Four different Bulldogs score as unbeaten streak runs to six
SEWARD, Neb. – Heated rivals going back many years, the Concordia University men’s soccer team and York College met again on Wednesday night in what was mostly a civil affair. The Bulldogs got the best of their neighbor to the west, winning by a count of 4-0 underneath the lights in Seward. Concordia used four different goal scorers to make it anticlimactic in the second half.
Seventh-year head coach Jason Weides’ squad ran its unbeaten streak to six games and improved its overall record to 6-3-1 on the season. The Bulldogs have won four of their first five home contests.
“Honestly I think it’s one of the oldest rivalries in Nebraska soccer,” Weides said of the matchup with York. “We’ve been playing every year since 1973. There have been years where Concordia has really good teams and years where York has really good teams. It’s been really good rivalries back and forth.”
Like the win four days earlier over Mount Marty, Concordia got off to another quick start. Senior Chris DeFeyter, a 2013 second team all-conference choice, found the back of the net for the first time this season with his goal in the 14th minute. DeFeyter played a soft touch from Julian Amaya from the top of the box and unleashed the shot into the net.
Even with the Panthers focused on playing a defensive game by packing it in on the Concordia attacking end, freshman Toby Down knocked one home for the second-straight game. Down (Hong Kong, China) struck the ball violently from just outside the box, past a diving keeper off the assist from Gideon Soenksen in the 24th minute.
Concordia essentially put the game away when Amaya stole the ball from a York defender and sped down the left side for a one-on-one opportunity with the keeper. Amaya simply tapped the ball past drawn out keeper Luis Sanchez for his third goal of the season.
“It was a good goal because I pressed the defenders,” Amaya said. “When I got the ball I tried to attack to the middle. Suddenly I just saw the keeper come out. When the keeper came out I just had one second to say, ‘should I shoot the ball or go right at him?’ I chose the right option.”
The Bulldogs had one more goal in them. Sophomore Carlos Acosta put an exclamation mark on the victory with his first goal of the season, coming in the 57th minute. That scored allowed Weides to empty the bench as 24 players saw action on the night for Concordia.
Acosta and DeFeyter became the 10th and 11th unique goal scorers this season for the Bulldogs.
“I think it’s really helpful for us to know that our goals can come from more than one source,” Weides said. “If someone’s having an off game, someone else can score. It makes it tough for our opponents. They can’t just gameplan around one guy.”
The Panthers did not even register a shot until the beginning of the 67th minute when reserve keeper Mark Horsburgh saved a shot from Job Yapp. Concordia held a 25-3 advantage in shots for the game. Starting keeper Brendan Buchanan and Horsburgh split the 90 minutes in half in helping Concordia to its fourth shutout on the season.
Concordia’s active six-game unbeaten streak (5-0-1) is the longest for the program since a seven-game run (5-0-2) in October 2011.
The Bulldogs return to GPAC action on Saturday with a road contest at Dordt (5-4, 1-1 GPAC). Kickoff is set for 3:15 p.m. from Sioux Center, Iowa. The Defenders have won the last two meetings, including a 2-0 decision the last time the two squads played at Dordt.