ABERDEEN, S.D. – Once Dominic Abdel-Ahad scored in the 14th minute on Saturday (Oct. 22), the floodgates opened for the Concordia University Men’s Soccer team. As part of the 9-0 rout of Presentation, Isaiah Shaddick went wild for a hat trick, six Bulldogs notched at least one goal and Carlos Orquiz racked up four assists. While dominating possession, Concordia peppered the Saints keepers with 18 shots on goal.
Head Coach Jason Weides had no complaints about how his team approached the road trip up to Aberdeen, S.D. The Bulldogs (12-2-2, 7-1-2 GPAC) moved a step closer to sewing up the No. 2 seed for the upcoming GPAC tournament.
“We talk to our guys about how, if we want to be considered a good team, we have to have consistent performances no matter who we play,” Weides said. “Our guys did a good job of making sure they were focused and ready to go. We really dominated possession in the first half. We missed a few chances but overall played well. We were able to really unload the bench. It was really good to see some guys get minutes that haven’t gotten a lot this year. Everyone who came onto the field helped us.”
The complete goal scoring summary is included below. This was about Concordia taking care of business against an opponent that has finished at the bottom of the GPAC annually since joining the GPAC in 2018. Shaddick put away his goals in the 15th, 52nd and 58th minutes while becoming the second Bulldog this season to record a hat trick (joining Abdel-Ahad). Ryan Wokutch also got loose for a pair of goals, marking his fifth and sixth of the season. Abdel-Ahad’s team leading goal count in 2022 now stands at 10.
Goals on Saturday:
· 13’ – Dominic Abdel-Ahad
· 15’ – Isaiah Shaddick
· 29’ – Carlos Orquiz
· 34’ – Ryan Wokutch
· 51’ – Ryan Wokutch
· 52’ – Isaiah Shaddick
· 58’ – Isaiah Shaddick
· 72’ – Iker Casanova
· 88’ – Victor Meneses
A Lincoln Southwest High School product, Shaddick has collected 17 goals in his collegiate career. These were the first three for him in 2022, but that’s not to say he hasn’t had a significant impact in relation to the team’s achievements.
Said Weides, “Izzy’s been one of those guys who’s played well for us this year. He’s just been a little bit unlucky not finding the back of the net until now. He’s shown consistently he’s capable of doing this. To cap it off with a hat trick and play so well was really fun to see. He’s had great performances this year, it just hasn’t always equated to goals.”
Concordia outshot Presentation, 22-3. In goal, Callum Goldsmith played all 90 minutes and made two saves as the Bulldogs earned their seventh clean sheet this season. Goldsmith spent most of his afternoon watching his teammates score on the attacking end. The nine goals were the most for the program since producing that same number in a 9-0 win at Presentation in 2019.
The Saints (2-12-1, 0-10 GPAC) are winless within GPAC play. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs are enjoying one of the best seasons in program history. Their 12 wins are tied for the second most in a season in school history. The program record remains 16 wins by the 2017 team.
The Bulldogs will aim to wrap up the league’s No. 2 seed on Wednesday when they conclude the regular season by hosting rival Doane (2-11-2, 2-4-2 GPAC). Kickoff from Bulldog Stadium is set for 8 p.m. CT. Prior to the game, Concordia will honor its senior class. The Bulldogs and Tigers played to a 1-1 draw last season in Crete.