Ihde, Sklenicka outbursts help Bulldogs net first win

STERLING, Kan. – Sterling College entered play Saturday with a perfect 4-0 record, but finished the day with its first blemish after running into a focused Bulldog squad that carved up the Lady Warrior defense. Concordia (1-3) got its first win of the season by cruising to a 5-2 victory in Sterling, Kan.

Sophomore forward Morgan Ihde enjoyed a breakout game with a pair of goals, including Concordia’s first score that ignited a Bulldog explosion. The goal lifted Concordia out of an offense lull that saw it go scoreless the first 43:10 of the game.

Ihde’s first goal began a run of five unanswered tallies for the Bulldogs. Ihde scored again at the 56:38 mark off the first of three assists from junior forward Jordan Donohoue. Ihde, who scored two goals in her freshman season last year, doubled her career goal total in this single performance.

“We were a lot more composed on goal. We executed some great passes to set up some clinical finishes,” Concordia head coach Lisa White said. “All of our scores really were team effort goals with a lot of people contributing. That was great to see.”

Bulldog sophomore midfielder and Lincoln native Ashlie Sklenicka also knocked in two goals, one in the 66th minute and one in the 70th minute that capped Concordia’s scoring and put the game well out of reach from the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference foe. Sophomore forward Melissa Stine added the other Bulldog goal, her second of 2012.

Considering the difficult early season schedule, the Bulldogs’ 0-3 record entering Saturday was hardly indicative of the team’s level of talent. However, their first win was an important reward for a Concordia team determined to put the early losses behind them.

“For our players it’s just affirmation of the direction we are going,” White said. “It was nice to win convincingly. We didn’t just sneak by. Our players have bought in and it’s great for them to get that win.”

The Bulldogs continue non-conference play on Wednesday as York College visits Bulldog Stadium for a 5 p.m. kickoff. The men will immediately follow with a 7:30 p.m. contest.