SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University women’s soccer team will be taking on another GPAC heavyweight as they host Briar Cliff this Saturday (Nov. 14). Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Bulldog Stadium.
Saturday, Nov. 14 vs. Briar Cliff (8-0-2, 8-0-1), 1 p.m.
Head Coach Thomas Goines' squad was dominant during its last outing back on Nov. 8, which resulted in a 5-0 victory over Presentation. Sophomore Jaiden Beecher was the star of the show for Concordia as she recorded the first multi-goal game of her career. Beecher, a native of Omaha., Neb., provided a goal apiece in the eighth and 32nd minutes. Sophomore Allee Downing (14’) and junior Cheyenne Smith (15’) also provided goals during the first half outbreak. The Bulldogs got a little help from the Saints as their own goal in the 54th minute of play resulted in the game's final goal. Concordia goalkeepers Lindsey Carley and Kalie Ward combined for the clean sheet. The Bulldogs outshot the Saints 14-6 overall and 11 to 4 on shots on goal.
The win helped Concordia maintain its position atop the GPAC standings. There is currently a three-way tie for first as Concordia, Morningside and Briar Cliff are deadlocked at 25 points apiece. Concordia, however, has played one more game than Morningside and two more games than Briar Cliff. A big performance on Saturday and a little luck will be needed for the Bulldogs to finish as GPAC champions. The worst-case scenario for Concordia would be a fourth-place finish.
The Concordia-Briar Cliff series has consisted of many tightly contested contests as of late. Concordia was the victor a year ago when the Bulldogs edged out the Chargers 2-1 in double overtime. Briar Cliff defeated Concordia in 2018 by a score of 3-2.
Briar Cliff (8-0-2) has been dominant all season with an average margin of victory of 3.7 goals per contest. The Chargers have scored 39 goals this season while allowing just two. Both rank first in the GPAC. All eight of Briar Cliff’s wins have been shutouts by large margins. The only blemishes in the Chargers record were 0-0 ties against Northwestern and Midland. Senior Flor Suarez leads the offensive attack as her 14 goals lead all GPAC players and rank fourth nationally. Briar Cliff was picked fourth in the 2020 GPAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
The match against Briar Cliff wraps up the fall slate for Concordia. The Bulldogs will be back on the field in the spring as they compete in the GPAC postseason tournament. The tournament was postponed to the spring due to COVID 19 complications. The match dates have yet to be determined.