SEWARD, Neb. – Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Soccer will have a showdown with the defending GPAC Champion Hastings at Lloyd Wilson Field this Wednesday. The two teams last met in the GPAC tournament championship, and with a less than stellar week by the Bulldogs, it is a needed result for the race towards the league title. CUNE will close the week hosting Waldorf on Homecoming Day.
This Week
Wednesday, Oct. 8 at Hastings (8-1-2, 3-0-1 GPAC), 8 p.m.
Live Webcast | Live Stats | Location: Lloyd Wilson Field (Hastings, Neb.)
Saturday, Oct. 11 vs. Waldorf (1-7-1, 1-0-1 GPAC), 8 p.m.
Live Webcast | Live Stats | Location: Bulldog Stadium (Seward, Neb.)
Hammering the Mount Marty goal with 20 shots, Concordia found a scoreless nil-nil draw with the visitors. After giving up a staggering four shots, the defense was able to earn a clean sheet and Grady Smith (one) and Aliya Vidro (three) combined for the four-save shutout. Kierstynn Garner (four), Charli Priester (four), Kyana Rios (three), Guadalupe Sanchez (three), Savannah Andrews (two) and Abby Haynes (two) were all in shooting multiple firings toward the opposing keeper. The teams ended deadlocked at four corner kicks apiece as the Bulldogs had 10 shots on target to the Lancers’ four. CUNE was 23-0 versus the MMU all-time before last Wednesday.
In an initial back-and-forth bout, the Mustangs, who had given up six goals all year, were left in a trance by the Andrews score at the 26:00 mark. Elena Ruiz dumped a pass to an open Andrews, and she stepped just inside the penalty box and blasted a goal past the goalie near post. Morningside would put up three unanswered in the second frame in only five shots taken. The Mustangs completed a slight edge in shots (10-8), but the Bulldogs would take the only two corners in the full 90 minutes.
Concordia has a 5-31-5 record all-time against the Broncos in a series dominated by the conference power. The Bulldogs last defeated Hastings (1-0) in 2020 and tied (2-2) in 2023 under Head Coach Nick Smith. With both teams making the conference championship, the Broncos won out (4-0) and claimed both titles in 2024. With only three years into the GPAC for soccer, the Warriors have fallen to Concordia three out of their four meetings. Waldorf’s only win came in 2011 (4-3), and since joining the conference, it has gone 0-2 against the talented Seward Side. The Bulldogs left no doubt in the 8-0 thrashing in Forest City last year. Tying the most goals scored under Smith, Andrews (2), Taylor Slaymaker, Sierra Springer, Kyana Rios, Garner, Olivia Pyle and Sierra McElhannon all found the back of the net in 2024.
Starting 0-3 in the conference last season, Concordia snapped back with 19 games unbeaten in the regular season before falling to Morningside on Saturday. The 15-0-4 run saw wins over Briar Cliff, Dakota Wesleyan, the Mustangs, Doane, Waldorf, College of Saint Mary, Mount Marty, Midland, then-rated No. 4 Columbia College (Mo.), Dakota State University (S.D.), Nebraska Wesleyan University, Kansas Wesleyan University and York University. The Home undefeated streak still remains with an 11-0-2 showing in the past 13 contests.
In the top five of the conference leaderboard, Garner is second in assists (six) and second (12) in goals. The All-GPAC Garner has 30 points, second the conference as the offensive juggernaut. The speedster out of Kearney has 46 shots (third) and is high in the Great Plains with a .261 shot percentage. Rios is tied for sixth in the rundown for goals (six). Vidro has the fourth-best showing in goals allowed (seven).
The third NAIA ARC ratings were published as the Bulldogs were rated 64th (0.556 RPI). Concordia’s strength of schedule was at 116th in the country. Hastings, the highest for GPAC schools, was rated 28th with a 61st strength of schedule position. University of Science and Arts (Okla.) has been rated 15th, Kansas Wesleyan University, 52nd, Bellevue University,47, and Columbia University (Mo.) is 65th, teams the Bulldogs have faced this season, going 2-0-2. Dordt (83) and Morningside (72) are the next in line for the conference.
Hastings
The Broncos have only lost once against Kansas Wesleyan in an earlier match this season and have an 8-1-2 overall record with a 3-0-1 showing in conference. Hastings defeated Morningside (3-1), Doane (1-0) and Waldorf (7-0) in its last three wins. With a 2-1-2 record at home, the Broncos have scored 26 goals (third in GPAC), averaging 2.36 goals per game. Totaling 21 assists, Hastings has totaled 73 points (third in GPAC). The Broncos have shot 16.3 times per game with a .145 shot percentage. Madison Rhodes paces the Broncos in scores with seven and sits tied for fourth in the conference. Megan Lampe has a team-high four assists. Top keeper in the conference, Tatiana Villasenor, is first in the GPAC in goals allowed (four), goals allowed average (0.45) and save percentage (.909). The team has a conference low 0.55 goals allowed average and six goals allowed.
Waldorf
The Warriors have a 1-7-1 overall record and an 0-5 conference tally through five games. Waldorf defeated Eureka College (Ill.), 2-1, in its only win of the season. Facing top competition in the GPAC, the Warriors fell 7-0 to Dordt and most recently Hastings. Giving up 45 goals, they have mounted seven scores on 2.3 shots per game. With a .167 shot percentage, Waldorf has a .619 shot on goal percentage. Olivia Cross has been the go-to goal scorer for the Warriors with five goals and 14 shots taken. Jamison Graham and Paige Spatorico have each scored for the side. Hannah McNeave and Lucia Serrano split time between the posts and have totaled 1,105 minutes. McNeave has 81 saves on a .614 save percentage and Serrano 47 saves on a .618 save percentage.
Next Week
Concordia will hit the road for both games next week traveling to Midland and Dakota Wesleyan. The Bulldogs will play at Heedum Field and the Pepsi-Cola Soccer Complex.
Wednesday, Oct. 15
7:30 p.m. – at Midland
Saturday, Oct. 18
6 p.m. – at Dakota Wesleyan