JAMESTOWN, N.D. – The rain did not relent on Saturday (Oct. 9) evening as the Concordia University Men’s Soccer team made a long weekend journey worth the while. Three different Bulldogs found the back of the net in a strong all-around team performance that resulted in a 3-0 win at Jamestown. Concordia managed to lock up its fourth shutout of the season (third within conference play).
This was the type of team Head Coach Jason Weides would like to see moving forward. The Bulldogs have improved to 6-6-1 overall and to 4-3 within the GPAC.
“I’m really proud of the guys – not just for the result,” Weides said. “We played really well against a good team. Jamestown has really dangerous players and I think our guys really rose to the challenge. We told our team to focus on us first and try to be the best versions of ourselves. I think our guys did a great job of that. We really tested their keeper. It was an especially good first half. Defensively, I think we did a good job of limiting their possession.”
Despite creating a large number of chances (13 shots in the first half), Concordia waited until the 40th minute to get on the board. That’s when the Bulldogs took advantage of a mistake by the Jimmies. The result was a goal for Yessine Bessaïes. Before the turf field became a lake, the Bulldogs added a goal from David Moreno (header) in the 52nd minute and one from Martin Herrera (free kick) in the 55th minute.
The two early scores in the second half provided comfort during a season that has featured many close calls. Concordia was able to see out the clean sheet with the help of four saves by keeper Gabriel Mendoza. Most notably, Jamestown (5-5-2, 3-3-1 GPAC) owns a win this season over Hastings. In other words, the Bulldogs were expecting a tough battle.
“We had opportunities to get a fourth goal – just couldn’t,” Weides said. “Renzo Bozzo had a really good header that missed narrowly. Really, everybody played well. Everyone who stepped on the field played well. Despite being cold and miserable on the bench – it was the wettest game I’ve ever been a part of – the bench was encouraging and supportive. Top to bottom, it was a great win for us.”
Bessaïes took six shots while Herrera fired five. Concordia finished with an advantage of 17-13 in shots (7-4 in shots on goal). Meanwhile, the Jimmies had the edge in corners, 6-1. Jamestown keeper Alex Hamer made four saves. After returning from injury this past Wednesday, Matt Schultz moved into the starting lineup on Saturday.
The Bulldogs will take a mid-week bye as they now look forward to playing at Hastings (5-3-1, 4-2 GPAC) next Saturday (Oct. 16). Kickoff from Lloyd Wilson Field is set for 8 p.m. CT. Concordia will attempt to knock off the Broncos for the first time since 2015.