SEWARD, Neb. – The series history between the Bulldogs and Broncos has made it quite clear that it takes a special effort for the Concordia University Men’s Soccer program to topple mighty Hastings. The 2019 NAIA national runner up Broncos put up two goals early in the second half while galloping to a 3-1 victory inside Bulldog Stadium on Saturday (Oct. 17).
This marked the first loss on the conference record for 13th-year Head Coach Jason Weides’ squad. The week for Concordia (6-2-1, 4-1-1 GPAC) included a draw at Mount Marty on Monday.
“It was unfortunate we couldn’t get that second goal to really make those last few minutes interesting,” Weides said. “I think there were moments where I didn’t sense the fight in our team that we usually show. We scored that goal and I think that lit a little bit of a fire in us. It was a good response after that. I think they beat us in a lot of facets today, but we beat ourselves too. They deserved to win today.”
If there is anything the Bulldogs can build upon moving forward, it’s the way they made Hastings sweat a bit after the three-goal differential. That spread held until Garrett Perry played a perfect cross into the box for Carlos Orquiz, who knew what to do with it. The Orquiz goal (72nd minute) seemed to bring the entire game to a new level.
These 90 minutes featured the usual feistiness and chippiness that has characterized the series. There were a combined seven cards issued (all in the second half). Concordia began fighting back after Tyler Mase and David Panter knocked in goals for the villains. In the 86th minute, Yessine Bessaies had a good look at a potential goal that was saved by Bronco keeper Jesus Parra. Hastings finished with a 12-9 advantage in shots.
The Broncos (6-0 GPAC) are undoubtedly a threat to win the GPAC once again. Hastings has been able to avoid falling victim to Concordia ever since the Bulldogs upset the Broncos in the 2015 GPAC tournament championship game. The leading striker for Hastings, Lukas Goetz (seven goals this season), attempted four shots on Saturday.
Concordia honored a group of six seniors prior to kickoff. They were part of a 2017 team that went 16-3-1 overall (school record for wins in a season). Said Weides, “It’s been a fun group to work with. They’ve had a lot of success in their time here at Concordia. Their freshman year was probably one of the best years in Concordia history. They’ve won a lot of games and they’re competitors … They have worked tirelessly for Concordia and improved throughout their time.”
The Bulldogs will be right back at home on Wednesday to face another unbeaten team in Briar Cliff (7-0, 5-0 GPAC). Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. CT in Seward. The Chargers will be coming off a 9-1 victory last Saturday (Oct. 10) over Presentation.