SEWARD, Neb. – The regular season will be in the books for the Concordia University Men’s Soccer team by the time play finishes on Wednesday night. That’s when the Bulldogs will take on rival Doane at Al Papik Field in Crete. With a win, Concordia would finish in either fifth or sixth place in the final GPAC standings. Head Coach Jason Weides’ squad clinched a spot in the conference tournament thanks to last week’s 6-0 blowout of Presentation.
Wednesday, Oct. 27 at Doane (2-11-1, 2-6-1 GPAC), 7:15 p.m.
--Live Webcast | Live Stats
It’s been an up-and-down season for the Bulldogs, who have competed closely with each of their opponents. After falling 1-0 at Briar Cliff on Oct. 20, Concordia bounced back at home three days later with the aforementioned win over Presentation on senior day. In the loss to the Chargers, the Bulldogs were limited to four shots on goal. It was a different story next time out as Concordia outshot the Saints, 27-1. Four Bulldogs got into the goal scoring column, including Yessine Bessaïes (two goals), Martin Herrera, Carlos Orquiz and Ryan Wokutch. In addition, Garrett Perry earned credit for two assists.
Concordia will hope to make up for some of this season’s frustrating losses once it gets to the postseason. The close defeats will prevent the Bulldogs from hosting a GPAC quarterfinal game. With 16 points, they currently sit behind Northwestern (9-1), Briar Cliff (8-1), Hastings (7-2-1) and Morningside (7-3) in the conference standings. Against those four foes, Concordia has gone 0-3-1, but the defeats have each been decided by one-goal margins. From 2015 through 2017, the Bulldogs reached the GPAC tournament final each season.
Bessaïes, one of six seniors recognized last week, has been the team’s most dependable attacking force. The native of Bordeaux, France, leads the team in both goals (six) and assists (five). The six goals as a team in the win over Presentation represented a season high. Overall in 2021, Concordia has outscored its foes by a combined total of 33-19 (22-10 in conference games). Four Bulldogs have chipped in with four goals apiece: Herrera, Perry, Isaiah Shaddick and Wokutch. At keeper, senior Callum Goldsmith got the start over the weekend and earned a clean sheet, though he faced little pressure.
Doane will be playing for its postseason life in the final week of the regular season. The Tigers will also host 19th-ranked Northwestern on Saturday. Second-year head coach Tony Odorisio’s squad has picked up GPAC wins over Presentation and Dakota Wesleyan. On the season, Doane has been outscored by a combined total of 39-10. Braden Lackey has found the back of the net three times. Concordia has gone 4-0-1 versus the Tigers over the past five series matchups. Doane has not defeated the Bulldogs since 2012.
The GPAC tournament quarterfinals will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 3 with the semifinals to follow on Nov. 6 and the championship game set for Nov. 11. The highest seeds host in each round.