SEWARD, Neb. – There would be no settling for a draw as the Concordia University Women’s Soccer team played an overtime contest for the fourth time this season. The Bulldogs celebrated in the 97th minute when Madeline Haugen delivered the golden goal on a breakaway. Haugen immediately leapt into the arms of teammate Mikeila Martinez in the afterglow of a 2-1 victory over Morningside inside Bulldog Stadium on Wednesday (Oct. 6) evening.
This may have been the most significant win of the season for Head Coach Thomas Goines’ squad. The Mustangs entered the night ranked third in the official GPAC poll. Concordia effectively shook off its loss at Dakota Wesleyan over the weekend and moved to 6-3-2 overall (3-1-2 GPAC).
“It was a really good match between two good teams,” Goines said. “First half, I thought we played probably some of our best soccer all year and controlled good portions of the run of play. We knew Morningside would come out and press us. They came out (in the second half) and gave us everything we could handle – shape change and tactical changes.
“There’s a mentality of winning as opposed to trying not to lose. We were able to come out and have some good fortune in overtime.”
It would have been a shame to waste such an impressive first-half performance. The Bulldogs put seven shots on the board before the Mustangs could manage even one. Concordia got an early lead when Aliyah Aldama (assisted by Michaela Twito) found a clear shot in the box and proceeded to drill a missile into the back of the net. Aldama and company enjoyed a 1-0 all the way from the 16th minute to the 79th minute.
Morningside turned the tables via Sina Freeser’s goal with just over 11 minutes remaining in regulation. The Mustangs had finally cashed in after taking control of the second half. For the most part, the Bulldog back line held up well under pressure. Only one of the nine shots Morningside totaled in the second half were on goal. The strike by Freeser was a laser tucked inside the right post.
In overtime, Concordia did not mount much on the attack until the game winner. A poor touch by Morningside allowed Lina Kirst and Haugen to go on the run. A perfectly executed pass from Kirst led Haugen into the box for a one-on-one with the keeper. Haugen calmly slotted the ball across the goal line.
Said Haugen, “I held my breath the whole time and I said, ‘If I miss, I’m going to cry myself to sleep tonight’ … It just feels so amazing. We hadn’t beat Morningside since 2018 so we came out here and wanted to say we did everything we could to come out with the win.”
The Bulldogs avenged last season’s 3-0 loss at Morningside (6-3-1, 3-2-1 GPAC) with a team effort. The Mustangs finished with a 17-12 advantage in shots, but Concordia had the edge in shots on goal, 8-3. In one particular instance, the Bulldogs breathed a sigh of relief when they avoided trouble on a dangerous cross with keeper Kalie Ward drawn away from the goal. Ward made two saves on the night.
Said Goines, “This gives your team the idea that we’re on the right track. I think we’ve played well the last four matches. We’re leading into a strong Jamestown team. They’re going to be a challenge in every area of the field.”
Saturday’s battle with the Jimmies (11-0, 6-0 GPAC) will get started at 4 p.m. CT in Jamestown, N.D. Jamestown has not lost since getting clipped by Concordia, 2-1, in last season’s GPAC tournament title game.