from Madison Rhodes, just after a throw-in.

Those were the lone two shots the Broncos had for the entirety of the first half. A matchup featuring the GPAC’s co-goals leaders in Schubert and Concordia’s Kierstynn Garner became a defensive stalemate. The Bulldogs never quite found the spark that a first goal could have provided. A header by Rosie Gyllenswan late in the first half hit the crossbar. Then in the second half, Garner missed to the right of the goal in a 1v1 situation. Hastings finished with an 8-3 advantage in shots.

As Smith explained, Concordia made some strategic adjustments specifically for this game with a defensive-minded approach. While coming back from injury, Hannah Kile made her first start since Sept. 4 versus Bellevue University. It worked well enough to limit the dangerous chances for the Broncos. In goal, Angela Banks fully extended herself to make a fine save in the 74th minute. She made two saves.

Said Smith, “We changed things up a little bit with our shape and added an extra center back. For it being the first time playing in it, we looked really good. We moved the ball really well – it’s just killing us that we’re not able to key off the moments we’re creating for ourselves. We make our own luck. We are at this level. The results just aren’t going our way right now. We have another opportunity on Saturday.”

Champions of the 2023 GPAC regular season, the Broncos have been ranked as high as 17th this season. Hastings earned the shutout on Wednesday behind keeper Jackson Pedersen. The Broncos have also beaten Morningside and Briar Cliff within league play.

The Bulldogs will remain at home as they look ahead to Saturday’s homecoming clash with Briar Cliff (0-6-2, 0-2-1 GPAC). Kickoff is set for 5:30 p.m. CT from Bulldog Stadium. The two sides played to a 0-0 draw last season in Sioux City, Iowa. In Wednesday’s action, the Chargers engaged in a scoreless tie with crosstown rival Morningside.

Bulldogs collect first GPAC victory on Homecoming night

September 28, 2024

Concordia University Nebraska Women’s Soccer played in one of the four games on Homecoming weekend in Seward, Neb. Coming into the contest winless in the conference, the Bulldogs showed grit to pull out a 1-0 performance in front of the home crowd. After three closely contested matches, Concordia found the elusive GPAC win column.

CUNE sits at 4-5-1 overall and 1-3 in the Great Plains Athletic Conference. Head Coach Nick Smith commented on getting the first GPAC win and Kyana Rios sealing her first goal.

“The Briar Cliff we got today was defensively really organized. We expected it. It was about us having the patience to pick and choose the right moments to take the right opportunities. The most important thing for us tonight was to get the result. It feels good to get that win. I’ve been telling Kyana Rios all season long that she has goals in her. She hit, probably, our goal of the season so far. Really excited for her to knock that out and get her first goal of the season.”

The game winner came off a deflection coming to the feet of Emily Howard, as she made the most of the ball with a pass to freshman Kyana Rios. The Omaha South product drilled her first collegiate goal from 25 yards out to take the lead in the 49th minute. Earning more playing time over the years, Senior Howard tallied her first point with the assist.

Rios said postgame, “It’s amazing coming into this level. There are amazing players and amazing teammates that I have. I’m just fortunate to score a goal here today. Our team was committed to get the win today. You know, we haven’t been playing our best but at the end of the day a result is a result and that’s all that matters.”

Goalkeeper Angela Banks was instrumental in the win, garnering her second clean sheet of the season. The Downey, Calif., native collected six saves tying her career high.

Concordia mustered up four shots but by four separate players including Rios, Hannah Haas, Sierra Springer and Ashlee Trujillo. The Chargers were led by Vivian Olson and Addison Frisch with two shots apiece and seven total in the match. The Bulldogs saw more set pieces in the final third via a 3-0 corner kick advantage and fouls right outside the box.

After 90 minutes, 18 players were given the nod by Coach Smith and with Savannah Andrews, Mirarosa Gyllenswan and Kierstynn Garner (in-game) out, the Bulldogs relied on new or unfamiliar faces to get the home victory. Emily Howard, Laine Michael, Olivia Pyle, Trujillo and Katelyn Smith saw their minutes jump in today's match, with Michael getting her first of the season.

Briar Cliff (0-7-2, 0-3-1 GPAC) will stay winless on the season after a brutal nonconference schedule. The Chargers will have their next chance against Mount Marty at Faber Field in Sioux Center.

Concordia (4-5-1, 1-3 GPAC) will have a midweek break on Wednesday before returning to the field against Dakota Wesleyan (3-4, 2-2 GPAC). The two teams will meet in Mitchell, S.D. at 3 p.m. CT next Saturday.

Concordia set to clash with Tigers in Mitchell

October 2, 2024

The Bulldogs will travel to Dakota Wesleyan on Saturday after having the midweek off from play on the field. Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Soccer fell to Hastings (2-0) and claimed its first conference win versus Briar Cliff (1-0) on Homecoming. Head Coach Nick Smith’s squad is 4-5-1 overall and 1-3 in the GPAC.  

This Week

Saturday, Oct. 5 at Dakota Wesleyan (3-4, 2-2 GPAC), 3 p.m.

Live Webcast Live Stats | Location: Pepsi-Cola Soccer Complex (Mitchell, S.D.)

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By the numbers

·       Two goals only two minutes apart defined the 2-0 match against Hastings in Bulldog Stadium. The Broncos would finish with an 8-3 shot advantage with two dangerous chances coming from Mirarosa Gyllenswan and Kierstynn Garner. This would be Concordia’s third straight conference loss and a start that seemingly could have never happened with the removal of a few minutes of play from each game. On the brink of putting it all together, the Bulldogs have been shutout three times this season.

·       Concordia found light in the form of a conference win over Briar Cliff (1-0) on Homecoming night. Beaten 7-4 in shots, the Bulldogs only needed one to best the visiting Chargers. Emily Howard gained her first collegiate point off an assist to newcomer Kyana Rios. The Omaha South product drilled her first collegiate goal from 25 yards out to take the lead in the 49th minute. That would be her only shot fired as Hannah Haas, Sierra Springer and Ashlee Trujillo would also clinch one apiece. Angela Banks matched her career high saves (six) and her second shutout. Corner kicks were an advantage for the home team with a 3-0 edge over BCU.

·       Concordia has scored 15 goals in 10 games while allowing 19 by the opponents. Averaging 8.2 shots per game, the Bulldogs have a .524 shots on goal percentage and a .183 shot percentage. Out of the 15 goals, 11 are assisted and with 43 shots, Concordia has been highly productive off passes from teammates. Coach Smith has played 26 different players showing new depth in the 2024 season. Garner leads with nine goals and two assists with Savannah Andrews leading the team (three). Four others have scored in Haas (two), Rios (one), Katelyn Smith (one) and Andrews (one). The final shots have been fired predominantly by Garner (27), Andrews (15), Haas (eight), Niah Kirchner (seven) and Sierra Springer (seven). The two with the highest shots on goal percentage are Kirchner and Springer at .714 and are followed by Garner (.667). Mainstays like Garner, Kirchner and Elena Ruiz have started all 10 games for the Bulldog side.

·       The Bulldogs own a 15-6-1 record over Dakota Wesleyan in the series history. Concordia has won the last 10 of 11 meetings with the exception of 2021. In that stretch, it has outscored the Tigers 30-4 in dominant fashion. The Bulldogs dropped their only loss (1-0) that was scored by Jozy Bardsley right before halftime.

·       The Massey Ratings have Concordia rated 84th with an 87th strength of schedule ranking. Massey has the Tigers rated 133rd in the NAIA and the 150th strength of schedule.

Dakota Wesleyan

The Tigers are 3-4 overall and .500 (2-2) in the conference. Dakota Wesleyan fell to common opponents Bellevue University (1-0), York University (3-1) and Hastings (3-1). The team has two conference wins over Mount Marty (2-1) and Northwestern (6-2) through four GPAC games. With a 1-2 record at home, the Tigers average 10 shots per game with a .650 shots on goal percentage. Hannah Petrucci and Deandrea Johnson lead the pack in goals scored and Petrucci also is in front in assists. Isabella Gregg (.829) and Abigail Colgrove (.700) split time in the net as Gregg leads in save percentage.

Next Week

The Bulldogs will continue conference play against Morningside in a lone match next week. Concordia will host the Mustangs for senior day inside Bulldog Stadium. The match is listed below. 

Saturday, Oct. 12

5:30 p.m. – vs. Morningside (senior day)

Dawgs bite back in second half triumph over Tigers

 October 5, 2024

Down one in the second half, Concordia Women’s Soccer scored two goals within three minutes and held on to complete the comeback over Dakota Wesleyan. The Bulldogs found an equalizer through a Kyana Rios penalty and Sierra McElhannon quickly followed with the eventual game winner.

CUNE has won six in a row in Mitchell and 11 of the last 12 meetings, having outscored the Tigers 32-5 in that stretch. With the second straight win, Concordia is 5-5-1 and 2-3 in GPAC play.

Head Coach Nick Smith said, “We had another good team performance today. We had some pretty big players for us, who were unable to play and needed players to step up. We gave up a goal on a set piece and for the first time this year, we were unphased by it. The response was tremendous. First to earn the penalty and the eventual game winner.”

After falling behind in the 63rd minute of the second frame (1-0), Avery Black drove the ball into the box and was fouled earning a penalty. Rios, a freshman out of Omaha, Neb., buried the equalizing free kick to reset the tie game with 23 minutes left to play. The Bulldogs kept their foot on the gas pedal and the press of the team and Elena Ruiz led to a great opportunity for McElhannon. The Ewa Beach, Hawaii, native smashed the score into the top left corner to take the lead. The goal by the green cleated James Campbell product was the first of her collegiate career.

The Bulldogs were dominant in the first half with a 6-2 shot advantage against the wind but the Tigers came rushing out of the locker rooms with four shots early. The fifth would be the difference to go up one via Hannah Petrucci. Concordia would have to deal with another flurry on counters after its two goals, but goalkeeper Angela Banks kept the Tigers at bay with six total saves. She has reached the feat three times in her career. The defense stepped up in big moments to seal the win with Taylor Slaymaker and Hannah Kile leading the defensive third.

The two teams would end with 12 shots apiece and CUNE would edge Dakota Wesleyan (4-1) in corners but neither club would have a chance in the second half.

With stars Kierstynn Garner, Savannah Andrews and Mirarosa Gyllenswan (inj. 4th minute) out, the Bulldogs would look to a team effort from 16 different players. The freshman, Rios, would lead the team in shots (four) as Hannah Haas (two) and McElhannon (two) would follow.

DWU (3-5, 2-3 GPAC) was led in shots by Petrucci (three), Isabella Veffredo (three) and Mikayla Adams (two) adding an assist. The Tigers will look to respond against Waldorf on Wednesday.

Concordia (5-5-1, 2-3 GPAC) will have a week until it hosts Morningside (2-3-4, 1-2-2 GPAC) on senior day. The Mustangs got the best of the Bulldogs via a 1-0 loss in Seward.

Concordia set to battle Morningside on Senior Day

 October 7, 2024

 Concordia is set to battle Morningside for its senior day on Saturday. The event will honor nine senior from the Women’s Soccer team in Bulldog Stadium. The Bulldogs claimed their second straight win with a 2-1 comeback victory over Dakota Wesleyan in Mitchell, S.D. CUNE has a 5-5-1 overall record and 2-3 in GPAC play.

This Week

Saturday, Oct. 12 vs. Morningside (2-3-4, 1-2-2 GPAC), 5:30 p.m.

Live Webcast Live Stats | Location: Bulldog Stadium (Seward, Neb.)

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By the numbers

·       The Tigers came into the conference with a 2-2 record and were able to gain confidence through an early second half score. Avery Black drove the ball into the box and was fouled earning a penalty that would start the second half response. Rios, a freshman out of Omaha, Neb., buried the equalizing free kick to reset the tie game with 23 minutes left to play. The Bulldogs didn’t let up and the of the press of the team caused the home team fits when in possession. Elena Ruiz’s press led to a great opportunity for freshman Sierra McElhannon. The Ewa Beach, Hawaii, native smashed the score into the top left corner to take the lead and Concordia would never look back taking the win all the way back to Seward. Angela Banks kept the Tigers at bay with six total saves. The two teams ended with 12 shots apiece and Rios led the Dawgs with four total shots.

·       Concordia has scored 17 goals in 11 games while allowing 20 by the opponents. Averaging 8.6 shots per game, the Bulldogs have a .532 shots on goal percentage and a .181 shot percentage. Out of the 17 goals, 12 are assisted and with 94 shots Concordia is highly productive off a pass from teammates. Coach Smith has played 26 different players showing new depth in the 2024 season. Garner leads with nine goals and two assists with Savannah Andrews leading the team (three). Four others have scored starting with Haas (two), Rios (two), Katelyn Smith (one), McElhannon (one) and Andrews (one). The final shots have been fired predominantly by Garner (27), Andrews (15), Haas (10), Niah Kirchner (eight) and Sierra Springer (seven). The two with the highest shots on goal percentage are Kirchner (.750) and Springer (.714) followed by Garner (.667). Mainstays like Kirchner and Elena Ruiz have started all 11 games for the Bulldog side.

·       The Bulldogs have lost the last four of five matches against the upcoming Mustangs. Sandwiched in the middle of the five years (2021), Concordia was able to best Morningside in a 2-1 overtime win on Oct. 6 in Seward. The Bulldogs celebrated in the 97th minute when Madeline Haugen delivered the golden goal on a breakaway. Haugen immediately leapt into the arms of teammate Mikeila Martinez in the afterglow of the victory over Morningside inside Bulldog Stadium. It was Concordia’s fourth time in extra minutes in the 2021 season. With overtime no longer existing, the two teams will only have 90 minutes to battle it out for the finish.

·       The nine seniors honored this Saturday are Angela Banks, Lilley Barber, Mirarosa Gyllenswan, Emily Howard, Zoe Lavigne, Senna McMullen, Molly Roberts, Taylor Slaymaker and Katelyn Smith. Those seniors arrived in the fall of 2021 and have led the program to a 37-22-7 overall record and 21-13-7 in the GPAC through the majority of their time. The then juniors made their mark last year finishing second in the 2023 regular season conference standings.

·       The Bulldogs jumped up two spots (82nd) in the Massey Ratings. After defeating the Tigers, their strength of schedule has moved to via Massey in the NAIA. The Mustangs are rated 95th after their 10 games but have a strength of schedule ranking that sits 50th. With a 2-4-4 overall record can be misleading because of the amount of quality opponents the visitors have faced.

Morningside

The Mustangs are 1-2-2 in the conference garnering their lone win versus College of Saint Mary (1-0) at home on Saturday. Morningside will face Dordt before coming to Bulldog Stadium on Saturday. The Mustangs tied Doane (1-1) and Briar Cliff (0-0) but fell to Hastings (3-2) and Midland (1-0). Morningside has score six goals while allowing eight. The Mustangs boast a conference high six shutouts, pulling teams into defensive battles the majority of its matches. Shooting 13.3 times per game, the Mustangs have a .483 shot on goal percentage and 41 total corner kicks. Sophomore Tuva Hammarlund owns half the goals (three) and has one assist on 15 shots, while Keyera Harmon leads the team with 31 shots. Sophomore Goalkeeper Kyla Syverson has a 0.61 goals allowed average and a .848 save percentage good enough for first and second in those categories. She also has four shutouts in 10 games.

Next Week

The Bulldogs will continue conference play visiting Doane and Waldorf next week. Concordia will travel to face the Tigers at Al Papik Field and the Warriors in Forest CIty, Iowa. The matches are listed below. 

Wednesday, Oct. 16

5 p.m. – at Doane

Saturday, Oct. 19

5 p.m. – at Waldorf

Senior day conviction fuels Bulldogs in third straight triumph

 October 12, 2024

Concordia Women’s Soccer celebrated senior night versus Morningside in Seward on Saturday night (Oct. 12). The Bulldogs connected on every level and used its sixth sense for each other to scorch the visiting Mustangs (3-1). The nine seniors that were honored were Angela Banks, Lilley Barber, Mirarosa Gyllenswan, Emily Howard, Zoe Lavigne, Senna McMullen, Molly Roberts, Taylor Slaymaker and Katelyn Smith.

The Bulldogs are 6-5-1 overall and are now .500 (3-3) in GPAC play after winning three straight. Leader of the Bulldogs, Nick Smith, commented on getting a win on senior night and playing well as a team.

“It meant everything. The main thing we talked about was having a performance that allowed the seniors to feel proud about their time here. What a better way to go out and play the way we did tonight, to get a bunch of them on the field, it was really good to get a result for the seniors. The week leading up was really good with the team. The adjustments we made tonight, when we made them, made a big difference for us. To get three separate goal scorers was huge for us tonight.”

The Mustangs came out trying to put a damper on the celebrations with a goal less than five minutes in. Like someone trying to walk a wild Dawg, Concordia became dangerous for the remainder of the 85 minutes of play.

Less than two minutes later, Kierstynn Garner capitalized on a defender’s mistake as she pressed a pass back to the keeper. The Kearney High School product intercepted the ball and scored the quick response equalizer for her 10th goal of the season. With the score, Garner has 37 career goals, just one shy of the top five in program history.

The continuous energy was palpable from anywhere inside Bulldog Stadium as the home team tacted on two more in the second frame. Garner would connect with Savannah Andrews via header and the Gretna, Neb., native so red the eventual game winner. Sierra Springer scored her first goal of the year putting the match away in the second half.

Every build starting from the back, seemed to have a chance with connected passes dicing up the Mustangs. The collective Concordia defense would have its way with Morningside, allowing two shots on goal after the early score. One came on a penalty with less than two minutes left as senior goalkeeper Angie Banks denied the free kick. 

Kyana Rios and Sadie Mares were the other two Bulldogs to get off shots but Rosie Gyllenswan, Hannah Haas, Elena Ruiz and Triniti Rowe all made huge plays in the 90 minutes.

Mainstays like Hannah Kile, Niah Kirchner, Senna McMullen and Taylor Slaymaker backed down the Mustang offense giving minimal chances to the visitors. McMullen and Slaymaker commented postgame on the senior day win.

“(Slaymaker) It was awesome! Morningside is a really good program, so it was good to get a win on senior day. It was honestly a solid win against them. (McMullen) This year, more than any other year, there is a lot more togetherness. Each of us, actually enjoying what we are doing in practice. It gave us the win tonight.”

Concordia (6-5-1, 3-3 GPAC) will travel to in-state conference rival Doane (5-6-3, 3-1-3 GPAC) this coming Wednesday. The Bulldogs are set for the first kick at 5 p.m. CT at Papik Field. CUNE defeated the Tigers, 4-0, in its match in 2023.

Connected side looks to extend win streak following senior day

 October 15, 2024

The Bulldogs will look to continue their three game winning streak versus two GPAC opponents this week. Concordia University Women’s Soccer will face Doane and Waldorf on the road in the upcoming days. The Dawgs showed out against Morningside delivering a 3-1 senior day win in impressive fashion on Saturday night.

This Week

Wednesday, Oct. 16 at Doane (5-6-3, 3-1-3 GPAC), 5 p.m.

Live Webcast Live Stats | Location: Papik Field (Crete, Neb.)

Saturday, Oct. 19 at Waldorf (0-12, 0-7 GPAC), 5:30 p.m.

Live Webcast Live Stats | Location: Bolstorff Field (Forest City, Iowa)

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By the numbers

·       Confident. Togetherness. Connected. These words were described on the field and off in the postgame interviews after beating a solid Morningside squad. In what seemed like a flashback to the 2023 season, the three leading goals scorers from just a season ago all came away with a finish in the final third. Kierstynn Garner, Savannah Andrews and Sierra Springer collected a goal apiece and the Kearney, Neb., native scored an equalizer after giving up a goal in the fifth minute. The impressive runs from the back line to the front were dangerous on seemingly every possession. An impressive header by Andrews provided the go-ahead goal and Springer, who had been in a goal drought this season, sprinted to kick in a fumble save by the Mustangs keeper. Senior Angie Banks was tested via penalty with two minutes to play, but the Downey, Calif., product punched out a great save to finish with a two goal lead.

·       Concordia has scored 20 goals in 12 games while allowing 21 by the opponents. Averaging 8.5 shots per game, the Bulldogs have a .539 shot on goal percentage and a .196 shot percentage. Out of the 20 goals, 13 are assisted and with 102 shots Concordia is highly productive off a pass from teammates. Coach Smith has played 28 different players showing new depth in the 2024 season. Garner leads with 10 goals and three assists with Andrews and Garner leading the team in feeds. Four others have scored starting with Andrews (two), Haas (two), Kyana Rios (two), Katelyn Smith (one), McElhannon (one) and Springer (one). The final shots have been fired predominantly by Garner (30), Andrews (17), Haas (10), Niah Kirchner (eight) and Springer (eight). The two with the highest shots on goal percentage are Kirchner (.750) and Springer (.750) followed by Rios (.715). Mainstays like Kirchner and Elena Ruiz have started all 12 games for the Bulldog side.

·       In the three game win streak, Concordia has scored six goals, while allowing two and claimed one shutout. While opposing teams have had a slightly more shots per game (+1.3) and a better SOG percentage (+.065), CUNE has been able to get more quality chances and take advantage of them in front of goal. The shot percentage difference has the Bulldogs at .250 and their opponents at .071. Averaging two goals per game, Head Coach Nick Smith’s squad has earned 13 corner kicks and has only allowed six. Goalkeeper Angie Banks has 14 saves in the stretch and, along with the defense, kept opposing scorers at bay.

·       A storied history of the in-state conference rivals has seen Doane and Concordia meet 33 times with Concordia having a 17-16 edge over the Crete side. The Dawgs bit down hard on the Tigers in a 4-0 shutout at Papik Field to close the 2023 regular season. The Seward collective has gone 11-0 in the past 11 meetings since 2014 and eight were shutouts. With a +36 (40-4) goal differential, the Bulldogs will look to add their 12th win in a row.

·       With Waldorf only in their first year as a full GPAC conference member, the Warriors and Bulldogs have only faced each other three times in program history with a 2-1 edge in favor of CUNE. Waldorf’s only win came in the first ever meeting barely knocking off Concordia (4-3) in 2011. The Two teams met in 2017 and 2023 where the Bulldogs won 7-1 and 2-1 in the meetings. Waldorf was added as an affiliate member in 2023 after the closing of Presentation College (S.D.) and became a full member this season.

·       The Bulldogs jumped ten spots (72nd) in the Massey Ratings. After defeating the Mustangs, their strength of schedule has moved to 86th via Massey in the NAIA. Doane has moved up to 106th and Waldorf is slotted at 187th in the ratings. The two teams' strength of schedule is 112th for the Tigers and 160th for the Warriors.

Doane

The Tigers are 5-6-3 overall and 3-1-3 in the conference after winning their last match over Dakota Wesleyan (2-0). The side is 4-1 at home but winless outside Papik Field. Doane has scored 24 goals, while allowing 14, tied for second lowest in the league in goals per game (1.0). McKenna Rathbun paces the team on the offensive end with nine goals, good enough for fifth in the conference. The offense shoots 10.3 times per game and has a .604 shot on goal percentage. Hayle Brodine and Savannah Franzoy are right behind Rathbun with four goals apiece. Brodine also leads the team with four assists. Between the posts, the Tigers have started three different goalkeepers but have settled on Grayce Southern and Virginia Johnson. Southern leads the league in goals allowed (five) and has 25 saves while averaging 0.91 goals allowed per contest. Johnson has played most of the minutes (586) and 32 saves in eight games played.

Waldorf

The Warriors are winless on the year with an 0-12 overall record and a 0-7 conference showing. Their closest match was against Mount Marty falling 3-0 in the 90 minutes on Sept. 21. Waldorf will play Culver-Stockton College (Mo.) previous to Concordia in its midweek match. The offense has scored five goals and three have been scored by junior Olivia Cross. The team shoots 2.0 shots per game and has a .792 shot on goal percentage. Goalkeeper Hannah McNeave has the most saves in the conference (80) playing 580 minutes in seven games.

Final Regular Season Games

The Bulldogs will finish out conference play by hosting College of Saint Mary then traveling to Mount Marty and coming home for their final regular season bout versus Midland. Concordia will travel to face the Lancers in Yankton, S.D., and face off against the Flames and Warriors in Bulldog Stadium. The match is listed below. 

Wednesday, Oct. 23

7 p.m. – vs. CSM

Saturday, Oct. 26

1 p.m. – at Mount Marty

Wednesday, Oct. 30

5:30 p.m. – vs. Midland

Poised Dawgs grit out fourth straight win

October 16, 2024

The two GPAC teams went back and forth, but the Bulldogs pulled out a 2-1 road win against conference rival Doane on Wednesday night (Oct. 16). Kierstynn Garner collected her 15th career game winning goal to deny an improved Tigers program and seal another comeback victory at Papik Field. CUNE extends its win streak to 12 over the in-state foe Doane.

Head Coach Nick Smith’s squad has won four consecutive games earning a 4-3 GPAC record and a 7-5-1 overall showing this season.

“We’re maturing,” said Coach Smith. “We are just a team right now that has the belief that the result is going to be there for us to go get. Early on in the season, we had early moments that we allowed to define games. The message point all season has been, we have to be able to recover. We have to be able to get back up when you get knocked off. So, three times in a row now we have conceded the first goal and three times in a row we have been able to come back and earn wins.”

Trying to find space in a high press, Hannah Kile hit a long ball from the defensive third to a streaking Garner. The forward, out of Kearney, Neb., raced past her defender and chipped it over the keeper for the go ahead goal. With the second half score, Garner has 38 career goals tying Jessica Skerston (2014-2016) for 5th in program history.

Doane punched first in a dominating first half outshooting Concordia 6-2 and barely yielded entry into their defensive third. The Tigers got ahead in the 15th minute and landed the first blow via a Celeste Galvan goal.

The Bulldogs found their bearings and responded late in the first frame. After a ball was punched out of the box by a Tiger defender, Senna McMullen tagged it back in for a Savannah Andrews equalizer. The Gretna product vaulted in her second header in two games and the 20th goal of her career. The Olathe, Kan., native McMullen notched her first point since her freshman year as a Bulldog.

The defense had to deal with 11 total shots by Doane but made it difficult in the second half to get off a decent shot. Kile, Avery Black, Taylor Slaymaker and McMullen helped limit shots on goal and give the visitors a 3-2 slight edge in the final 45 minutes. Goalkeeper Angie Banks tied her career high (six) in saves once more and four were in the strenuous first half.

The Tigers (5-7-3, 3-2-3 GPAC) were led by Galvan with the lone goal and assisted by McKenna Rathbun. The home team was led by four different players with two shots apiece. Doane will travel to Orange City on Saturday to face Northwestern.

Concordia (7-5-1, 4-3 GPAC) will be back on the road to make its longest trip of the conference slate versus Waldorf (0-13, 0-7 GPAC) on Saturday night. First whistle is set for 5:30 p.m. CT at Bolstorff Field in Forest City, Iowa. The Bulldogs edged out the Warriors in a 2-1 battle at Bulldog Stadium last season.

Dawgs rip into Warriors in Forest City

October 19, 2024

The Dawgs swarmed early on the new full GPAC member Waldorf in an 8-0 route in Forest City. Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Soccer outshot the Warriors (22-2) in a rude welcome to the conference. Taylor Slaymaker and Olivia Pyle scored the first goals of their career in the road win over WU.

After another conference victory, the Bulldogs have won five in a row (5-3) in conference play and have an 8-5-1 overall record.

“The focus today was going to be about our performance”, said Head Coach Nick Smith. “We largely had a good game here tonight. We had so many different players have goals and assists. It was big to give minutes to some players who have earned the time. We have been building all season long. We are a team that has tried to stay consistent with the message. We are starting to see rewards come from that in results.”

Coach Smith’s squad has been on a heater in the past five contests following an 0-3 start to the conference. After a 15 minutes of silence from the offenses, CUNE broke out scoring four goals in the first frame. Savannah Andrews made first noise off a penalty and a goal off her body from a feed via Elena Ruiz.

Perhaps, the most impressive score came from Slaymaker with a header goal off a header assist from Mirarosa Gyllenswan. Sadie Mares crushed the free kick inside the box and after two hits off the noggin, the Dawgs were up three in the 30th minute.

Concordia would score one more in the half, and two more to get ahead 6-0 in the second frame. Senna McMullen found a seam down the near side and kicked through a rolling cross to sophomore Pyle. The Blaine, Minn., native perfectly timed a swinging kick in the waning minutes of the contest.

“It was awesome”, said Coach Smith. “We (Slaymaker & Smith) had talked about trying to get centerbacks to score for us, particularly on set pieces. The next game she was able to respond and get herself a goal. Liv (Pyle) has been playing really well. This last week I had told a large portion of people that she was going to get herself a goal this year. I'm really happy for her.”

Goals Scorers (assist by)

·       16’ - Savannah Andrews (unassisted)

·       29’ - Andrews (Elena Ruiz)

·       30’ - Taylor Slaymaker (Mirarosa Gyllenswan)

·       39’ - Sierra Springer (Kyana Rios)

·       51’ - Rios (Avery Black)

·       57’ - Kierstynn Garner (Gyllenswan)

·       86’ - Olivia Pyle (Senna McMullen)

·       89’ - Sierra McElhannon (Ashlee Trujillo)

The offense was constantly in possession and attacking with 14 shots on goal. Being relentless, the Bulldogs collected a massive advantage in corner kicks (8-0) over the home Warriors. On the other side, the defense smoked out any chance of a score allowing zero shots on goal.

Waldorf (0-14, 0-8 GPAC) will look to collect its first win against Morningside this coming Wednesday. Goalkeeper Lucia Serrano collected eight saves for WU.

Concordia (8-5-1, 5-3 GPAC) will face off against College of Saint Mary (5-7-3, 4-3-1 GPAC) back at Bulldog Stadium. First kick is set for 7 p.m. CT on Wednesday.

Red hot squad positioned to make noise

 October 21, 2024

Head Coach Nick Smith’s squad has positioned itself to make a jump in the GPAC standings with only three opponents left in the regular season. Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Soccer will face College of Saint Mary in a battle for a potential conference tournament host spot. Following the midweek bout, the Bulldogs will make their final road trip of the regular season to Mount Marty. In the past week, the side went 2-0 against Doane (2-1) and Waldorf (8-0).

This Week

Wednesday, Oct. 23 vs. CSM (5-7-3, 4-3-1 GPAC), 7 p.m.

Live Webcast Live Stats | Location: Bulldog Stadium (Seward, Neb.)

Saturday, Oct. 26 at Mount Marty (3-9-1, 1-7 GPAC), 1 p.m.

Live Webcast Live Stats | Location: Crane Youngworth Stadium (Yankton, S.D.)

Buy Tickets to home events

By the numbers

·       The Tigers came out firing with a 6-2 shot advantage and got an early goal as the Bulldogs looked dazed for the first 40 minutes of play. With time winding down in the first frame, Savannah Andrews charged the visitors back to life with a header via teammate Senna McMullen. Andrews collected the 20th goal of her career and defender McMullen notched her first point since year one. Hannah Kile and Kierstynn Garner connected for the game winner with the Kearney star notching her 15th career game deciding goal. Goalkeeper Angie Banks tied her career high (six) in saves and four were in the first half.

·       Concordia and Waldorf were silent in the opening 15 minutes, but the floodgate opened for the rest of the 90 minutes with eight unanswered goals by the visiting Bulldogs. Andrews used a penalty to take the game winning goal and added on with another via Elena Ruiz. Taylor Slaymaker and Olivia Pyle scored the first goals of their career in the road win over the Warriors. Sierra Springer (39’), Kyana Rios (51’), Kierstynn Garner (57’) and Sierra McElhannon (89’) would also pile on in the game. Mirarosa Gyllenswan was the only Bulldog to smash two assists, but Rios, Avery Black, McMullen and Ashlee Trujillo had one apiece. Goalkeepers Aliya Vidro, Zoe Lavigne and Grady Smith all combined for the shutout.

·       Following the back of the net score versus Waldorf, offensive juggernaut Garner has the fifth most goals scored (39) in program history. The Kearney, Neb., phenom passed Jessica Skerston (2014-16) and has eight more scores before tying Gentri Brown (2003-06) at fourth all time. Garner also already owns the game winning goals career record with 15 in less than three years. Andrews has scored four goals in the past three games and has brought her career total to 22.

·       The Bulldogs are on a five game winning streak which has only happened nine times (including 2024) since the program’s existence in 1996. The longest winning streak in the regular season has been six (2022, 2003), and including the postseason is eight (2016). The following years have also reached the feat: 2018, 2017, 2015, 2014, and 2004.  

·       With the 2-1 win over Dordt, Hastings (8-0-1) has already claimed the 2024 GPAC regular season title with 25 points. The race for second is jam packed with the Defenders (5-3-1) and Briar Cliff (5-3-1) tied for runner up with 16 points. Concordia (5-3), Doane (4-2-3), Morningside (4-3-2), College of Saint Mary (4-3-1) and Midland (3-2-3) are all trying to finish out the season with as many wins as possible to take the second spot. With the Bulldogs only having played eight games, they control their own destiny with three games left in the slate. Dakota Wesleyan (3-5) and Northwestern (3-6) will look to slip into one of the final slots in the upcoming GPAC tournament.

·       Concordia is 8-0-1 against the Flames since 2015, having bested CSM in more recent years. The Dawgs have a 9-6-2 overall record in the series history. In the 22 games played versus Mount Marty, Concordia has come out on top in every match, undefeated in the game's history. In the series, the Bulldogs have shut out Mount Marty 14 times.

·       The NAIA RPI rankings have Concordia ranked 75th with a strength of schedule set at 85th in the country. College of Saint Mary is ranked 133rd and Mount Marty has been given a ranking of 179th. The two opponents are back to back in strength of schedule with the Flames set at 192nd and the Lancers at 191st.

 

College of Saint Mary

CSM is 5-7-3 overall and 4-3-1 in the conference. The Flames started conference play ablaze (4-0) but have not garnered a win in October (0-3-1). With 40 goals scored, the College of Saint Mary offense is dangerous in the final third. With five players over five goals, the scoring is by committee but is paced by Kylie Anderson and Ella Klusman with six goals apiece. The feeds come in the same fashion as Abbie Anderson, Klusman and Marissa Ring all having five assists. The team’s shot on goal percentage is .638 as they boot 14.7 shots per game. Senior Alivia Schade has collected 1260 minutes between the posts allowing 1.57 goals allowed and 66 saves.

Mount Marty

The Lancers are 3-9-1 overall and 1-7 in the GPAC, with their lone conference win coming from Waldorf (3-0). With 13 goals in 13 games, Alessandra Lopez paces the team with three goals and Keira Christ follows with two. The team has a .547 shot on goal percentage while allowing opponents a .621 percentage. Brooklyn McNac has gotten the majority of the minutes (634) in goal and has a .777 save percentage and 73 saves.

Final Regular Season Game

The Bulldogs will come home for one final match of the regular season hosting Midland as their final opponent. First kick is set to be inside Bulldog Stadium next Wednesday. The match details are below.

Wednesday, Oct. 30

5:30 p.m. – vs. Midland

Collective passing surges Bulldogs towards sixth consecutive triumph

October 23, 2024

 The red hot Concordia Women’s Soccer squad set College of Saint Mary ablaze in the first frame scoring four unanswered in the 4-0 trouncing. Collecting yet another GPAC victory in style, the Bulldogs tied (2022, 2003) the longest regular season winning streak (six) in program history. Kierstynn Garner was on either end of every score collecting three assists and a goal in the 90 minutes.   

After starting 0-3, CUNE has picked up a freight train-like steam barreling to 6-3 in the conference and 9-5-1 overall.

“We were really prepared,” said Head Coach Nick Smith. “All of our front players were really clicking. The ball was moving quickly and we scored some really nice goals. She (Garner) was fantastic for us tonight. Consistently dangerous. Obviously, providing as well as scoring for her. We could pick anyone across the field tonight. The ball was moving really well and we were on the same page in those attacking moments and that made us dangerous.”

Concordia oozed confidence and it didn’t take long for the visiting Flames to figure out it was inside the Dawg’s house after giving up a goal in the 2nd minute to the home squad. Savannah Andrews received an assist via Garner, cut back, and kicked in the early score and eventual game winner. A native of Gretna, Neb., Andrews has caught fire scoring five goals in the last four contests.

Andrews said, “I just want us to win. We all want to win. I’m going to put away my chances when I get them. I actually scored my only goal with my foot today. The ability to get multiple goals tonight from four different players is great for all of us. It is just going to build our confidence going into the GPAC tournament. That’s huge.”

Garner was relentless on the offensive third, firing four shots, and was seemingly part of every possession on the attack. The Kearney, Neb., native scored the 40th goal of her career and got everyone involved directing the Dawgs all out offensive blitz.

CUNE found breathing room from a Mirarosa Gyllenswan header into the back of the net. The Menifee, Calif., product scored her first goal as a Bulldog and the 10th score of her collegiate career.

The midfielders and defense made the difference in the shutout as they stymied College of Saint Mary to only two first half shots. With the Flames trying to push back in the match, Angela Banks corralled five saves and was the rock solid last line of defense in the second frame. Banks, a Saint Joseph product, collected five saves and more impressively her third clean sheet in 2024.

Ashlee Trujillo collected her first goal of the season and put a stamp on the blowout win. The Bulldogs now have 11 players having scored a goal. Midfielder Niah Kirchner collected the lone assist in which Garner was on the receiving end. The confidence has continued to build for this team as they have played 31 different players and have been a major part of the growth in the winning streak.

After tonight’s win, Concordia has surged to No. 2 in the standings and will look to continue the run in the next contest. CUNE (9-5-1, 6-3 GPAC) will travel for its final time in the regular season slate facing Mount Marty (3-10-1, 1-8 GPAC) on Saturday. First whistle is set for 1 p.m. CT at Crane Youngworth Stadium. The Bulldogs are 22-0 in series history against the Lancers.

Growing depth clinches win streak title

October 26, 2024

Competing in its final regular season road match, Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Soccer steamrolled Mount Marty (6-0) in the shutout on Saturday afternoon (Oct. 26). The Bulldogs have seized the longest regular season win streak (seven) in the program’s history. Kierstynn Garner was a menace for the second straight contest scoring two goals and four assists.

Concordia holds its position in second place for the GPAC with a 7-3 record and 10-5-1 overall claiming the second straight 10 win season under Head Coach Nick Smith.

“We knew the focus was going to be on us,” said Coach Smith. “Coming to Yankton is tough because the field is really narrow. A big emphasis was ball movement and just picking and choosing moments either to stretch them out or push the ball up the field vertically. The decision making from our group was quite good. We created a lot of opportunities and were able to score six goals, so we did enough to get the win.”

The Bulldogs came out swinging early and tallied two goals (4’, 11’) in less than 10 minutes of each other. The scores came from the usual suspects as Garner and Savannah Andrews have both raised their level of play bolstering the front lines in the program’s historic run. The ultra-talented Kearney High product has three goals and seven assists in the past two outings, while Andrews has scored six goals in the past five.

In the last three games, the Bulldogs have chomped down on opponents with a +18 goal differential. All three were shutouts and the second consecutive for goalkeeper Angie Banks. The Downey, Calif., native has four clean sheets on the year. The depth is starting to rear its head only allowing three shots to the Lancers while scooping up 21 on the attack. Almost adnauseam, Smith continued to say they were a growing team early in the season and now the likes of many impact players are coming into form just in the nick of time in the defensive third.

“The group together is just growing in confidence back there. Angie is a big part of that. She is one in particular, since the Morningside game, has been a really confident player. She does a really good job of organizing the people in front of her. Trin (Rowe) and Avery (Black) have been getting used to this level. Then we have had consistent performances from Taylor (Slaymaker), Kile, Senna (McMullen) and Sadie as well.”

Freshman Kyana Rios has gained confidence kicking in one goal and an assist on the day. Hannah Kile, Sierra Springer and Garner would each score a goal in the second frame as Concordia has totaled 12 different players having hit the back of the net this season. Mirarosa Gyllenswan also booted in an assist.

Concordia (10-5-1, 7-3 GPAC) will play in front of the Bulldog faithful for the final time in the scheduled slate and host Midland (4-3-3 GPAC) on Wednesday. First kick is set for 5:30 at Bulldog Stadium. The Warriors knocked the Bulldogs out of the GPAC tournament (2-0) in the semifinals in Seward last season.

Garner grabs second weekly GPAC honor

October 29, 2024

Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Soccer reeled in another weekly award announced by the league office on Tuesday (Oct. 29). Kierstynn Garner was recognized as the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Offensive Player of the Week for her play from Oct. 21-27. Garner wins her second weekly award of the 2024 season.

The Bulldogs went 2-0 this past week with two shutouts over College of Saint Mary (4-0) and Mount Marty (6-0). Garner showed out with three goals and seven assists, dominating the competition. The forward was involved with all 10 goals compiling 13 points in the two contests. The shifty Kearney High prodigy has tallied 42 goals (top five all time) and 15 assists in her career. Garner owns the program's game winning goals record with 16 and a season shot percentage of .312.

The Bulldogs continue their seven game winning streak and will face Midland this Wednesday in their regular season finale. The match will be played in Bulldog Stadium at 5:30 p.m. CT.

Dawgs competing for history in upcoming bout

October 29, 2024

 As the season winds down, the Bulldogs are hitting their stride sprinting into a seven game winning streak. Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Soccer will take on Midland in its final test of the scheduled slate before preparing for postseason play. Head Coach Nick Smith’s squad knocked down two more wins against College of Saint Mary (4-0) and Mount Marty (6-0) and asserted themselves into 2nd place (10-5-1, 7-3 GPAC) in the conference standings.

This Week

Wednesday, Oct. 30 vs. Midland (4-3-3, 4-3-3 GPAC), 5:30 p.m.

Live Webcast Live Stats | Location: Bulldog Stadium (Seward, Neb.)

Buy Tickets to home events

By the numbers

·       The Bulldogs came out of the gates with tenacity against the Flames, scoring all four goals in the first frame. Concordia rocked CSM with 10 shots while only allowing two (13-5 total) and Savannah Andrews got the Bulldogs started with barely over a minute off the clock. Mirarosa Gyllenswan and Ashlee Trujillo put a goal apiece in the back of the net for their first scores of the season. At Mount Marty, the Bulldogs pounced again, and Kierstynn Garner would score the game winner in the 4th minute. Andrews, Hannah Kile, Kyana Rios and Sierra Springer kicked in scores, and all came via Garner. With the defense clamping down on the home Lancers, Angela Banks would only need two saves to leave the opposing team at nil.  

·       Captain Banks totaled seven saves and two shutouts in the past week. The Downey, Calif., product has become a stonewall in the net totaling four clean sheets this season. The other two skunks came against Nebraska Wesleyan (2-0) and Briar Cliff (1-0). In the past seven games, the senior goalkeeper has started six contests with a 0.50 goals allowed average, 27 saves, three shutouts, and a .900 save percentage.

·       Garner tallied her second weekly award of the 2024 season on Tuesday. She struck fear into her opponents showing out with three goals and seven assists, dominating the competition. The forward was involved with all 10 goals compiling 13 points in the two contests. The shifty Kearney High prodigy has tallied 42 goals (top five all time) and 15 assists in her career. Garner owns the program's game winning goals record with 16 and a season shot percentage of .312. She is second in goals (15), points scored (40) and assists (10) in the GPAC.

·       During the seven game regular season win streak, the Bulldogs have averaged 3.71 goals per game, while making it seemingly impossible to score for their opponents (0.43). They have proven to play superior to their last seven opponents many statistics. Categories of dominance: goals (26-3), shot percentage (.295-.061), shot attempts (88-49), corner kicks (36-17) and assists (22-3). Andrews and Garner have put in six goals apiece, while the Kearney High product has produced eight of her 10 season assists in the run. The Concordia defense has made it tough in the defensive third almost doubling the conference foes in shots on goal (57-31). With a win over Midland, CUNE will tie the longest run in program history (eight) that was set in 2016 as the GPAC tournament champions grabbed five regular season wins and three GPAC tournament victories in the stretch.

·       With only one game left for every conference member, Hastings is the regular season champion followed by Concordia (21 points) and Dordt (19 points) fighting for second. With a win over Midland, the Bulldogs will keep second place, and the first two rounds will be available to be played at Bulldog Stadium should they make it to the semifinals. Briar Cliff and Morningside have 17 points, while College of Saint Mary and Doane have 16 points. Midland (15 points) currently rounds out the bottom of the tournament placements but could change with an awaiting Northwestern (12 points).

·       In the RPI produced by the NAIA, Concordia is ranked 65 and the 3rd highest ranked conference squad with the Broncos (29th) and Defenders (51st) ahead. The Bulldogs have a strength of schedule rating of (107th). Midland is rated 101st by the RPI and 187th in strength of schedule with no nonconference games.

Midland

The Warriors have earned a 4-3-3 GPAC record and fell to College of Saint Mary (3-0) in their last game. Midland is 2-2-1 on the road and scores 2.20 goals per game, allowing 1.30. MU is led by Jaya Soor (six), Aminata Lewis (four) and Rosa Schellmann (four) in goals scored. Lewis, Schellmann and NaTaija Blaylock have two assists apiece. With almost 15 shots per game (14.8), the team’s shot percentage is .149 and shot on goal percentage is .547. Senior Kyla Pires has played all 900 minutes between the posts grabbing 51 saves in the 10 games. Pires has a 3-2-3 record with a .797 save percentage.

Next Week

Concordia has already earned its host spot for the GPAC tournament quarterfinals and will have a chance to welcome the first two rounds into Bulldog Stadium with a win over Midland on Wednesday. The Bulldogs will play in the first round this Saturday as the time is tentatively set for 7 p.m. CT.

Garner and the Dawgs scald Warriors in season finale

 October 31, 2024

Kierstynn Garner and the seething Bulldogs didn’t take long to scald Midland in a 6-0 dominant victory at a misty Bulldog Stadium on Wednesday night (Oct. 30). The Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Soccer offense sunk their teeth in early scoring two in the first seven minutes and the defense pitched its fourth straight shutout. Kierstynn Garner blasted the Warriors' with four goals, including a hat trick in the first frame.

The Bulldogs finish the regular season on an eight game win streak to tie the program record set in 2016. CUNE has a record of 11-5-1 overall and 8-3 in the conference to seal second place in the regular season.

“It’s really about ball movement for us,” said Head Coach Nick Smith. “We had a lot of new faces come in this year. It was always going to take some time to figure out how to play with each other. We have had a huge evolvement as a team these past couple of weeks. That is manifesting itself into chance creation. We have some players who are executing right now, so we are scoring some good goals.”

Needing a win to guarantee runner up in the GPAC, Garner set the high end pace finishing a score with less than two minutes off the clock. The Kearney, Neb., forward followed with three more (7’, 35’, 66’) and the last registered the 46th goal of her career.

Once the defense got the ball in the midfield, Niah Kirchner, Elena Ruiz, and Mirarosa Gyllenswan made multiple passes connecting with each other and pushed the ball up the field for dangerous shots. Captain Angela Banks and vice captain Taylor Slaymaker ran the back end, while only allowing five shots on goal. With many names like Avery Black, Sadie Mares, Hannah Kile and Triniti Rowe “figuring out how to play with each other”, the growing Dawgs have been pivotal in the combined 24-0 routes over their last four conquered.

Gyllenswan and Niah Kirchner tacked on goals, running away from their opponents in the second half. Kirchner, a junior out of Omaha, Neb., smacked a “25-yard banger”, called over the Concordia Sports Network by play by play announcer Isaiah Shaddick. The Millard West product marked her first goal of the season and the fifth of her career, while Gyllenswan notched her fourth assist in 2024.

Coach Smith said, “Both of them have the potential to score goals. It's about getting in the right position and when you do, go execute. Niah’s was fantastic from 25 yards out and picked out the top corner. Rosie’s (Gyllenswan) was through consistent work. Getting herself into the right spot and the ball fell to her and she was savvy enough to get her goal too.”

Midland (4-4-3, 4-4-3 GPAC) was paced by NaTaija Blaylock with five shots. The No. 8 seed Warriors will look to rebound in the GPAC tournament quarterfinals versus No. 1 seed Hastings on Saturday.

The Bulldogs (11-5-1, 8-3 GPAC) have earned the No. 2 seed and will host No. 7 College of Saint Mary (6-8-4, 5-4-2 GPAC) on Saturday night. First kick Is set for 7 p.m. CT inside Bulldog Stadium. CUNE defeated CSM, 4-0, only three games ago in Omaha.

2024 GPAC women’s soccer quarterfinal preview: Concordia vs. CSM

 October 31, 2024

 Head Coach Nick Smith has the Bulldogs churning like a machine and enters the GPAC tournament on a eight game win streak after starting winless in the first three conference games. The program will appear in the playoffs for the 16th year in a row while preparing to clash against seventh-seeded College of Saint Mary in Bulldog Stadium. Sitting at the No. 2 seed, Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Soccer finished in second for consecutive years totaling a 12-3-3 overall record and 8-1-3 in the conference.

Next Match

GPAC Quarterfinals: Saturday, Nov. 2 vs. College of Saint Mary (6-8-4, 5-4-2 GPAC), 7 p.m.
--Live Webcast | Live Stats | Location: Bulldog Stadium (Seward, Neb.)
--Admission: $10 for adults/senior citizens, $3 for K-12; only those with NAIA passes and GPAC student ID’s are admitted free of charge.

By the numbers

·       Concordia finds confidence in the past postseason success the program has enjoyed in recent years. Over the previous 10 GPAC tournaments, the Bulldogs have reached at least the semifinals eight times and have played in the championship game six times (five straight years from 2014 through 2018). The program celebrated GPAC postseason championships in 2014, 2016 and 2020. Midfielder Hannah Haas and goalkeeper Bradi Ore were a part of the 2020 championship squad. Coach Smith went 1-1 in his first tournament run but will look to go further in his second showing.

·       Only seven minutes into the match, Concordia had already put two scores into the back of the net versus Midland. Kierstynn Garner scored four goals (2’, 7’, 35’, 66’) and had a first half hat trick in her dominant showing. Mirarosa Gyllenswan would collect a goal and her fourth assist on the season, while Niah Kirchner scorched one past the keeper for her first of the year. The Bulldogs only outshot the Warriors by two (12-10) but doubled the visitors in shots on frame (10-5). As the offense didn’t miss the target in their first seven shots, the Defense tried to outplay their side earning yet another clean sheet. Goalkeepers Angela Banks and Aliya Vidro combined for five saves and rendered the fourth straight opponent scoreless.

·        In the first meeting on Oct. 23, Concordia came out of the gates with tenacity against the Flames, scoring all four goals in the first half. The Bulldogs rocked CSM with 10 shots while only allowing two (13-5 total) and Savannah Andrews got CUNE started with barely over a minute off the clock. Gyllenswan and Ashlee Trujillo put a goal apiece in the back of the net for their first scores of the season.

·       Garner has been on another level in the past three games, scoring seven goals and seven assists in the last eight days. The two time GPAC offensive player of the week has totaled 19 goals (2nd in GPAC), 10 assists (3rd) and 48 total points (2nd) in the 2024 season. Among the top goal scorers in the league, the Kearney, Neb., forward leads with the best shot percentage (.352) and shot on goal percentage (.722). Garner has totaled 46 career goals and is one away from tying Gentri Brown (2003-06) at No. 4 in the program’s history. The go-ahead Garner has pushed the program’s record to 17 game winning scores in her career.

·       Averaging 10.5 shots per game, the Bulldogs are dangerous when getting a kick on the ball, ranked No. 6 in the NAIA in shot percentage (.258). Those leading the pack (at least 10 shots) are freshman Kyana Rios (.364), Garner (.352), Andrews (.233) and Hannah Haas (.200). Concordia’s leader in goals scored: Garner (19), Andrews (seven), Rios (four) and Sierra Springer (three). There have been 13 Bulldogs score this year and 19 have contributed points in the deep roster.

·       During the eight game dominant run, the Bulldogs have averaged 4 goals per game, while making it seemingly impossible to score for their opponents (0.38). They have proven to play superior to their last eight opponents in many statistics. Categories of dominance: goals (32-3), shot percentage (.320-.051), shot attempts (100-59), corner kicks (38-21) and assists (25-3). The Concordia defense has made it tough in the defensive third almost doubling the conference foes in shots on goal (67-36). The defense has recorded five shutouts and two complete clean sheets by Angela Banks. The Saint Joseph High product has registered 30 saves, 0.44 goals allowed average and a .909 save percentage in the 613 minute stretch. Taylor Slaymaker, Triniti Rowe, Avery Black, Sadie Mares, Hannah Kile and Senna McMullen have clamped down on opposing offenses, only allowing 7.4 shots per game.

The opponent

The Flames come into the tournament with a tie (1-1) against the regular season conference champs Hastings. In their last six games, CSM has managed a 1-4-1 record with its lone win coming against Midland (3-0). The Flames have scored 45 goals this season, one behind Concordia, and freshman Ella Klusman and junior Marrisa Ring are out front with seven goals and five assists apiece. College of Saint Mary has averaged 14 shots per game, 2.50 goals and a .179 shot percentage. Keeper Alivia Schade has played 1,485 minutes between the posts and had three shutouts. She has 78 saves and a .736 save percentage.

GPAC tournament pairings

Quarterfinals – Saturday, Nov. 2
(8) Midland at (1) Hastings, 7 p.m.
(5) Briar Cliff at (4) Morningside, 6 p.m.
(6) Doane at (3) Dordt, 2 p.m.
(7) College of Saint Mary at (2) Concordia, 7 p.m.

Semifinals – Thursday, Nov. 7
1/8 winner vs. 4/5 winner, time TBA
2/7 winner vs. 3/6 winner, time TBA

Championship – Tuesday, Nov. 12
Highest remaining seed hosts, time TBA

Second half confidence seizes streak record; Dawgs move to semifinals

November 2, 2024

Second-seeded Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Soccer made history against No. 7 seed College of Saint Mary in the Saturday night 3-0 shutout. The Bulldogs won their ninth game in a row reaching bigger heights with the new program record in the GPAC tournament quarterfinal match at Bulldog Stadium. Head Coach Nick Smith’s squad seized their biggest win to date and are on a roll having not seen a loss since September.

With the tournament win, Concordia has reached the semifinals for the 10th time in program’s existence. CUNE has totaled a 12-5-1 overall record.

“The main talking point at halftime was having confidence in who we are,” said Coach Smith. “CSM came with a game plan to put us under pressure on our back group and sixes. In the first half, we didn’t really settle well. At halftime, we made some adjustments and moved some players and that helped us. We started the next half really well and it carried into the full 45. This is nine wins in a row and it sets the outright record for us. That was a talking point before the game was, we had the opportunity to make some history today. We have big plans and to do that we have to make sure we are ready for the next game.”

Only one shot combined was even kicked in the entire first half of play. The home team fired their first shot in the 58th minute and scored just a minute later on a set piece. Kierstynn Garner shelled out a bullet and Mirarosa Gyllenswan punched in the go-ahead game winning goal. Gyllenswan, a Jamestown transfer, scored her second career conference quarterfinal goal but this time in the Bulldog Blue. The tenacious midfielder won the ball many times throughout the game, not afraid of contact but always seeking to go blow for blow with anyone in the GPAC.

Gyllenswan said, “It just defines us as a team even more. It shows the adversity we overcame at the beginning of the season. Being 0-3, we had something to prove, and we are here to prove it. It showed with our nine wins, and we want to win the tournament.”

Savannah Andrews and Garner linked up once again as the Gretna, Neb., native used her boot, instead of her head, to score only 11 minutes after the first. As the minutes passed, the Dawgs' confidence grew, and Garner didn’t want to be left out of the scoring party. Just off the bench, Sierra McElhannon put the ball on a rope to a sprinting KG (Garner) and she finished with a goal in the last seven games.  

In the first frame, a massive moment came for the Flames as a cross was punched in front of the Concordia goal for an opposing player to score. Niah Kirchner moved with cheetah-like quickness to force the CSM potential goal scorer to over-kick the ball past the goal.

Angela Banks (four saves) and the defense continue to team up to stack shutouts and have five consecutive in the past five contests. When the offense struggled in the first half, Taylor Slaymaker and Triniti Rowe provided stability to the defense, which was under constant pressure from the aggressive Flames.

Concordia (12-5-1) will square up to face No. 3 seed Dordt (12-4-1) in the GPAC semifinals on Thursday (Nov. 7). First kick is set for 7 p.m. CT inside Bulldog Stadium. in the regular season match, the Bulldogs lost a heartbreaker (3-2) in the final seconds to the Defenders in Sioux Center.

Banks grabs first career GPAC accolade

 November 5, 2024

The league office selected Angela Banks as the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Defensive Player of the Week on Tuesday (Nov. 5). Stonewall Banks helped the Bulldogs to two victories this past week defeating Midland (6-0) in the regular season finale and College of Saint Mary (3-0) in the GPAC tournament quarterfinals. Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Soccer registers its third weekly conference honor with Kierstynn Garner taking the first couple (Sept. 3, Oct. 29).

Banks, a Downey, Calif., product punched out two clean sheets and seven saves this past week. The Bulldogs are on a nine game winning streak with the senior collecting four shutouts during that time and six total after earning the starting role this season. With 1,490 minutes played, the net protector averages 1.27 goals allowed and has 62 saves on a .747 save percentage. In the streak, the captain has earned a shot killing .919 save percentage.

Banks and company will take on Dordt in the conference tournament semifinals on Thursday in Seward. The two teams will play for the chance to make the conference finals, the first time since 2020 for Concordia.

Defense reigns in GPAC semifinal; Bulldogs earn national tourney bid

 November 7, 2024

In a matchup featuring two sides known for their attack, the Bulldogs’ defense clamped down the No. 3 seed Defenders in a 1-0 shutout inside Bulldog Stadium on Nov. 7. The sweltering No. 2 seed Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Soccer team has won 10 consecutive games riding high into the upcoming conference tournament championship. The dominant Dawgs earned an NAIA national championship tournament bid and will make the trip for the first time since 2020.

CUNE matches its season win total from last season, producing a 13-5-1 overall record. The Bulldogs were 0-2 (2003, 04’) against Dordt in the postseason tournament until the Thursday night triumph.

“Dordt came in with a game plan that we didn’t expect," said Head Coach Nick Smith. “They came at us and pressed us. That led to a lot of midfield play. We were fortunate to get the goal tonight from KG (Garner) and were able to get out with a 1-0 win. It is a huge moment for this group. We have a tremendous team of young women who have done nothing but believe in what we are trying to do on the field. We are hard to beat right now. All we can say now is we are looking forward to playing Tuesday night for a title.”

The headline coming into the match centered on Karinna Tel and Kierstynn Garner, the two top goal scorers in the league. From experienced veterans and freshman faces, the Concordia midfield and defense controlled the Defenders’ potent offense (67 goals scored) and the NAIA’s top finisher Tel. A Dordt side that averages 18.1 shots per game only took seven (three on goal) in the 90 minutes. The visitors ran into a stingy third that gobbled up seemingly every potential equalizer and hasn’t given up a score in its last 615 minutes of play.

Stealing the spotlight were the likes of Elena Ruiz, Triniti Rowe, Hannah Kile, Sadie Mares, and Taylor Slaymaker. The vice captain defender ran out for the 50th start of her career as she and Rowe cleared out many of the opposing chances. Rowe, a Millard South product, constantly pushed the ball back to the midfield. Ruiz, out of Omaha South, nullified Tel, came out on top as a consistent ball winner against the elite forward.

Goalkeeper Angela Banks came away with her fifth straight clean sheet (four complete), grabbing three saves. Banks picked up where she left off, organizing her back line and has grown in her confidence in outrunning opposing strikers toward the ball.

Banks said, “It feels really good. We put in a lot of work in preseason and the season. So, it is really rewarding to make it to the final and nationals. It will be a lot of fun and a new experience for the team. Shout out to my defense, for real, my centerbacks got it. So baller when it is in the air. Triniti and Taylor don’t let anything by them. Our wingers always go up and back. They are my wall and protection.”

Go-ahead Garner did what she does best, leading the pack of wild Dawgs scoring the lone goal in the contest. The Kearney, Neb., prodigy tallied her 21st goal of the season and 48th of her career.

Concordia (13-5-1, 8-3 GPAC) will make the trip to Hastings (14-1-5, 8-0-3 GPAC) and square off for the GPAC tournament title on Tuesday (Nov. 12). The game is set to start at 7 p.m. CT at Lloyd Wilson Field. The Broncos bested the Bulldogs (2-0) in the first meeting on Sept. 25.

2024 GPAC women’s soccer championship preview: Concordia vs. Hastings

 November 8, 2024

 For the first time since 2020, Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Soccer seized its spot in the GPAC tournament championship set for Tuesday (Nov. 12). The second seeded Bulldogs’ victory train keeps chugging with 10 consecutive since September and will be tested versus No. 1 seed Hastings. In the semifinal, Head Coach Nick Smith’s squad took out Dordt (1-0) in a surprising defensive battle at Bulldog Stadium.

GPAC Championship

GPAC FINAL: Tuesday, Nov. 12 at Hastings (14-1-5, 8-0-3 GPAC), 7 p.m.
--Live Webcast | Live Stats | Location: Lloyd Wilson Field (Hastings, Neb.)
--Admission: $10 for adults/senior citizens, $3 for K-12; only those with NAIA passes and GPAC student ID’s are admitted free of charge.

By the numbers

·       Concordia finds confidence in the past postseason success the program has enjoyed in recent years. Over the previous 11 GPAC tournaments, the Bulldogs have reached the semifinals eight times and have played in the championship game six times (five straight years from 2014 through 2018). The program celebrated GPAC postseason championships in 2014, 2016 and 2020 and is 3-3 all-time in the conference final. Of the six championship games, three were against Hastings as CUNE went 1-2 winning in 2014. Midfielder Hannah Haas and goalkeeper Bradi Ore were a part of the 2020 championship squad. Coach Smith has a 3-1 record in the tournament run but has gone further in his second showing.

·       The home team fired off 11 shots to the Defenders’ seven in the GPAC semifinal. Dordt, averaging 18.1 shots per contest was held to a stifling three shots on goal. Elena Ruiz and Niah Kirchner controlled the midfield as Taylor Slaymaker and Triniti Rowe took away quality chances consistently from one of the GPAC’s best offenses. Kierstynn Garner made the visitors pay in the first half, smashing in the 18th game winner of her career as Mirarosa Gyllenswan tacked on the assist. Savannah Andrews and Kierstynn Garner had four shots apiece, while Gyllenswan (two) and Kyana Rios (one) had the other three. Keeper Angie Banks needed three saves to complete her fourth in a row.

·       The Bulldogs had gathered a couple of conference wins but on Oct. 12, they played their most complete game in the regular season. Perhaps a product of senior day reflection, Concordia was in control of the match for almost the entire 90 minutes. Morningside scored early and less than two minutes later Garner and company responded with an equalizer. The home Dawgs would score two more in the second half (Andrews, Sierra Springer) and had possession for a majority of the match in what would eventually be against the fourth best team in the league. A major moment came when the visitors were given a penalty late and captain Banks denied the try to seal the 3-1 victory and move to .500 (3-3) in the conference.

·       Sept. 25 was the last time the red hot Bulldogs saw defeat in a 2-0 defensive battle against Hastings. Dekota Schubert and Madison Rhodes scored in the seventh and eighth minute, as the young 2024 Concordia team took their lumps early. For the rest of the 83 minutes Coach Smith’s team would hold the visitors to six shots (two on goal). With the offense only able to take three shots, the defenses held the game to a stalemate for the remainder of the game.

·       Banks was selected as the GPAC Player of the Week for her play against Midland and College of Saint Mary (GPAC Quarterfinals). The Downey, Calif., product registered two clean sheets and seven saves. She has six complete shutouts totaling 65 saves and a .756 save percentage.  

·       Garner, the two time GPAC offensive player of the week has totaled 21 goals (2nd in GPAC), 12 assists (2nd) and 52 total points (2nd) in the 2024 campaign. The Kearney, Neb., native is 5th in the program’s single season records in goals scored and assists (three others). Among the top goal scorers in the league, the Kearney, Neb., forward leads with the best shot percentage (.350) and shot on goal percentage (.733). Garner has totaled 48 career goals sitting at No. 4 in the program’s history. The go-ahead Garner has pushed the program’s record to 18 game winning scores in her career. She has passed Jennifer Davis (2003) at No. 3 in single season points scored (54) and No. 5 in career points scored (113).

·       Averaging 10.2 shots per game, the Bulldogs are dangerous when getting a kick on the ball, ranked No. 6 in the NAIA in shot percentage (.256). Those leading the pack (at least 10 shots) are freshman Kyana Rios (.333), Garner (.350), Andrews (.222) and Hannah Haas (.182). Concordia’s leader in goals scored: Garner (21), Andrews (eight), Rios (four) Gyllenswan (three) and Sierra Springer (three). There have been 13 Bulldogs score this year and 19 have contributed points in the deep roster.

·       During the 10 game dominant run, Concordia have averaged 3.60 goals per game, while making it seemingly impossible to score for their opponents (0.30). They have proven to play superior to their last nine opponents in many statistics. Categories of dominance: goals (36-3), shot percentage (.308-.040), shot attempts (117-75), corner kicks (44-29) and assists (29-3). The Dawg protectors have made it tough in the defensive third almost doubling the conference foes in shots on goal (79-43). The defense has recorded seven shutouts and four complete clean sheets by Angela Banks. The Saint Joseph High product has collected 37 saves, 0.34 goals allowed average and a .925 save percentage in the 793 minute stretch. Taylor Slaymaker, Triniti Rowe, Avery Black, Sadie Mares, Hannah Kile and Senna McMullen have shut down on opposing offenses, only allowing 7.5 shots per game.

The opponent

The Broncos won the regular season conference championship and defeated No. 8 seed Midland (4-0) and No. 4 seed Morningside (2-0) to take their place in the GPAC final. Hastings went unbeaten (8-0-3) in league play while ending the scheduled slate with two ties (Doane, CSM). In 20 games, the Broncos have scored 53 goals on 19.4 shots a game and a .137 shot percentage. With a 6-1-5 home record, the side has a .535 SOG percentage and 41 assists. Dekota Schubert paces the team with 15 goals (3rd in GPAC) with Madison Rhodes behind her having eight. Megan Lampe has 12 assists on the year, tied for second in the conference with Garner. The defense has surmounted 11 shutouts tied for eighth in the NAIA. The Broncos switch between goalkeepers Jackson Pedersen and Tatiana Villasenor. Pedersen has tallied 990 minutes and 39 saves on an .830 save percentage allowing 0.73 goals per 90 minutes.

GPAC tournament pairings

Quarterfinals – Saturday, Nov. 2
(1) Hastings def. (8) Midland, 4-0
(4) Morningside def. (5) Briar Cliff, 2-0
(3) Dordt def. (6) Doane, 3-0
(2) Concordia def. (7) College of Saint Mary, 3-0

Semifinals – Thursday, Nov. 7
(1) Hastings def. (4) Morningside, 2-0
(2) Concordia def. (3) Dordt, 1-0

Championship – Tuesday, Nov. 12
(2) Concordia at (1) Hastings, 7 p.m.

Kearney natives sweep weekly GPAC awards

November 12, 2024

Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Soccer swept the conference’s weekly awards after defeating Dordt (1-0) in the tournament semifinals. Taylor Slaymaker was named the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Defensive Player of the Week and Kierstynn Garner grabbed her third GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Offensive Player of the Week (2024) on Tuesday (Nov. 12). Goalkeeper Angela Banks also was selected as an award winner from the week prior (Nov. 5).

The Kearney, Neb., natives teamed up to help push the Dawgs to their first conference final since 2020. Veteran Slaymaker, in her 50th career start, played a massive role in the semifinal shutout over the GPAC’s top scoring Dordt. The senior centerback played all 90 minutes and led the back line to nullify the NAIA’s top goal scorer without a point. She helped limit the Defenders to three shots on goal and will play in her 60th career game in the upcoming bout versus Hastings. The defense has rolled together six straight clean sheets.

Garner, a junior forward, cracked the game winning goal (18th career) past the Dordt keeper sealing the 10th win in a row. With the score, Garner put her 21st in the back of the net and the 48th of her career. She is second in the conference in goals, assists (12) and points (54).

The No. 2 seed Bulldogs will clash with No. 1 seed Hastings for the GPAC tournament championship tonight (Nov. 12) at Lloyd Wison Field. The game is set for 7 p.m. CT.

Bulldogs fall in program's seventh GPAC title game appearance, look ahead to nationals

 November 12, 2024

From 0-3 in conference play to GPAC regular season and tournament runner up. That’s the story the 2024 Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Soccer team has written. It just wasn’t the Bulldogs’ night on Tuesday (Nov. 12) as top-seeded Hastings jumped the visitors from the kickoff and ran away with the GPAC postseason championship game, 4-0, at Lloyd Wilson Field. Concordia made its seventh all-time GPAC tournament title match appearance (all coming in the past 11 years).

Despite the result, Head Coach Nick Smith’s will continue its season into the NAIA national tournament after securing the GPAC’s second automatic bid. The Bulldogs (13-6-1) saw their 10-game winning streak hit a wall in Hastings.

“We knew that coming here was going to be a tough task for us – obviously Hastings is the regular season champion,” Smith said. “They played really well tonight. Coming into tonight, I think the first goal was going to be crucial to who was ultimately going to succeed. The manner that we gave the first one was a little bit disappointing. I think it led to a little bit of a deflated response after that ball goes in. We just struggled to get ourselves back into the game.”

From the whistle, the Broncos had Concordia playing on its heels. Hastings peppered the Bulldogs with the contest’s first six shots before Kierstynn Garner finally got a clean look that was saved by keeper Tatiana Villasenor. On the other attacking end, it took only five minutes for the Broncos to become the first opponent to score on Concordia since Oct. 16. A turnover led to that first goal, converted by Madison Rhodes, who appeared primed for a second goal in the opening 10 minutes before freshman center back Triniti Rowe swooped in to momentarily thwart Hastings.

The missed opportunity was a mere speed bump for the Broncos, who added to their lead via a goal from Erica Inay in the 26th minute and two goals from Dulce Lopez (42nd and 80th minutes). The shot count – 23-4 in Hastings’ favor – was a reflection of the scoreline. Under consistent pressure, Bulldog goalkeeper Angela Banks totaled eight saves while playing all 90 minutes.

Almost exactly 10 years to the date of Concordia’s first GPAC tournament championship celebration (at the same location) as a program, the Bulldogs looked unlike the squad that had outscored its previous 10 foes by a combined total of 36-3. Hastings has handed Concordia its two most recent defeats, including the 2-0 decision in the regular season. Though the result on Tuesday wasn’t the competitive game the Bulldogs expected, they have an opportunity to regroup before appearing at nationals on Nov. 21.

Said Smith, “What we saw from Hastings at this level is what we’re going to see in the next game. Soccer being a game of mistakes, we really have to limit ours. We’re going to be playing against teams that really punish you when those mistakes occur. Tonight is a growing opportunity. This is a new experience for everyone, but I think it’s a good one for prepping us for what we’ll see at the national tournament. We want to go there, and we want to leave our mark.”

Hastings (15-1-5, 8-0-3 GPAC) has just one blemish on its record all season. The Broncos have qualified for the national tournament for the 13th time in school history. Hastings affectively limited the potent Garner to a single shot for the entire 90 minutes and came away with its 12th clean sheet in 2024.

The Bulldogs will learn of their national tournament draw on Saturday when the NAIA unveils the pairings in a selection show scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. CT. More details about the selection show can be found HERE. The first/second rounds of the tournament are held at campus sites that will be announced on Saturday. Concordia has earned a national tournament bid for the fourth time in program history.

From 0-3 to the national tournament: how the Bulldogs persevered

November 15, 2024

On homecoming Saturday in late September, the Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Soccer team gathered at halftime deadlocked in a scoreless draw with Briar Cliff. A season that started with hefty expectations was teetering on the brink of disappointment. Top goal scorers Kierstynn Garner and Savannah Andrews were out with injuries, meaning the Bulldogs simply had to find a way – or else they risked falling to 0-4 in conference play.

Fast forward to the middle of November and Head Coach Nick Smith’s squad finds itself preparing for a national tournament game as one of the final 40 teams left standing in NAIA women’s soccer. How did this scenario that seemed unlikely in late September come to fruition?

“It was a really good growing moment for the team to be able to get the Briar Cliff result and the Dakota Wesleyan result without those two,” said Smith in reference to Garner and Andrews. “It allowed everyone else to start to feel the belief. That gave confidence to KG and Sav to understand that they don’t need to do it all. We have a lot of players who are capable of stepping up and winning games. During those five games (to start GPAC play), we as a group matured a great deal. I think we gained a lot of belief in ourselves because of those. I think that set the stage for us to make the run that we did to close out the season.”

The goal that freshman Kyana Rios scored in the 49th minute versus Briar Cliff may prove to be the most significant goal of the entire season for the national qualifying Bulldogs. The goal propelled Concordia to a 1-0 win and set in motion an utterly dominant program record 10-game winning streak that saw the Bulldogs vault themselves into second place in the final GPAC standings. As part of the surge, KG and Sav returned to the field in a big way, Angela Banks came into her own as a keeper and the back line found consistency after saying goodbye to one of the program’s all-time greats, Grace Soenksen.

Over the stretch of 10-straight wins, Concordia outscored its opponents by a combined total of 36-3 and earned GPAC postseason home wins over College of Saint Mary and Dordt. As part of the 10-game run, the Kearney High School product Garner tallied 12 goals and 10 assists while reaching another level of stardom. In front of Banks, Taylor Slaymaker and Trinity Rowe rounded into form at center back and Niah Kirchner kept doing her thing in the middle of the park.

The talent has always been there. When adversity hit, Smith had to ensure that his team found a mental edge and understood that the preseason goals they had set were still attainable. There just wasn't any margin for error left.

As Kirchner says, “Coach kept saying in the locker room, ‘We just need to get the domino to fall.’ Once we get the first one, it will keep going for us. We knew the Briar Cliff game was a big one. It wasn’t going too good for us. We had a lot of high hopes and then we had the loss to Northwestern and the Dordt game that we lost in the final seconds. We were a little bit down, but I think our team culture really picked us up. We just knew that if we trusted each other, we could win out. Coach kept telling us, ‘If we win out, we put ourselves in the place we want to be in anyway.’ We had the confidence, and we knew we could go for it.”

At some point, the 2024 Bulldogs had to settle in and simply play the game. Concordia seemed to surprise even itself in 2023 when it finished at 13-4-3 and placed second in the GPAC. With nearly everyone coming back from that squad this fall (with the exception of Soenksen), the Bulldogs entered this season as one of the league favorites. The question became: could Concordia handle the weight of these increased expectations?

On Sept. 18 in the GPAC opener, the Bulldogs endured perhaps their roughest moments of the entire season when they conceded four goals in a stretch of fewer than 10 minutes against a then winless Northwestern opponent. Concordia wound up suffering an unexpected defeat, 4-3, in a game it had mostly dominated on its home turf.

Said Slaymaker, “This year, I felt like there was a little bit of pressure at the beginning of the season because we did really well last year. We felt like we had to live up to that and I think we put a lot of pressure on ourselves. We didn’t play as well as we were capable of. I don’t really know what happened. Something clicked and we kind of figured out how to play together – and we were tired of losing.”

There were some reasons for concern at a time when the Bulldogs were not getting the desired results and Garner was sidelined by injury. Down KG and Sav, Concordia showed its grittiness with the win over Briar Cliff and the 2-1 come-from-behind victory at Dakota Wesleyan that featured a goal apiece from two freshmen: Rios and Sierra McElhannon. That was a start. In the next outing, KG and Sav returned to the lineup and both found the back of the net in a 3-1 win over Morningside.

The dominoes had started to fall. Even while dealing with an ankle injury, a quad strain and back spasms, Garner was in the midst of putting together another First Team All-GPAC season (21 goals and 12 assists entering the national tournament).

“Losing sucks,” Garner said quite frankly. “Winning just makes the game more fun. We were 0-3 and I don’t want to say there were doubts, but it’s not as fun. Once we got the streak going, we gained confidence and the practices were more fun and the games were more fun. The pieces just clicked.”

The victory over Morningside led to wins over Doane, 2-1, Waldorf, 8-0, College of Saint Mary, 4-0, Mount Marty, 6-0, Midland, 6-0, CSM again, 3-0, and Dordt, 1-0. The triumph over Dordt avenged a regular season defeat and locked the Bulldogs into the GPAC’s second automatic bid to the national tournament. Concordia accomplished that feat not only because of the attacking exploits of Garner and Andrews but also because of the team’s collective defensive improvement.

“For her (Angela Banks), it was just about consistency,” Smith said in breaking down the team’s progress in the defensive third. “For the first half of the year, we were really changing the back line often. We had injuries – (Hannah) Kile was out for a run of games and Taylor was out for some time. We were throwing Rosie (Gyllenswan) back there at times. We were figuring out outside backs. The key was getting people healthy and having younger players like Trin and Avery (Black) getting comfortable at that level. They started to perform really well. That made a big difference. Ange had a turning point versus Morningside where she saves the penalty. After that, she only concedes one more goal until we get to the GPAC final.”

The realization that all current players are about to experience the national tournament for the first time is just beginning to set in. The program will make its fourth all-time national tournament appearance when action gets underway in the first round on Nov. 21.

Says Kirchner, “It’s really exciting for us. Coach keeps telling us how special this really is. We’re going to have a watch party, get together and see where we’re headed. We’re going to embrace the moment. All the pressure is on these other teams. We just get to go out there and have fun and give it our all.”

As the Bulldogs look ahead to the national tournament, they know they will be faced with a major challenge while going on the road. Said Slaymaker, “I know it’s going to be exciting and that it’s going to be a different level. We’re going to have to come out and play our absolute best for a full 90 minutes. It’s going to be exciting to go out there with the girls.”

Added Garner, “In this program we’ve never won a national game before, so that’s definitely a goal that we all have in mind. To be able to experience it is something not a lot of people in the country get to do. We want to enjoy every moment of it and show the hard work we’ve put in all season.”

Whether a win comes on the national stage or not, Concordia can look back at the 2024 season as a success, particularly for the way it responded when faced with adversity. Smith wants his players to think of this as the start of something even bigger. High expectations are going to be part of the deal moving forward. This group of Bulldogs now understands how to manage them.

Said Smith, “If you as a player aren’t excited to play in a national tournament game, then this probably isn’t the program for you. These are what our goals are. This is what we worked for starting in the spring to get to the point where we’re still playing at this time of year. To be able to be one of the final 40 teams is exciting in and of itself. It’s about enjoying the moment. A lot of players on our roster are going to be coming back to us next year with the idea that we’d like to go on a similar run next year too. This is going to be an experience for us to learn from and see what this level looks like, and what we need to do as a program to continue taking steps forward.”

Bulldogs headed to Grand Rapids for rematch with Benedictine in NAIA first round

November 16, 2024

On the heels of a 10-game winning streak that pushed Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Soccer into the 2024 GPAC Championship Game, the team learned of its national tournament draw on Saturday (Nov. 16) afternoon. The Bulldogs have been assigned to Grand Rapids, Mich., and will get a rematch with Benedictine College (Kan.) on Thursday, Nov. 21 as part of the NAIA Women’s Soccer National Championship First Round. Game time is to be announced.

Head Coach Nick Smith and his family hosted the team at their residence to watch the NAIA’s live selection show. The winner between Benedictine and Concordia will advance to play the site host, Aquinas College, on Saturday, Nov. 23 in the second round.

Smith will lead the Bulldogs into the national tournament in his second season at the helm of the program. Concordia made previous appearances at the national tournament opening round in 2014 and 2016. The Bulldogs traveled to Atchison, Kan., in 2014 (4-0 loss to Benedictine) and to West Palm Beach, Fla., in 2016 (2-0 loss to Keiser). The 2020 squad that won the GPAC tournament championship was unable to travel to nationals due to COVID-19.

The Bulldogs will take an overall record of 13-6-1 into the national tournament. Concordia earned the GPAC’s second automatic bid to nationals while placing as the runner up in the GPAC regular season and postseason. As part of the GPAC tournament, Concordia won home games over College of Saint Mary, 3-0, in the quarterfinals and Dordt, 1-0, in the semifinals.

Concordia has played Benedictine frequently during nonconference play in recent seasons. The Bulldogs and Ravens met up earlier this fall in what amounted to a 2-0 win for the Ravens in Seward. In the most recent NAIA coaches’ poll, Aquinas was ranked fifth and Benedictine was listed among others receiving votes.

The winners that emerge from the NAIA first/second round sites will advance to play at the final site of the national championship tournament, Pensacola, Fla., Dec. 2-9.

National Tournament Facts

·        Concordia is 0-2 in its two previous trips to the NAIA national tournament. While making their first-ever appearance at nationals, the 2014 Bulldogs were defeated by ninth-ranked Benedictine College (Kan.), 4-0. Two years later, Concordia ventured to Keiser University (Fla.) and lost by a 2-0 score at the hands of the third-ranked Seahawks. The 2020 team qualified for nationals after winning the GPAC tournament title but was unable to make the trip in the spring of 2021 due to COVID-19. The program remains in search of its first-ever national tournament win. In addition, it continues to seek its first goal on the national stage.

·        Nick Smith is the third coach in program history to lead the Bulldogs to a national tournament qualification. The others were Greg Henson (2014 and 2016) and Thomas Goines (2020). Each of the previous three national qualifiers were GPAC tournament champions. The 2024 team earned the GPAC’s second automatic bid to nationals after placing second in the conference for both the regular season and postseason. Below is a summary of Concordia’s national qualifying teams. Interestingly, the program’s one GPAC regular season champion (2017 squad) did not qualify for nationals. At that time, the GPAC was awarded only one automatic bid.

o   2024 – 13-6-1 overall (8-3 GPAC; 2nd); GPAC tournament runner up

o   2020 – 11-6-2 overall (9-2-1 GPAC; T-2nd); GPAC tournament champion

o   2016 – 15-6-1 overall (7-3 GPAC; 3rd); GPAC tournament champion

o   2014 – 16-3-3 overall (7-0-3 GPAC; 2nd); GPAC tournament champion

There are three players in the program who were on the 2020-21 roster when the Bulldogs most recently qualified for nationals: Hannah Haas, Kassidy Johnson and Bradi Ore. Assistant coach Grace Soenksen was a member of the ’20 team that won the GPAC tournament title. However, no current players have ever experienced a national tournament game. Based on those who earned First Team All-GPAC awards, the top Concordia players on past national qualifying teams were Rachel Mussell, Jessica Skerston and Melissa Stine in 2014, Sami Birmingham and Maria Detter in 2016 and Mekeila Martinez and Grace Soenksen in 2020.

National qualifiers place eight Bulldogs on 2024 All-GPAC teams

November 18, 2024

First Team: Kierstynn Garner; Niah Kirchner; Taylor Slaymaker.
Second Team: Savannah Andrews; Angela Banks; Kyana Rios.
Honorable Mention: Hannah Kile; Elena Ruiz.

SEWARD, Neb. – A total of eight Bulldogs represented the NAIA national qualifying Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Soccer team on the 2024 GPAC All-Conference teams released on Monday (Nov. 18) by the league office. In highlighting the selections, Kierstynn Garner and Niah Kirchner found their way onto the first team for the second year in a row. They were joined with first team accolades by teammate Taylor Slaymaker while second team honors went to Savannah Andrews, Angela Banks and Kyana Rios. Honorable mention status was attained by Hannah Kile and Elena Ruiz.

Each of the All-GPAC award winners from Head Coach Nick Smith’s squad has been instrumental in helping the 2024 team to a 13-6-1 overall record and the program’s fourth all-time national tournament berth. The Bulldogs placed second in the GPAC in both the regular season and postseason.

A junior from Kearney, Neb., Kierstynn Garner has enjoyed one of the best seasons ever by a Bulldog. Among GPAC players, Garner boasts season rankings of second in each of the following categories: goals scored (21), assists (12) and points (54). Garner scored four goals in a game in two separate contests this fall: at Graceland University (Iowa) and versus Midland. A three-time GPAC Offensive Player of the Week this season, Garner has been named an All-GPAC performer all three seasons of her collegiate career – second team as a freshman and first team as a sophomore and junior. In 57 career collegiate outings, Garner has tallied 48 goals and 17 assists. She ranks fourth on the program’s all-time goals list.

An Omaha native and Millard West High School product, Kirchner has served as a rock in the middle of the park in each of her three seasons as a Bulldog. The two-time First Team All-GPAC honoree has logged heavy minutes in all 20 games this season and has recorded one goal and one assist. In 58 career collegiate games, Kirchner has notched five goals and seven assists. Kirchner has not missed a single game since arriving at Concordia while contributing heavily to winning seasons each year.

A Kearney native and Kearney High School alum like Garner, Slaymaker ascended from honorable mention status last season to a First Team All-GPAC choice in 2024. At center back, Slaymaker serves as the anchor of a back line that helped the Bulldogs limit their opponents to a combined three goals during the 10-game winning streak that carried them into the GPAC tournament title game. Slaymaker was awarded the GPAC Defensive Player of the Week honor following Concordia’s 1-0 GPAC semifinal win at Dordt. Slaymaker recorded the first goal of her career as part of the 8-0 win at Waldorf. She has appeared in 60 games in her college career.

A junior from Gretna, Neb., Andrews has collected her second career All-GPAC award (first team in 2023). Andrews heated up in the second half of this season and enjoyed a stretch of five-straight games with at least one goal after she returned from an injury that held her out of three games. Andrews will enter the national tournament having totaled eight goals and four assists in 2024. As an attacking midfielder, Andrews has accumulated 25 goals and eight assists in 51 career games. The offensive prowess of Andrews and Garner has given Concordia one of the top attacking duos in the GPAC.

Banks, a senior out of Downey, Calif., has taken advantage of her opportunity to become a full-time starter in 2024. She’s started 19 games in goal with a record of 12-5-1. In 1,669 minutes played, Banks has notched 73 saves and sports a 1.35 goals against average and .745 save percentage. Banks has earned credit for six shutouts. She was named the GPAC Defensive Player of the Week on Nov. 5 after the Bulldogs shut out Midland and College of Saint Mary. In her collegiate career, Banks has appeared in 28 games has totaled 91 saves (.752 save percentage).

In her freshman season, Rios (Omaha, Neb.) has made an immediate impact. The Omaha South High School product has played in all 20 games while making 14 starts as a forward. Rios has tallied four goals and two assists. She put away perhaps the most significant goal of the season in the 1-0 win over Briar Cliff that initiated the program record 10-game winning streak.

As honorable mention selections, Kile picked up her second career All-GPAC award (first time in 2023) and Ruiz pulled in the first all-conference award of her career. A Lincoln native and Raymond Central High School alum, Kile has battled through injury to start 13 matches (16 games overall) on the back line alongside Slaymaker. Kile has notched one goal and one assist on the season (three goals in her career). Another member of the vaunted junior class, Ruiz has started all 20 games in the midfield and has contributed with two assists. Ruiz has played in 57 games (eight goals and three assists) in her Concordia career.

The season will continue for the Bulldogs at the national tournament. Concordia is scheduled to take on Benedictine College (Kan.) at 1 p.m. CT on Thursday in the first round of the 2024 NAIA Women’s Soccer National Championship.

Five Bulldogs named to 2024 CSC Academic All-District women's soccer team

November 19, 2024

 A group of five Bulldogs represented the Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Soccer teams on the list of 2024 Academic All-District® honorees released on Tuesday (Nov. 19) by College Sports Communicators (CSC). The honorees from Head Coach Nick Smith’s program include juniors Savannah Andrews and Niah Kirchner, sophomore Sadie Mares and seniors Senna McMullen and Taylor Slaymaker. Andrews and Kirchner are repeat award winners from 2023.

The 2024 Academic All-District® Men’s and Women's Soccer Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. Student-athletes must achieve a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher in order to be nominated for this award. Nominees also had to meet specific requirements in terms of games played and games started during the 2024 season. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA — for each gender.

2024 CSC Academic All-District Honorees – Concordia Women’s Soccer

Savannah Andrews | Jr. | MF | Gretna, Neb.
Major: Exercise Science
Notes: Two-time CSC Academic All-District; two-time All-GPAC (first team in 2023; second team in 2024); 25 goals and eight assists in 51 career games played; NAIA Scholar-Athlete.

Niah Kirchner | Jr. | MF | Omaha, Neb.
Major: Business (concentrations in Finance and Leadership; minor in Math)
Notes: Two-time CSC Academic All-District; two-time First Team All-GPAC; five goals and seven assists in 58 career games played; NAIA Scholar-Athlete.

Sadie Mares | So. | D | Scottsdale, Ariz.
Major: Criminal Justice
Notes: First CSC Academic All-District award; has played in 38 games (31 starts) and has one goal and three assists as a Bulldog.

Senna McMullen | Sr. | D | Olathe, Kan.
Major: Biology / Psychology; Pre-Medical (minor in Chemistry)
Notes: First CSC Academic All-District award; has appeared in 47 games (11 starts) with one goal and two assists in collegiate career; NAIA Scholar-Athlete.

Taylor Slaymaker | Sr. | D | Kearney, Neb.
Major: Education (endorsement in Coaching)
Notes: First CSC Academic All-District award; two-time All-GPAC (HM in 2023, first team in 2024); has appeared in 60 games (51 starts) with one goal and one assist in college career.

Academic All-District® honorees were considered for advancement to the CSC Academic All-America® ballot. Student-athletes selected as CSC Academic All-America® finalists are denoted with an asterisk (in the CSC release) and will advance to the national ballot to be voted on by CSC members. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced Dec. 10, 2024 (men) and Dec. 11, 2024 (women).

Hungry Dawgs feast; Clinch first national tournament win in program history

November 21, 2024

Cheers echoed across the campus of first round host Aquinas College (Mich.) as the Bulldogs clinched their first NAIA national tournament victory in the program’s 28-year existence. The rematch saw Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Soccer put two unanswered in the back of the net for a 2-0 shutout of Heart of America Athletic Conference powerhouse Benedictine College (Kan.). Mirarosa Gyllenswan and Kierstynn Garner scored the first two national postseason goals ever.

The Bulldogs move to 14-6-1 overall and Head Coach Nick Smith surpasses his total wins from his first season.

“This is a team now, that has their names all over the record books”, said Coach Smith. “We talk all the time about leaving a legacy within the program and to have an opportunity to do something no one in Concordia Women’s Soccer history has been able to do before. We knew that our preparation was good. We knew if we would come out and perform, we were going to be able to make some noise today. This group of young women came through.”

After a scoreless 81 minutes, the supreme edge of a go-ahead was mounting as the minutes passed. Garner kicked the ball in on a corner opportunity and went off a Raven defender to Gyllenswan as she smashed in the eventual game winner. The Menifee, Calif., senior will forever be the first to score in the NAIA championships tournament.

With time winding down, Benedictine was looking for the equalizer when the ball was headed out of the opposing penalty area. Garner pushed the ball out and it was a foot race from box to box with the speedy Kearney, Neb., native winning outright. KG moved to the right and pushed it just past the Raven keeper, leaving no doubt in the first round. With the goal and assist, the forward breaks the single season points record (57) surpassing two individuals with 56.

Captain Angela Banks and the back line teamed up for their ninth clean sheet as the Downey, Calif., product had five saves. The selfish Concordia defense allowed five shots on frame and Banks collected some big saves in the opening half.

Banks said, “It was amazing. When the first goal went in we knew history was made, but the second one sealed the deal. This team has been working so hard the last couple of years, so it's really deserving for us. We are a team that does well under a lot of pressure. When the odds are stacked against us, we always seem to rise above them. Going into this tournament, people didn’t expect much of us. Our team had never been here before, we used that to fuel us and to keep us going forward. This team has gone through a lot and we are looking forward to the next game.”

Niah Kichner and Elena Ruiz ruled the midfield, winning the ball multiple times to help keep the talented opposition in check. Sadie Mares gave the Ravens two scares and showed massive potential in free kicks in the open field. The Dawgs outshot Benedictine, 8-7 (7-5 SOG), and corner kicks (4-3) in the second 45.  

Concordia is set to clash with No. 1 seed Aquinas on Saturday (Nov. 23) in Grand Rapids. The second round will be hosted at the Aquinas College Athletic Field at 12 p.m. CT / 1 p.m. ET. The winner will move on to the final site in Pensacola, Fla., Dec. 2-9.

Dawgs finish historic campaign falling in Grand Rapids

November 23, 2024

The Bulldogs graced the Aquinas College Soccer Field for their 2nd round matchup against the No. 5 Saints (Mich.) on Saturday (Nov. 23). Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Soccer shook out the nerves in the second half but not before Aquinas tallied three unanswered in the first half, falling in a 4-0 loss.

Head Coach Nick Smith’s squad ended its season with a 14-7-1 overall record and claimed the first win in the program’s history at the NAIA national championships first round.

“We knew coming into this game we would have to do just about everything right”, said Coach Smith. “We made a few mistakes early in the game. That allowed Aquinas to open us up a few times and score a couple goals. Playing Aquinas from behind was always going to be tough. Particularly in the second half, we were able to get the ball down to try and get at them a bit. All in all, really proud of the group and the team effort today, then also the season itself. I’m just really proud of these young women and what they were able to accomplish this year.”

After an opening round shutout over Benedictine, CUNE had a rough start and found itself down two before the end of the 13th minute. Marie-Louise Abild tacked on her second goal of the game to go up three before the Bulldogs settled in against an ultra-talented Saints team.

A calming presence came from Senior Taylor Slaymaker and an unexpected freshman Triniti Rowe gaining confidence as the game continued. Rowe, out of Omaha, Neb., proved to be a force against a highly touted opponent in Aquinas.

Smith said, “Trin, coming in as a true freshman, playing full games these last three days. It was a good experience for her and also playing an important position in the center back of a  back three. She communicated well and challenged well. The decision making from her was really mature from what you would expect in a freshman.”

The entire side grew comfortable in the last 40 or so minutes and fired off two shots on goal via Kierstynn Garner and Mirarosa Gyllenswan.  

Niah Kichner, Elena Ruiz and Gyllenswan began to be the ball winners we have known pushing it forward to a defense that held off Garner and company in the final third. Sadie Mares and Hannah Kile joined in as the back line rendered the home team scoreless for the rest of the bout.

Aquinas would add one more at the beginning of the second half and were led by Abild (assist) and Sydney Shenk (goal, two assists). The Saints will make the trip to the final site, Pensacola, Fla., for the 41st Annual Women’s Soccer National Championship (Dec. 2-9).

Concordia’s record breaking season comes to a close after finishing second in the GPAC regular season and tournament. In nationals play, this team owns the first goal and lone win in the program's history. They also have the longest win streak (10) in the 28 years of the program along with many other records during the 2024 campaign. The Bulldogs will graduate nine seniors who poured into this year's team and retain a potential upcoming fifth year Slaymaker.

Women's soccer program places 15 Bulldogs on Scholar-Athlete list

November 25, 2024

 As announced by the NAIA on Nov. 25, a group of 15 Bulldogs from the Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Soccer program landed on the 2024 Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athlete honor roll. The list includes repeat award winners in Savannah Andrews, Lilley Barber, Emily Howard, Hannah Kile, Niah Kirchner, Zoe Lavigne, Senna McMullen, Molly Roberts, Taylor Slaymaker and Katelyn Smith. First time honorees are Savannah Andrews, Hannah Kile, Niah Kirchner, Zoe Lavigne, Molly Roberts, Taylor Slaymaker and Katelyn Smith. First time Scholar-Athletes include Camryn Higer, Olivia Kohl, Sadie Mares, Olivia Pyle and Grady Smith.

The 2024 list of women’s soccer honorees nationally includes 1,328 student-athletes. In order to be nominated by an institution’s head coach or sports information director, a student-athlete must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale, must appear on the eligibility certificate for the sport and have attended one full year at said institution.

The 15 Scholar-Athletes is an increase from the 11 the women’s soccer program earned in 2023-24. Head Coach Nick Smith’s squad also enjoyed a fine season on the field while notching the program’s first-ever win at the national tournament. The Bulldogs finished the 2024 season at 14-7-1 overall. In addition to being named NAIA Scholar-Athletes, five Concordia student-athletes were also recently tabbed Academic All-District honorees: Andrews, Kirchner, Mares, McMullen and Slaymaker.

Concordia University, Nebraska ranks as the NAIA’s all-time leader in number of Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes with 2,526 entering the 2024-25 academic year. The school record for number of Scholar-Athletes in one academic year is 226 achieved in 2019-20. Concordia has been a regular national leader for both Scholar-Athletes and Scholar-Teams.

2024 Concordia Women’s Soccer Scholar-Athletes

·        Savannah Andrews (Gretna, Neb.)

·        Lilley Barber (Overland Park, Kan.)

·        Camryn Higer (Savannah, Mo.)

·        Emily Howard (Overland Park, Kan.)

·        Hannah Kile (Lincoln, Neb.)

·        Niah Kirchner (Omaha, Neb.)

·        Oliva Kohl (Springfield, Neb.)

·        Zoe Lavigne (Anaheim, Calif.)

·        Sadie Mares (Scottsdale, Ariz.)

·        Senna McMullen (Olathe, Kan.)

·        Olivia Pyle (Blaine, Minn.)

·        Molly Roberts (Columbus, Neb.)

·        Taylor Slaymaker (Kearney, Neb.)

·        Grady Smith (Richmond, Va.)

·        Katelyn Smith (Omaha, Neb.)

Season-In-Review: '24 squad makes history, sets stage for highly anticipated 2025

December 13, 2024

The 2024 Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Soccer team will forever be the first. On Nov. 21, 2024, the Bulldogs celebrated the program’s first ever win on the NAIA National Championship stage. Underneath overcast skies on a chilly late fall day in Grand Rapids, Mich., the Bulldogs stifled longtime nonconference nemesis Benedictine College (Kan.) in a 2-0 shutout in the first round of the national tournament. Kierstynn Garner did the honors of hoisting the updated bracket into the air in the aftermath of the historic achievement.

This was the moment Head Coach Nick Smith always believed would happen, even as his squad stood at 0-3 in league play in late September. This was one barrier Concordia soccer players past and present had dreamt of knocking down.

“I’m really pleased with what we were able to accomplish this year,” Smith said. “I said before the season started that we had the potential in this group to really make some noise. We went through some growing pains this year, but to get ourselves into position where we qualified for the national tournament and then to be victorious for the first time in program history is a huge achievement. I couldn’t be prouder of our group of young women. I think they really stayed true to the message all year long. They got rewarded for sticking with the message and continuing to figure some things out. It’s a reflection of the growth we had as a team – and we also had a lot of individual growth from players too.”

It's not often that a team can go from 0-3 in conference play (3-5-1 overall at the time) to winning on the national stage and posting a 14-7-1 overall record. But the 2024 Bulldogs proved they were not a typical team. With no margin for error remaining following the rough start, Concordia proceeded to rattle off 10-straight victories while outscoring its opponents by a combined total of 36-3. The season’s achievements included GPAC runner-up finishes in the regular season and postseason as the program appeared in the conference tournament final for the seventh time. The national tournament bid was clinched on Nov. 7 when the Bulldogs earned a 1-0 GPAC tournament semifinal win over Dordt as Hastings simultaneously won on the other side of the bracket.

Before Concordia could experience glory at the national tournament, it had to find a way to grit out victories while navigating injuries to key players. Only Elena Ruiz started all 22 games as the Bulldogs shuffled the deck when injuries popped up for the likes of Garner, Savannah Andrews, Hannah Kile, Taylor Slaymaker and others. As Smith said, Concordia needed that first domino to fall. It happened on homecoming when the Bulldogs eked out a 1-0 victory over Briar Cliff while playing the second half with both Andrews and Garner sidelined. Freshman Kyana Rios emerged with the lone goal. Rios, Avery Black and Triniti Rowe all made an immediate impact as rookies.

Said Smith, “The big thing initially we were struggling with was our health. To be able to have everyone return to the field certainly made a difference for us and allowed us to have some consistency with personnel on the field. During that time we were struggling a little bit, we had players in and out. The other thing for us was just getting that first domino. We start 0-3, but the first game we had no business losing, the second game we lose on the last kick of the game and the third one we lose to a really good Hastings team that took their two chances. The message was that we weren’t playing awful, we just weren’t getting the result. We get that first domino to fall with Briar Cliff and we start to get a little bit of that belief back. We had some players return and we were able to channel that belief through the rest of the year. That takes us to where we ended.”

Garner, Niah Kirchner and Taylor Slaymaker all landed on the first team of the GPAC All-Conference honor roll while Andrews, Angela Banks and Rios garnered second team accolades. Honorable mention went to Hannah Kile and Ruiz. In year three as a Bulldog, Garner produced 22 goals and 13 assists for a school single season record 57 points. Six of Garner’s goals were game winners as she set a new program career standard in that category. Other top offensive contributors were Andrews (eight goals and four assists), Rosie Gyllenswan (four goals and five assists) and Rios (four goals and two assists). Gyllenswan will always hold the distinction of being the first player in school history to score a goal at the national tournament.

On senior day, the program honored nine seniors, including Slaymaker, who intends to return in 2025 while making use of a redshirt year. Slaymaker’s fellow classmates are Banks, Lilley Barber, Gyllenswan, Emily Howard, Zoe Lavigne, Senna McMullen, Molly Roberts and Katelyn Smith. It’s a crew that was recruited by the previous coach before adjusting to Smith when he arrived in the spring of 2023. The exception is Gyllenswan, who transferred from former GPAC member Jamestown for her final season of eligibility. Fifth-year Bulldog Hannah Haas also used up her eligibility while playing in 21 games in ’24.

The pieces fit nicely together as a star-studded junior class headlined by Garner and Kirchner helped lead the way. In discussing the importance of Kirchner in the midfield, Smith referred to her as someone all other GPAC coaches are aware of and who is “crucial to what we’re trying to do in possession.” The emergence of Banks as an all-conference goalkeeper was another major development. By the time the Bulldogs defeated Dordt in the semifinals, they had blanked six-consecutive opponents. On the season, Concordia piled up 52 goals while conceding 30.

The victory at the national tournament represented a major milestone for the program, but Smith doesn’t believe that was the Bulldogs’ ceiling. Smith and company are dreaming of potential GPAC championships and a trip to the NAIA final site. Those are lofty attainments that will require Concordia to put in the work over the spring and summer.

“It’s about the concept of not settling,” Smith said. “I want us when we reconvene in January to be able to celebrate the year that we had, but we can’t rest. If we truly want to be at this level consistently, we still have work to do, but we’ve put ourselves in a really good spot. Of the 11 players who started the two national tournament games for us, nine of them return. Seven All-GPAC players are returning to us as well. It’s about continuing to develop these individuals and working on our team as a whole and what the identity is going to be. It’s about fine-tuning the details in the margins. When you get to that point, that is the only difference really. It’s about tiny fixes and tiny improvements. We’re going to be working hard this spring and summer to make sure we’re in a better place to be successful again next year.”

Garner, Kirchner, Slaymaker headline Concordia All-Midlands selections

 December 26, 2024

As announced by the Omaha World-Herald on Thursday (Dec. 26), eight Bulldogs from the Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Soccer program were named 2024 NAIA/NCAA D-III All-Midlands Team honorees. Three Concordia standouts were honored as part of the news outlet’s primary 15-player team and another five Bulldogs were lauded as honorable mention selections. The team was headlined by Concordia’s Kierstynn Garner, Niah Kirchner and Taylor Slaymaker.

The Omaha World-Herald annually releases its All-Midlands teams to recognize the top players from small colleges across the state of Nebraska. The full 2024 All-Midlands squad can be found below. The eight Bulldog honorees helped Head Coach Nick Smith’s ’24 squad go 14-7-1 overall, reach the GPAC tournament final and notch the program’s first ever national tournament win.

2024 Concordia All-Midlands Team Honorees

Kierstynn Garner, F
2024 – 21 games (20 starts), 22 goals (6 game winners), 13 assists; First Team All-GPAC.

Niah Kirchner, MF
2024 – 22 games (21 starts), 1 goal, 1 assist; First Team All-GPAC.

Taylor Slaymaker, D
2024 – 22 games (19 starts), 1 goal; First Team All-GPAC.

Savannah Andrews, MF (HM)
2024 – 19 games (17 starts), 8 goals (3 game winners), 4 assists; Second Team All-GPAC.

Angela Banks, GK (HM)
2024 – 21 games (21 starts), 85 saves, 1.41 GAA, .746 save percentage, 7 shutouts; Second Team All-GPAC.

Hannah Kile, D (HM)
2024 – 18 games (15 starts), 1 goal, 1 assist; Honorable Mention All-GPAC.

Kyana Rios, MF (HM)
2024 – 22 games (14 starts), 4 goals, 2 assists; Second Team All-GPAC.

Elena Ruiz, MF (HM)
2024 – 22 games (22 starts), 2 assists; Honorable Mention All-GPAC.

2024 NAIA/NCAA D-III All-Midlands Team (Omaha World-Herald)

F: Kierstynn Garner, Concordia
F: Madison Rhodes, Hastings
F: Marissa Ring, College of St. Mary
F: Hanna Schimmer, UNK
MF: Niah Kirchner, Concordia
MF: Dulce Lopez, Hastings
MF: McKenna Rathbun, Doane
MF: Grace Reynolds, York
MF: *Dekota Schubert, Hastings
MF: Alaina Sorensen, Wayne St.
D: Millie Gell, Hastings
D: Megan Lampe, Hastings
D: Morgan McIlnay, Bellevue
D: Taylor Slaymaker, Concordia
GK: Virginia Johnson, Doane

Honorable mention — Bellevue: Alessia Ricciardi, Ketlyn Rota, Maju Serrano. College of St. Mary: Abbie Anderson, Ella Klusman, Aubrey Vancura. Concordia: Savannah Andrews, Angela Banks, Hannah Kile, Kyana Rios, Elena Ruiz. Doane: Payton Cooley, Gisselle Martinez, Brooklyn Mercurio. Hastings: Grace Henry, Norah Stewart, Julia Vilanova. Midland: Addison Castellanos, Rosa Schellmann. Nebraska Wesleyan: Averie Hike. UNK: Keila Gillispie, Dolcie Hanlon, Daniella Iaquinta, Mia Lang. Wayne State: Paige Pemberton, Erin Peters, Morgan Rhodes, Sidney Truman. York: Harumi Cornejo, Ava Gibson Doyle.

*Denotes honorary team captain