HASTINGS, Neb. – Chalk this one up as another hotly contested battle between the Concordia University women’s soccer program and rival Hastings. A game that had seemingly been destined to end in a draw culminated in heartbreak for the visitors. In double overtime, Jacqueline Gilbert’s 108th minute goal lifted the 14th-ranked Broncos to a 1-0 victory at Lloyd Wilson Field on Saturday (Oct. 12) night.
This was a rematch of the past two GPAC tournament championship games. The 2018 title clash had the exact same result – a double overtime loss for the Bulldogs. Head coach Chris Luther’s squad is now 3-8-1 overall and 3-2-1 within conference play.
“If you look across the stat line in the first half it was very competitive, very evenly matched,” Luther said. “Through the entirety of the first half we feel like we played really well. Our defense was in control and limiting their shots. As has been typical of our season, we’ve had trouble putting together 90 minutes. They put a little more pressure on us. Grace Soenksen had a great game playing against probably one the best players in the GPAC.”
Concordia managed to dodge plenty of bullets prior to the game winner, particularly in the second half. The final tallies showed Hastings (10-2, 6-1 GPAC) with advantages of 23-6 in shots (19-2 after halftime) and 9-0 in corner kicks. Over the roughly 18 minutes of overtime action, Bulldog Jaiden Beecher put two shots on frame that were both denied by Sarah Carpenter.
The Concordia-Hastings rivalry has been a good one ever since the upstart 2014 Bulldogs twice upset the Broncos. Concordia last defeated Hastings during its GPAC championship regular season of 2017. This year’s side may not be on the same level of the ’17 group, but Saturday night was another display of progress.
“We feel like we can play with anyone in the conference,” Luther said. “Granted we’re usually regarded as one of the top three or four, but some of our earlier performances probably made people doubt where we’re at. I feel like we’re still right in the thick of things as far as ability and talent level.”
The Bulldogs will be back at home on Wednesday when Morningside (3-7, 1-3 GPAC) will be in town for a 5:30 p.m. CT kickoff. Concordia defeated the Mustangs twice last season, including the 1-0 win that came in the GPAC tournament quarterfinals.