SEWARD, Neb. – Concordia University, Nebraska Men’s Soccer has kept the belief that the results will eventually come. The Bulldogs will take positive vibes into conference play after seeing out a 3-1 victory in a rivalry renewal with York University in Seward on Wednesday (Sept. 17) night. Concordia got an 18th-minute goal from Hugo Garrote and never trailed, fending off a spirited effort from the Panthers.
Head Coach Jason Weides’ squad concluded nonconference play at 2-5 overall. The results lately, including last week’s 1-0 loss at No. 9 Bellevue University, have been mostly encouraging. However, Weides will take away some teaching points from the latest outing.
“Wins are nice, but we have to look at our performance too,” Weides said. “I think there were some really good things that happened in this match and then there were some things that we need to learn and grow from and be a lot better.”
For a team seeking a breakout from a goal scoring perspective, the frozen rope delivered by Garrote provided a shot in the arm. His strike, contacted from just outside the 18, came on a free kick that curled inside the left post. Garrote and his teammates took their chances well in converting half of their shots on goal. A backbreaker for York occurred in the 25th minute when Oliver Balazs intercepted a pass and deposited an uncontested shot into the back of the net.
The latter stages of the game became intense when York finally got on the board in the 82nd minute via Kaden Ogle’s penalty kick goal. At that point, both teams were playing with 10 men after a player apiece was sent away. The Bulldogs finally put the game to bed in the 87th minute thanks to Ricards Busmeisters’ third goal of the campaign. The Panthers (3-2) fell for only the second time this season despite statistical advantages in shots, 18-8, and corners, 9-3. Notably, York was whistled for 20 fouls.
Concordia overcame some early turnovers in the back that could have proved costly. Veteran goalkeeper Nolan Fuelberth helped cover up for the miscues with three saves in the first half. The Academic All-American Fuelberth finished with seven denials. A hand ball in the box led to the lone Panther goal, preventing the shutout. After the early hiccups, the back line settled in while led by veterans such as Adrian Wambua and Mike Wyvill.
Through the completion of nonconference play, the program’s hallmark for strong defensive play remains in place. None of the seven non-league foes managed to score more than two goals. The Bulldogs now hope to find the finishing touch in the attacking third as GPAC play arrives.
Said Weides, “We wanted to put the ball in the box and have more wide play, more crosses and more shots. There were definitely some good moments for us moving forward, especially in the first half – until we went down to 10 men. Ultimately, we’re still not threatening the box enough. I think there are another couple levels for us to get.”
The Panthers’ co-head coach Benny Hanaphy served as a graduate assistant under Weides. Entering Wednesday night, York had been 3-1 against GPAC opponents.
The slate gets wiped clean on Saturday as GPAC play gets underway with a road trip to Orange City, Iowa. Concordia and Northwestern (4-1-1, 0-0 GPAC) will kick things off at 1 p.m. CT. The Bulldogs clipped the Red Raiders twice last season by one-goal margins, including a matchup that occurred in the GPAC semifinals.