Bulldog Weekly Report (Sept. 25)

By Jacob Knabel on Sep. 25, 2018 in Athletic Announcements

Bulldog Athletic Association Athletes of the Week

Male: Roger de la Villa, Soccer

A native of Barcelona, Spain, de la Villa notched a 43rd-minute goal last week at Northwestern in a game that ended with a 1-1 double overtime tie. The junior midfielder shares the team lead with three goals this season for the Bulldogs (4-2-1).

Female: Erin Lokke, Shooting Sports

Lokke, who hails from Saint Francis, Minn., took gold in the women’s international skeet competition over the weekend at the ACUI Western International Championship in Colorado Springs. Lokke turned in a perfect round of 25/25 as part of her championship run. Lokke’s performance at the national championships this past spring earned her a spot on the USA collegiate national team.

Previous Athletes of the Week
Sept. 18 – Lane Napier (football) / Emmie Noyd (volleyball)
Sept. 11 – Ryan Durdon (football) / Marissa Hoerman (volleyball)
Sept. 4 – JP Verissimo (soccer) / Lauren Martin (soccer)
Aug. 28 – Garrett Perry (soccer) / Jenna Habegger (volleyball)

News and notes:

Quiet off the field, loud on it: Currently the NAIA national leader in tackles per game, sophomore linebacker Lane Napier quietly goes about his business. His approach has earned the respect of many people going back to his days as a star player at Aquinas Catholic High School in David City, Neb. He established himself as a starter and one of the GPAC’s top defensive players last season as a freshman. For more on the Concordia football program’s tackling machine, click HERE.

Concordia inducts 2018 Hall of Fame class: Four individuals and one team have officially joined the Concordia Athletic Hall of Fame. An induction ceremony took place on Sept. 21 in conjunction with homecoming weekend on campus. The new Hall of Fame members are Carol Pankoke Capek ’84, Brandon Seifert ’01, Mike Works ’92, Jon Ziegler ’07 and the 2004-05 women’s cross country team coached by Kregg Einspahr. For more on the 2018 Hall of Fame class, click HERE.

Bulldog shooting sports competes at site of US Olympic training facility: Head coach Scott Moniot traveled with 11 competitors from the Bulldog shooting sports program to this past weekend’s ACUI Western International Championship in Colorado Springs, Colo., home to the USA Olympic training center. The highlights were Concordia sweeping the three podium finishes in women’s international skeet (Erin Lokke – gold, Emma Van Donselaar – silver, Sara Schwacher – silver) and a gold for Monica Dale in women’s international trap. A full recap will soon appear via our shooting sports web page.

2019 varsity baseball schedule released: A 50-game regular-season schedule is in place for the Bulldog baseball program. Head coach Ryan Dupic’s 2019 squad is set to take early-season trips to Oklahoma City (Feb. 23-24) and to Tucson, Ariz. (March 2-9) in nonconference action. Concordia is also slated to play 17 games at Plum Creek Park. For the complete schedule, click HERE.

Bulldog Coaches Show airs every Thursday at 5:30 p.m. CT: The Bulldog Coaches Show is underway in its fourth year of existence. The show airs live for a half hour every Thursday beginning at 5:30 p.m. CT on KTMX-FM 104.9 Max Country. The weekly feature can also be heard live via 104.9 Max Country’s website or by downloading the Max Country app. Throughout the 2018-19 season, Bulldog football, men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball contests will be aired live on Max Country. Tyler Cavalli serves as the host of the coaches’ show as well as the play-by-play voice for football and basketball. Frank Greene is in his fourth season calling Concordia volleyball.

Concordia Sports Network: Live webcasts for most home varsity contests can be accessed by visiting http://www.cune.edu/csn at game time. Check team schedules/results pages for webcast dates. Scrimmages, exhibitions and junior varsity events are not broadcasted.

Cross Country

  • The Bulldogs broke the usual tendency of competing every other week by going on the run for the second Saturday in a row. This past weekend, Concordia traveled to nearby Crete for the Dean White Invitational hosted by Doane. The Bulldog men placed third (112 points) out of 11 teams while the women finished fifth (107 points) out of 15 squads in the field. Third-year head coach Matt Beisel’s squads have also competed at the Augustana Twilight (Aug. 31) and the Bronco Stampede (Sept. 15). For more on Concordia cross country, click HERE.
  • In the latest official GPAC polls released on Sept. 18, the Bulldogs checked in at tied for third on the men’s side and fifth on the women’s side. The No. 3 placement marked a big jump for the men, who were listed at No. 7 in the preseason. The Concordia men made the leap after winning the Bronco Stampede, a meet that included conference rivals Doane and Hastings. On the other hand, the women remained in the same spot they landed at in the preseason.
  • The rankings pegged the Bulldogs about right, at least at this juncture in the season. The only teams to defeat the Bulldog men at the Dean White Invite were 19th-ranked Dordt and Northwestern, a team receiving votes in this week’s NAIA national poll. Concordia knocked off conference foes Morningside (fifth), Doane (seventh), Hastings (eighth) and Mount Marty (11th). Meanwhile, the Concordia women defeated four GPAC opponents in Crete: Dakota Wesleyan (seventh), Doane (eighth), Mount Marty (11th) and College of Saint Mary (12th).
  • For the second meet in a row, senior Josiah McAllister paced the men’s team. He placed 12th at the Dean White Invite, navigating the 8k course in 27:11.55. Fellow senior Taylor Thomas jumped in line next, clocking in at 27:43.89 (20th). The team’s top seven also featured freshman Wyatt Lehr (27:48.05; 21st), sophomores Christian Van Cleave (28:02.15; 29th) and Jordan Lorenz (28:39.82; 38th), senior Evan Asche (28:56.37; 48th) and freshman Ethan Pankow (29:14.87; 54th). Lehr was the team’s top runner at the Augustana Twilight.
  • Senior Taylor Grove continues to lead the pack on the women’s side. She finished ninth in a time of 19:52.40 on the 5k course. Grove has been the team’s top runner at each of the first three meets this season. The rest of the top seven for the Bulldogs included junior Rebekah Hinrichs (20:10.76; 15th), freshman Abi DeLoach (20:11.11; 16th), junior Hannah Rebmann (20:52.24; 30th), sophomores Lydia Cook (21:08.72; 40th) and Alyssa Bierwagen (21:21.50; 47th) and senior Jacy Johnston (21:28.27; 53rd). It marked the first race as a Bulldog for Rebmann, who transferred from NCAA Division II Pittsburg State University (Kan.).
  • The men have now run a 7k (Augustana Twilight) and two 8k races this season. Each of the women’s races have covered the normal 5k. Through the first three meets, the Concordia men have posted team meet time averages of 24:20.18 (7k), 28:21.87 (8k) and 27:53.10 (8k), respectively. Meanwhile, the women have recorded average times of 20:23.24, 20:59.53 and 20:27.05, respectively. Thus, the Dean White Invite set new season standards for both squads.
  • Beisel’s Bulldogs will have this weekend off as they prepare for the Briar Cliff Invite on Saturday, Oct. 6. The meet will be held at Adams Nature Preserve in North Sioux City, S.D., and will get started at 10 a.m. Concordia has just two meets left before the GPAC championships unfold on Saturday, Nov. 3.

Golf

  • As of the time of this release on Tuesday afternoon (Sept. 25), the men’s program continued to compete at the GPAC Fall Championships in Sioux Falls, S.D. On day one in Sioux Falls, the Bulldogs carded a score of 309, putting them seventh among the 11 GPAC men’s golf programs. The action picked up again today from Willow Run Golf Course at 10 a.m. CT. Meanwhile, the women have not been in action since placing eighth at the Lila Frommelt Classic (Sept. 14-15). For more information on the Bulldog golf programs: Men | Women.
  • Eighth-year head coach Brett Muller’s men’s team has hopes of equaling or even outperforming last year’s fifth-place GPAC finish. Junior Tylar Samek led the way for Concordia in Monday’s round of GPAC championships play. He shot a four-over-par 74, placing him in a tie for 14th on the individual leaderboard. Now gunning for his fourth All-GPAC honor in a row, senior Nolan Zikas came in next with a 76 (tied for 24th). The rest of the lineup got its first taste of the GPAC championships. Concordia was rounded out by junior Josh Schaefer (79; T-32nd), sophomore Jayden Neal (80; T-39th) and junior Colton Zulkoski (81; T-42nd.
  • In his first three runs through the GPAC championships, Zikas has placed ninth, 24th and 16th, respectively. Meanwhile, Samek placed 22nd as a freshman and 32nd as a sophomore on the GPAC leaderboard. Zikas has elevated his game as a senior. His average of 72.0 tops the team through five rounds of action entering the second day of the GPAC championships. Zikas already owns a Siouxland Invitational title and a GPAC Golfer of the Week award this season. He also placed second at the Briar Cliff Fall Invitational.
  • In relation to par, the 309 team score on Monday was the team’s highest total of the fall season (+29). The Bulldog men now have a season scoring average of 303.60 through the first five rounds of the 2018-19 campaign. The season low of 293 was turned in on the second day of the Siouxland Invite. Every other round has resulted in a total of 301 or higher.
  • Freshman Kendra Placke’s presence continues to lift up the women’s program. The Seward High School product has placed inside the top 10 at each of the team’s first three tournaments. Through the first five rounds of her collegiate career, Placke has turned in scores of 76, 87, 82, 81 and 77, respectively, for an average of 80.60. She placed fourth at the Mount Marty Invite, third at the Midland Invite and eighth at the Lila Frommelt Classic.
  • The 339 carded by the women on the second day of the Lila Frommelt Classic marked a season low and a nine-stroke improvement from the first day of the tournament. Placke’s addition has made a big difference in lowering the team scoring. The 2017-18 Bulldogs averaged a 376.44 over 14 rounds. The average this season has plummeted to 358.40. The 339 was lower than any score turned in by the 2017-18 squad.
  • Five teammates joined Placke in North Sioux City, S.D. Junior Murphy Sears cut four strokes off her Sept. 14 round and placed in a tie for 28th (86-82–168) out of 82 golfers. The rest of Concordia’s competitors were sophomore Andrea Peterson (86-89–175; 41st), freshman Britney Jepsen (95-91–186; 56th) and seniors Madison Pitsch (96-94–190; 63rd) and Paighton Barbre (100-100–200; 70th). Five of the six Bulldogs at the meet either equaled or improved their score on the second day.
  • After completing today (Sept. 25)’s GPAC round, the men will have just one event left in their fall season, which will culminate with the Nebraska Intercollegiate (Oct. 12-13) at Norfolk Country Club in Norfolk, Neb. The women will be back in action on Wednesday at the Matthew Goette Classic at Tiburon Golf Club in Omaha. Placke and company also have their first two rounds of GPAC championships to look forward to next Monday and Tuesday (Oct. 1-2). They will be held at The Bluffs in Vermillion, S.D.

Women’s Soccer

  • The first week of conference play treated the defending GPAC regular-season champions well. The Bulldogs continued their unbeaten streak in conference regular-season action by defeating College of Saint Mary, 6-0, on Sept. 19 and by winning at Northwestern, 3-1, on Sept. 22. Now on a three-game win streak, sixth-year head coach Greg Henson’s squad has moved to 5-1-2 overall and to 2-0 in conference play. Entering this week, Concordia is one of six GPAC teams that has not yet lost in conference play in 2018. For more information on Bulldog women’s soccer, click HERE.
  • You have to go all the way back to Oct. 12, 2016, to find the last defeat suffered by the program inside conference play. After a loss on that date, Concordia finished the 2016 season with five GPAC regular-season wins in a row (and then went on to win the GPAC tournament). The 2017 Bulldogs went 9-0-1 in conference regular-season action while winning the GPAC title outright. With two more conference wins so far this season, Concordia is now 16-0-1 over its last 17 GPAC regular-season contests.
  • Junior Brynn Suddeth emerged as the star of the first week of conference play. She went off with a goal apiece in the 56th, 77th and 89th minutes of the win over College of Saint Mary. It marked the program’s first hat trick since Maria Deeter accomplished that feat in the 2017 season opener versus Avila University (Mo.). Suddeth then notched the game’s first goal in the victory at Northwestern. A transfer from Allen Community College, Suddeth tallied 23 goals and 16 assists in her two seasons of junior college soccer.
  • The development of Suddeth and fellow junior Becky Freeman has made the Bulldogs more dangerous up top. A native of Harrisonville, Mo., Freeman has taken on a much bigger role than she had as either a freshman or sophomore (19 combined games played in those seasons). She has scored a goal in three-straight games and in five of the last six. Her five goals on the year are tied with Deeter for a team high.
  • Senior Lauren Martin has found the back of the net just twice so far, but she’s been prolific at setting up her teammates. The native of Longmont, Colo., added three assists versus College of Saint Mary to run her season total to an NAIA leading 11. That number is already higher than the assist total she put up over her first two years at Concordia (eight). Over 50 career games as a Bulldog, Martin has accumulated 10 goals and 19 assists.
  • As a team, the Bulldogs rank in the top four of the GPAC in both goals scored per game (3.13; 2nd) and in fewest goals allowed per game (1.13; 4th). Since the 4-3 loss at Bellevue University on Sept. 11, Concordia has conceded only one goal during its active three-game win streak. Goalkeeper Lindsey Carley earned credit for shutouts at Friends University (Kan.) and versus College of Saint Mary.
  • While Suddeth put the first three goals of her Bulldog career on the board versus College of Saint Mary, freshman Callie McNary also surfaced with her first career collegiate goal. She finally broke the ice in what was a 0-0 game by finding the back of the net in the 35th minute. Another freshman in Madeline Haugen also added a goal late in the contest as Concordia poured it on the Flames. Nine different players have scored at least one goal this season for the Bulldogs.
  • Two more conference games make up this week’s schedule. Both opponents are also 2-0 in league play. Concordia will travel to Sioux City, Iowa, to take on Morningside (3-3-1, 2-0 GPAC) at 5:30 p.m. CT on Wednesday. The Bulldogs will then be back home to host Dordt (4-4, 2-0 GPAC) at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

Men’s Soccer

  • Following a bye in the middle of last week, the Bulldogs returned to action on Sept. 22 with a road trip to Orange City, Iowa. Concordia held a 1-0 lead in the clash with Northwestern but ultimately settled for a 1-1 double overtime draw. It was the second overtime contest of the season for 11th-year head coach Jason Weides’ squad, which now sits at 4-2-1 overall and at 0-0-1 in conference play. For more information on Bulldog men’s soccer, click HERE.
  • According to the official conference ratings, the matchup in Orange City featured the GPAC’s Nos. 2 and 3 squads. The Red Raiders even jumped into the receiving votes category on the strength of their 3-2 win at then 14th-ranked Marymount California University on Sept. 13. Concordia competed favorably with Northwestern (21-18 shots advantage) and had its chances to win in the overtimes. The Bulldogs outshot the Red Raiders, 7-2, over the 20 minutes of overtime action.
  • It’s certainly true that you never know where the goals will come from in a given game for Concordia. Four Bulldogs are now tied for the team lead with three goals apiece. Junior Roger de la Villa put his name in that group with his 43rd-minute goal at Northwestern. Teammates who have also scored three goals this season include Jack Arra, David Carrasco and Konrad Sinu. Carlos Orquiz also has two goals to his credit.
  • On the flip side, Weides has been trying to get his squad to shore up some of the breakdowns that have led to high goal totals by the opposition. The results at Northwestern were encouraging. The Red Raiders came into last week’s matchup averaging nearly 3.5 goals per game. However, they were held to just three shots on goal by Concordia. The one goal allowed was a season low for the Bulldogs, who have now conceded 14 goals through seven games.
  • Solid defensive play made life easier for freshman goalkeeper Callum Goldsmith, who made his second start in a row in place of senior Jack Bennett, who continues to recover from an injury suffered in the 3-2 overtime win over McPherson College (Kan.) on Sept. 12. Goldsmith has now played 203 minutes this season and has made three saves. The Bulldogs have won all three games Goldsmith has appeared in.
  • A senior from Lincoln, Neb., Derek Eitzmann is in his second season as a starter on Concordia’s back line. Eitzmann is rarely involved on the attacking end, but at Northwestern he picked up the first assist of his career. He has started 24 of 27 games since the start of the 2017 campaign. He’s an example of someone who has improved with experience. Eitzmann won a starting job last season after playing in a combined 10 games as a freshman and sophomore.
  • Concordia began this season picked to finish second in the GPAC. The Bulldogs have earned respect as a upper tier team in the GPAC by posting five seasons in a row with conference marks at .500 or better. The 7-2 GPAC record recorded last season marked the best conference performance during Weides’ tenure. Champion of the 2015 GPAC tournament, the program still seeks its first-ever GPAC regular-season title.
  • Conference play ramps up this week with a pair of GPAC conflicts. Next up is Wednesday’s trip to Sioux City, Iowa, for an 8 p.m. CT kickoff at Morningside (4-3-1, 2-0 GPAC). Then on Saturday, Concordia will be at home to host Dordt (5-3, 1-1 GPAC) for a 3:30 p.m. start. The Bulldogs defeated both teams during the 2017 regular season.

Volleyball

  • Once conference play hits, there are no breaks or easy outs in the schedule when it comes to GPAC volleyball. That is being made clear once again for the Concordia volleyball program, which went through a five-day stretch last week during which it played three teams that were ranked in the top 20 of the NAIA preseason poll. The results were four-set losses at home to Doane and on the road at No. 13 Hastings and a competitive straight-sets defeat versus 15th-ranked Northwestern. First-year head coach Ben Boldt’s squad is now 12-5 overall and 2-5 in conference play. For more on Bulldog volleyball, click HERE.
  • The 2-5 GPAC mark fails to tell the entire story. Concordia’s résumé included a nonconference victory over McPherson College (Kan.), currently 16-1 overall and ranked 24th in the NAIA coaches’ poll. Furthermore, Massey Ratings’ calculations have the Bulldogs rated as the 36th best team in the nation. Those same ratings place four GPAC teams inside the top 16 and a total of eight inside the top 50 nationally. Each of the five losses suffered this season have come against Massey top 48 squads.
  • During Concordia’s 12-0 start to the season, it dropped a combined total of just four sets (36-4). The Bulldogs then lost four matches in a row that were decided in four sets (twice the fourth-set margin was two points) before falling in straight sets to Northwestern. After a disappointing performance in the loss to Doane, Concordia seemed to make some strides against Hastings and Northwestern. Of the seven sets in those matches, the Bulldogs reached the 20s in all but one while up against elite competition.
  • Boldt had no complaints with his team’s offensive production in the third set versus Northwestern. In that instance, Concordia hit .488, slammed 21 kills and did not make a single error on 43 attacks. It was quite a turnaround after the Bulldogs hit .000 in the first set and -.032 in the second set. Despite a challenging recent run of conference play, Concordia ranks 18th nationally in hitting percentage (.230).
  • It was another solid week for junior middle Emmie Noyd, who hammered a team high 28 combined kills over the past three matches. On 70 attacking attempts, Noyd made just five errors for a hitting percentage of .329. She also added 12 blocks. Nationally, the Shelby, Neb., native ranks 31st in blocks per set (1.06) and 34th in hitting percentage (.319). She needs 21 more kills to reach 500 in her career.
  • The Boldts have strongly emphasized improved defensive play at the net – and it has paid off statistically. The Bulldogs rank 18th in the NAIA in blocks per set (2.20) behind Noyd and others such as sophomore Tara Callahan (0.80 blocks/set) and freshman Morgan Nibbe (0.68/blocks/set). Over last week’s three matches, Concordia racked up 30 blocks, including nine or more in each match.
  • Used as more of a moment-to-moment weapon earlier in the season, sophomore Kara Stark has even cracked the starting lineup in recent action. A 6-foot-2 outside hitter, Stark packs a punch. She pounded 11 kills at Hastings and 10 more versus Northwestern. In 25 sets played this season, the native of Frisco, Texas, has floored 51 kills and is hitting .215. Boldt has a variety of options on the outside, including upperclassmen in Jenna Habegger (3.25 kills/set) and Alex La Plant (2.02 kills/set). Five Bulldogs average at least two kills per set.
  • At least in terms of days off, this week’s schedule will be more forgiving. Concordia will wait until Friday to return to action as part of a trip to the Dakotas. The Bulldogs will play at Jamestown (12-3, 4-2 GPAC) at 7:30 p.m. CT on Friday. The next day Concordia will be in Mitchell, S.D., to clash with Dakota Wesleyan (11-6, 1-5 GPAC) for a 3 p.m. first serve. The Bulldogs have been at home for 10 of their first 17 matches but will be on the road for six of their final nine regular-season contests.

Football

  • The Bulldogs knew the level of difficulty would increase as they got into the meat of the GPAC schedule. After tight wins over Buena Vista University (Iowa) and Jamestown to open up the season, Concordia had some of its weaknesses exposed in a 35-7 homecoming loss to Midland on Sept. 22. The Warriors outgained the Bulldogs, 507-274, while riding dual-threat quarterback Payton Nelson to victory. Second-year head coach Patrick Daberkow’s squad now stands at 2-1 overall and at 1-1 in conference play. For more on Concordia football, click HERE.
  • The defeat was a complete reversal from the 2017 meeting between Concordia and Midland. In that contest, Ryan Durdon equaled a program single-game rushing record with 266 rushing yards and four touchdowns in a 44-14 Bulldog victory. At that point, Concordia had defeated the Warriors six-straight times. Midland leads the all-time series 36-27-1 in a matchup that dates back to 1944.
  • The Warriors did a commendable job of bottling up Durdon in the latest meeting. The workhorse back from Decatur, Texas, ran for 86 yards on 11 attempts, but 84 of those yards came on one carry that came on the final play of the first half. Durdon was chased down from behind to prevent a potential touchdown. Durdon failed to reach the end zone against Midland after rushing for a combined four touchdowns in the first two weeks of the season. Durdon has rushed for 389 yards on 68 carries so far in 2018.
  • On the defensive side of the ball, sophomore linebacker Lane Napier has been the headline performer. He was named the GPAC Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 17 after totaling a career high 21 tackles in the win at Jamestown. Napier added 10 more tackles last week, running his season total to 40. He is currently the NAIA national leader in tackles per game (13.3). The native of David City, Neb., also has already amassed 5.5 tackles for loss, including three sacks. Napier has recorded 137 tackles over his first 13 collegiate games.
  • While the offense only managed seven points, there were some positive developments in the passing game. Receivers Arthur Anderson (five catches, 69 yards, one touchdown) and Vincent Beasley (five catches, 63 yards) both caught five passes. Anderson scored the team’s lone touchdown on a fourth-and-goal play from the one. Anderson also hauled in a 45-yard strike from quarterback Jake Kemp. It was the team’s longest pass play of the season.
  • Some of the struggles offensively have meant a lot of punting for sophomore Brady Fitzke. The younger brother of former all-conference Bulldog Seth Fitzke, Brady has already punted 20 times for an average of 40.1 yards per attempt (22nd in the nation). Fitzke’s best punt versus Midland was a 66-yarder that pinned the Warriors back at their own one. Fitzke is still trying to heal from an injury that has made him unavailable as a tight end. On 42 career punts, Fitzke has averaged 41.4 yards per attempt.
  • Fitzke is not the only key figure still trying to get back to 100 percent health. Three projected starters along the offensive line missed the Midland game: senior tackle Grady Koch, senior guard Stuart Kolpin and senior center Evrett Shaw. The most youthful position group on the field right now is Concordia’s offensive line. Koch is the only returner up front who started last season. He has yet to make his 2018 debut and his status remains a question mark for this Saturday.
  • The Bulldog will take to the road for the second time in GPAC play when they head to Sioux Center, Iowa, for Saturday’s 1 p.m. CT kickoff at Dordt (2-1, 1-1 GPAC). The Defenders have steadily improved since Joel Penner took over as head coach prior to the 2016 season. This will be the third year in a row that Concordia has played at Dordt. The Bulldogs emerged from Sioux Center with a 35-28 win in 2016 and then a 24-17 victory in 2017. Concordia is 9-1 all-time versus the Defenders.