Seward, Neb. – High expectations are set for the Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Soccer team as two NAIA top-25 juggernauts will step into Bulldog Stadium in the coming days. The Dawgs are scheduled to face off against the University of Science and Arts (Okla.) on Thursday (Aug. 21) and Columbia College (Mo.) on Saturday.
This Week
Thursday, Aug. 21 vs. No. 23 USAO (0-0), 11 a.m.
Live Webcast | Live Stats | Location: Bulldog Stadium (Seward, Neb.)
Saturday, Aug. 23 vs. No. 4 Columbia (0-0), 7:30 p.m.
Live Webcast | Live Stats | Location: Bulldog Stadium (Seward, Neb.)
Head Coach Nick Smith will make his third year debut after posting a total record of 27-11-4 in his first two seasons and earning the first national tournament win in the program’s existence. Concordia is locked and loaded with nine returning starters and seven all-conference players, including all three first-teamers senior Kierstynn Garner, senior Niah Kirchner and fifth-year Taylor Slaymaker. More All-GPAC players return, starting with Savannah Andrews, Kyana Rios, Hannah Kile and Elena Ruiz. Other key returners are Avery Black, Selah Draper, Sadie Mares, Sierra McElhannon, Triniti Rowe, Shelby Rugg and Sierra Springer. The program has added transfers and freshmen, making the roster potentially the deepest it has been in years.
After finishing at No. 2 in the conference last year, the preseason expectations have remained but are even higher inside the program. Concordia was picked to finish second in the conference preseason poll. The Bulldogs went 14-7-1 overall and 8-3 in the GPAC in 2024. In the postseason, CUNE claimed runner up in the conference tournament and won (2-0) its first ever NAIA tournament match versus Benedictine College (Kan.) before bowing out in Grand Rapids, Mich.
USAO
Ranked No. 24 in the 2024 NAIA postseason poll, the Drovers will open with the Bulldogs after finishing with an 18-3-1 overall record and similarly made it to the second round of the national tournament via a defeat (2-1) of Friends University (Kan.). Columbia would end their postseason run two days later. Head Coach Niall Crick will enter his third season as the front man of USAO after taking the SAC Coach of the Year in 2024. The Drovers will lean on the remaining SAC Player of the Year and NAIA Third Team All-American Ilse de Jong. Other returners are SAC Freshman of the Year Ashlee Davison and all conference players Daniela Salinas, Dagbjort Gudmundsdottir, Ashlyn Lonberg and Andria Harris.
Columbia
The Cougars will start with the Bulldogs in 2025 after a spectacular run into the semifinals of the NAIA national tournament in 2024. Columbia defeated USAO (2-0), MidAmerica Nazarene University (2-1) and William Carey University (2-1) to make the last four. Facing Keiser University (Fla.), the Cougars fell short 3-2 of the national title game. Under new leadership, Columbia turns to Lauren Robb, who was previously at William Woods University (Mo.) for seven seasons. The Cougars return First Team All-American goalkeeper Natalie Allison to the lineup. They also bring back other All-AMC players Izzy Cole and Madeleine Shylanski.
Next Week
Concordia will hit the road for the first time against Dakota State University (S.D.) and come back to Bulldog Stadium to face Nebraska Wesleyan University.
Wednesday, Aug. 27
6 p.m. – at Dakota State
Saturday, Aug. 30
2 p.m. – vs. Nebraska Wesleyan