2025 Women's Soccer Schedule/Results
13-2-5 Overall | 7-1-3 GPAC (2nd) | Season Stats | Roster
| Date | Opponent | Location | Result | Record |
| Aug. 21 | (23) University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma | Seward, Neb. | T, 3-3 | 0-0-1 |
| Aug. 23 | (4) Columbia College (Mo.) | Seward, Neb. | W, 3-1 | 1-0-1 |
| Aug. 27 | Dakota State University (S.D.) | Madison, S.D. | W, 4-1 | 2-0-1 |
| Aug. 30 | Nebraska Wesleyan University | Seward, Neb. | W, 4-0 | 3-0-1 |
| Sep. 3 | Bellevue University | Papillion, Neb. | T, 1-1 | 3-0-2 |
| Sep. 6 | Kansas Wesleyan University (Senior Day) | Seward, Neb. | W, 3-1 | 4-0-2 |
| Sep. 17 | York University | Seward, Neb. | W, 4-0 | 5-0-2 |
| Sep. 20 | *Northwestern College | Orange City, Iowa | T, 3-3 | 5-0-3, 0-0-1 |
| Sep. 24 | *College of Saint Mary | Omaha, Neb. | W, 3-1 | 6-0-3, 1-0-1 |
| Sep. 27 | *Briar Cliff University | Seward, Neb. | W, 4-1 | 7-0-3, 2-0-1 |
| Oct. 1 | *Mount Marty University | Seward, Neb. | T, 0-0 | 7-0-4, 2-0-2 |
| Oct. 4 | *Morningside University | Sioux City, Iowa | L, 1-3 | 7-1-4, 2-1-2 |
| Oct. 8 | *Hastings College | Hastings, Neb. | W, 2-1 | 8-1-4, 3-1-2 |
| Oct. 11 | *Waldorf University | Seward, Neb. | W, 10-0 | 9-1-4, 4-1-2 |
| Oct. 15 | *Midland University | Fremont, Neb. | W, 4-0 | 10-1-4, 5-1-2 |
| Oct. 18 | *Dakota Wesleyan University | Mitchell, S.D. | W, 1-0 | 11-1-4, 6-1-2 |
| Oct. 25 | *Dordt University | Seward, Neb. | T, 1-1 | 11-1-5, 6-1-3 |
| Oct. 29 | *Doane University | Seward, Neb. | W, 2-1 | 12-1-5, 7-1-3 |
| GPAC Tournament | ||||
| Nov. 4 | College of Saint Mary (Quarterfinals) | Seward, Neb. | W, 3-0 | 13-1-5 |
| Nov. 8 | Hastings College (Semifinals) | Seward, Neb. | L, 1-2 (OT) | 13-2-5 |
| *indicates GPAC game |
2025 Roster
| No. | Name | Pos. | Ht. | Year | Hometown | Previous School |
| 0 | Aliya Vidro | GK | 5-7 | So. | Colorado Springs, Colo. | Air Academy HS |
| 00 | Aaliyah Matthews | GK | 5-11 | So. | Omaha, Neb. | Millard North HS / Augustana Univ. |
| 1 | Grady Smith | GK | 5-4 | Jr. | Richmond, Va. | Monacan HS |
| 2 | Avery Black | D | 5-4 | So. | Omaha, Neb. | Elkhorn South HS |
| 3 | Abby Haynes | F | 5-6 | Fr. | Columbus, Neb. | Columbus HS |
| 4 | Triniti Rowe | D | 5-5 | So. | Omaha, Neb. | Millard South HS |
| 5 | Joey Long | D | 5-6 | Jr. | Columbus, Neb. | Columbus HS / Northeastern CC |
| 6 | Abigail Allen | F | 5-5 | Sr. | Cheyenne, Wyo. | Northwest CC |
| 7 | Niah Kirchner | MF | 5-2 | Sr. | Omaha, Neb. | Milard West HS |
| 8 | Savannah Andrews | F | 5-5 | Sr. | Gretna, Neb. | Gretna HS |
| 9 | Sierra Springer | F | 5-3 | Sr. | Valparaiso, Neb. | Raymond Central HS |
| 10 | Kyana Rios | MF | 5-4 | So. | Omaha, Neb. | Omaha South HS |
| 11 | Evie Keller | MF | 5-3 | Fr. | Grand Island, Neb. | Grand Island NW HS |
| 12 | Olivia Pyle | MF | 4-10 | Jr. | Blaine, Minn. | Concordia Academy (Minn.) |
| 13 | Sadie Mares | D | 5-4 | Jr. | Scottsdale, Ariz. | Chaparral HS |
| 14 | Madi Babisak | F | 5-7 | Fr. | Dallas, Texas | Faith Lutheran HS |
| 15 | Selah Draper | MF | 5-4 | Sr. | Fresno, Calif. | Feather River CC |
| 16 | Ashlee Trujillo | F | 5-4 | Sr. | Brighton, Colo. | Riverdale Ridge HS |
| 17 | Elena Ruiz | MF | 5-1 | Sr. | Omaha, Neb. | Omaha South HS |
| 18 | Charli Preister | MF | 5-7 | Fr. | Columbus, Neb. | Columbus HS |
| 19 | Guadalupe Sanchez | F | 5-3 | Fr. | Grand Island, Neb. | Grand Island Northwest HS |
| 20 | Melissa Howard | MF | 5-9 | So. | Menomonee Falls, Wisc. | Living Word Lutheran HS |
| 21 | Hannah Kile | D | 5-7 | Sr. | Lincoln, Neb. | Raymond Central HS |
| 22 | Laine Michael | D | 5-4 | So. | Bellevue, Neb. | Gross Catholic HS |
| 23 | Shelby Rugg | D | 5-2 | Sr. | Clovis, Calif. | Clovis HS |
| 24 | McKennah West | MF | 5-11 | Fr. | Lincoln, Neb. | Lincoln Southwest HS |
| 25 | Sierra McElhannon | MF | 5-6 | So. | Ewa Beach, Hawaii | James Campbell HS |
| 27 | Kierstynn Garner | F | 5-5 | Sr. | Kearney, Neb. | Kearney HS |
| 29 | Taylor Slaymaker | D | 5-7 | Gr. | Kearney, Neb. | Kearney HS |
| 30 | Alicia Lopez | GK | 5-4 | Fr. | Murrieta, Calif. | Cornerstone Christian HS |
| 32 | Augustine Abshagen | D | 5-10 | Sr. | Middleville, Mich. | Thornapple Kellogg HS |
| 34 | Olivia Kohl | D | 5-5 | Jr. | Springfield, Neb. | Platteview HS |
| 35 | Camryn Higer | MF | 5-6 | Jr. | Savannah, Mo. | Savannah HS |
STAFF
Nick Smith, Head Coach (3rd season)
Haakon Utesch, Goalkeeper Coach
Nick Holmes, Assistant Coach
Season Preview: 2025 Concordia Women's Soccer
Aug. 16, 2025
Head Coach: Nick Smith (27-11-4, 3rd season)
2024 Record: 14-7-1, 8-3 GPAC (2nd); NAIA National Qualifier (second round)
Key Returners: MF Savanah Andrews; D Avery Black; F Kierstynn Garner; MF Selah Draper; D Hannah Kile; MF Niah Kirchner; D Sadie Mares; MF Sierra McElhannon; MF Kyana Rios; D Triniti Rowe; D Shelby Rugg; MF Elena Ruiz; D Taylor Slaymaker; F Sierra Springer.
Key Losses: GK Angela Banks; MF Mirarosa Gyllenswan; MF Hannah Haas; MF Emily Howard; D Senna McMullen; F Katelyn Smith.
2024 GPAC All-Conference: Kierstynn Garner (First Team); Niah Kirchner (First Team); Taylor Slaymaker (First Team); Savannah Andrews (Second Team); Angela Banks (Second Team); Kyana Rios (Second Team); Hannah Kile (Honorable Mention); Elena Rios (Honorable Mention).
Outlook
Nine of the 11 Bulldogs who graced the starting lineup that Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Soccer trotted out in the program’s first-ever national tournament win are back in 2025. Roughly nine months after the momentous milestone victory attained in Aquinas, Mich., the Bulldogs returned to the practice turf hungry for something more. Expected to compete for the GPAC regular season crown this fall, Concordia fields a team it believes is even deeper and stronger than the ’24 edition. The stout nonconference slate is reflective of a team confident it is on the brink of something special.
Head Coach Nick Smith enters his third season at the helm of the program. Not only does he return three First Team All-GPAC standouts, but he has also fortified the roster with talented transfers and freshmen that will push the upperclassmen for minutes. The bar has been raised following last season’s 14-7-1 overall mark.
“The senior group is going to be a class that will be one of the best that has ever come through Concordia women’s soccer,” Smith said. “One of the main things they haven’t done is win the GPAC. Relying on some of the experience that we’ve had the last couple of years, and some of the success we’ve had the last couple of years, now it’s about pushing on and trying to take that final step. Two second-place finishes (2023 and 2024) is great, but you’re still finishing in second place. We’re here to be competitive and we’re here to win things. The second-place finishes are a good step for where the program is headed, but everyone in that locker room is aware of what our goals are. Right now, everyone is working to bring some of those goals to fruition.”
The 11 seniors – and super senior Taylor Slaymaker – have checked plenty of boxes over the past four years. The achievements include the aforementioned national tournament win and two second-place GPAC regular season finishes, in addition to a GPAC tournament runner-up claim in 2024. There have been four recent GPAC championships won by the program, and now the current players want a taste of that glory. At least according to league coaches, Hastings and Concordia will be the league’s top two teams as the season gets underway.
At every area of the field, the Bulldogs are teeming with experienced players who know what it takes to win. At the top of every opponent’s scouting report will be senior striker Kierstynn Garner, owner of 49 career goals and the school record for career game-winning goals. As important as any player on the field, senior Niah Kirchner sets the tone in the middle of the park. Along the back line, Slaymaker serves as an anchor in what will be her fifth season inside the program (redshirted with an injury as a sophomore).
How would Garner describe this ’25 squad? “Dangerous,” she says. “I think we’ll be very dangerous. We are getting better in every single area of the field, and we added players who will be playing in every single area of the field. With everybody coming back from last year, plus more, it makes our team deeper.”
The depth begins with 12 returners who saw action in at least 18 of 22 games last season. The holdovers accounted for 44 of the team’s 52 goals scored in 2024. Twenty-two of those goals were produced by Garner, who is on track to put herself in the conversation with the most accomplished individual players in the history of a program that dates back to 1996. With a season similar to the one she enjoyed as a junior (including 13 assists), Garner would rise to No. 2 on the school’s all-time goals scored list, behind only Jennifer Davis.
The Kearney, Neb., native Garner aspires to earn GPAC Offensive Player of the Year honors this fall. It’s a lofty goal she knows she can’t achieve without the help of her teammates. From an offensive perspective, Garner will be flanked by three others who tallied at least three goals last season: Savannah Andrews (eight in 2024; 25 career), Kyana Rios (four) and Sierra Springer (three). Up top, Garner could also have some new running mates such as freshmen Abby Haynes and Gaudalupe Sanchez.
In addition to aforementioned seniors in Andrews, Garner, Kirchner and Springer, the class of fourth-year players features Augustine Abshagen, Abigail Allen, Selah Draper, Hannah Kile, Elena Ruiz and Ashlee Trujillo. Collectively, they bring a wealth of experience to a battle-tested roster. A Lincoln native, Kile emerged with First Team All-GPAC honors in 2023 while Ruiz was the lone Bulldog in 2024 to start all 22 games.
Said Smith, “It’s great to have a spine of players that are really experienced and a spine of players that I think want to embrace leadership roles that allow us to be really good in games. It allows us to have players on the field who can work through problems. In every game, there are going to be breakdowns. In every game, there is going to be something that goes wrong. It’s great to have and to be able to rely on a group of players that has seen everything before and has gone through tough times before.”
Smith feels comfortable with the play Concordia will get from Kirchner, Rios and Ruiz in the middle. All of whom are unsung heroes that play instrumental roles in controlling possession from game-to-game. In Smith’s mind, Kirchner is ranks right up there with the top players in the GPAC. Along the back line, Slaymaker and sophomore Triniti Rowe are rock solid and are joined by the likes of Kile and Sadie Mares. Coming off injury, Rugg hopes to regain a key role after she started all 20 games in 2023. One of the team’s two new transfers, Joey Long will also push for playing time as a defender.
Other returners who have logged significant minutes in previous years are sophomores Avery Black and Sierra McElhannon and seniors Selah Draper and Ashlee Trujillo. As just a freshman in 2024, Black started 12 games and played in all 22 matches.
At goalkeeper, the Bulldogs will replace Angela Banks, who improved mightily throughout her senior season. Expectations are high for Aaliyah Matthews, who transferred in at semester this past academic year after previously playing at NCAA Division II Augustana University (S.D.). At 5-foot-11, Matthews brings superior height and athleticism to the position. The goalkeeper group also includes junior Grady Smith, sophomore Aliya Vidro and freshman Alicia Lopez.
The talent across the board means Smith will have some challenges in settling on a starting 11 and on how to use the reserves. The roster depth has been a theme this preseason. It means none of the veterans can rest on their laurels and assume a starting spot.
Says Garner of the depth of experienced Bulldogs, “It helps us a lot because people know what the standard is. They know what it takes to get to that point. We all have experienced it so we know what we need to do to get there. We also have a lot of incoming players helping us at every single position.”
Added Smith, who also made mention of freshmen such as Evie Keller, Charli Preister and Makenna West, “We have some players who are new to us this fall that have come in and hit the ground running. It’s even caused some of the returners to feel like my spot is being threatened right now, which is great. I want to have that internal competition. I think the freshman class is going to be five or six strong in terms of impactful players who get minutes on the field.”
In a reflection of the confidence Smith has in his ’25 team, he beefed up the nonconference schedule. The Bulldogs are set to open with two opponents that finished last season ranked in the NAIA top 25: No. 24 University of Science and Arts (Okla.) and No. 3 Columbia College (Mo.). Those August tussles provide a chance for Concordia to put itself on the national radar early in the fall.
“That’s the level we aspire to be at, so I think the only way you get to that point is by consistently testing yourself at that level,” Smith said. “It’s possible to go and get six or seven games that could be relatively easy in our non-con and boost our win total, but at the end of the day, when we’re talking about being in the middle of November or into December, the prep work isn’t there for what you’re ultimately going to be facing. When we’re scheduling a tough non-con, it is forward thinking that we want to get tested early on and see what that level looks like.”
When the season opener arrives on Aug. 21, the Bulldogs will begin a journey they hope leads deep into November (or even December) and carry over momentum from their program record 10-game winning streak in 2024. Concordia still hasn’t lost a regular season game since last September. In an interview over the summer, Slaymaker even joked that her parents were looking at flights to Pensacola, Fla., home to the NAIA Women’s Soccer National Championship final site.
This time of year is the time to dream big. Said Smith, “We have a ton of talent. I think we’re deeper than we’ve been since I’ve been here. The hope is that we can put everything together starting next week when these games come thick and fast. We have to be ready to go and ready to compete.”
View the complete 2025 Concordia Women’s Soccer schedule HERE.
Hat trick first half leads to deadlock with No. 23 USAO
Aug. 21, 2025
SEWARD, Neb. – The Bulldogs and No. 23 University of Science and Arts (Okla.) tallied six combined goals that led to a 3-3 stalemate after 90 minutes on Thursday morning (Aug. 21). Three total made penalty kicks, two by the Drovers, led to the tie after Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Soccer jumped ahead 3-1 in the first frame. Senior Kierstynn Garner notched her 50th career boot into the back of the net with a first half penalty.
“It looked like a season opener,” said Head Coach Nick Smith. “There are times where we as a group were really strong, and created some good opportunities and chances for us. Then there were times when things broke down, which was to be expected in game one. I thought the mentality of our group throughout was quite good. I felt like if there was a winner late on, it would have been us.”
Expect the unexpected was a message from the coaching staff going into today’s game, which echoed loudly after USAO’s Emali Goulas made good on a penalty chance in the second minute of play. Unshaken by the early tally, the Seward side responded with a free penalty of their own via the goal scoring Garner.
Two other Dawgs continued the first half onslaught as Kyana Rios and Charli Preister completed the three goal rally. Priester, a freshman out of Columbus, Neb., received a dialed-in assist via Ashlee Trujillo, and it only took one touch before the shot went past the keeper. The midfield controlled the ball in much of the first half led by Niah Kirchner and Evie Keller in her first collegiate game.
“Evie was great today," Smith said. "She was an all-action player. She wants the ball and the responsibility. She makes good things happen for us. Her and other freshmen had some good moments today. Charli Preister got herself a goal in her debut as well. I think it just speaks to the quality of the class.”
The chances came in the second half but the Dawgs couldn’t convert as NAIA All-American Ilse de Jong put two in goal (one penalty) to knot up the contest. Concordia’s eight shots seem to be meaningful as the Drovers tallied 15.
The Bulldog lineup boasted new faces as Abby Haynes, Aaliyah Matthews, Keller, Preister and Guadalupe Sanchez made their debut inside Bulldog Stadium. Shelby Rugg returned to the starting lineup after being injured the previous season. Garner picked up the assist in the second goal for Concordia.
USAO had nine second half shots with four corner kicks in the second frame. Ilse de Jong shot eight times for the Drovers and led the team with four shots on goal. USAO will face MidAmerica Nazarene University (Kan.) in Olathe, Kan., on Saturday.
The Bulldogs will also have a quick turnaround hosting No. 4 Columbia College in its season opener on Saturday. The two teams will take the field at 7:30 p.m. in Seward and will rematch from last season, which resulted in a 4-0 loss for Concordia.
Bulldogs slay No. 4 Columbia for highest ranked win in program history
Aug. 23, 2025
SEWARD, Neb. – Fittingly, music blared from an on-campus beginning-of-the-school-year party as Head Coach Nick Smith delivered his postgame rhetoric to his Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Soccer team. Smith resisted the urge to do “The Wobble” dance, but he couldn’t hide a smile. To top off the opening week of the 2025 season, the Bulldogs slayed No. 4 Columbia College, 3-1, inside Bulldog Stadium on Saturday (Aug. 23). The 2024 national semifinalist Cougars represented the highest ranked opponent ever defeated by a Concordia women’s soccer team.
Smith’s squad is due some national respect after having also drawn with No. 23 University of Science and Arts (Okla.) two days earlier. It’s early, but this was a result to be savored.
“I think it’s a huge step forward for our group in terms of where our self-belief is,” Smith said. “I’ve maintained that we’ve got a lot of talent within this squad. It’s about performing in the big games and some of the big games in the past for us have been really difficult – one of them being last year at Columbia. We knew that when we had them early on the schedule this year that we just wanted to have a good performance … Today for me really solidified the belief and leadership that we have within this group. It feels really good to stand here and say that we deserved to beat No. 4 tonight.”
Check off another box for the group of veteran Bulldogs who were instrumental in the program’s first-ever national tournament win. In 2025, Concordia completely turned the tables on the 4-0 defeat it endured last season on Columbia’s home turf. In Saturday’s momentous outing, the Bulldogs got a goal apiece from freshman Lupe Sanchez (6’), senior Kierstynn Garner (33’) and freshman Charli Preister (85’). A perfectly executed ball into the box from Garner to Preister for the header put the cherry on top.
Concordia effectively weathered the storm the Cougars hit it with early in the second half. After absorbing the push, the Bulldogs regained control and found the finishing touch. Smith trotted out 20 different players throughout the evening in throwing fresh bodies at their perennially powerful foe. Never before has a Concordia side had such depth. The Bulldogs wound up with an 18-11 shot advantage.
These are the type of moments super senior Taylor Slaymaker returned to soak up. Said Slaymaker, “It’s really exciting. Last year we did not start out as well as we have this year. It’s really exciting that we’re already starting out this good, being able to beat the No. 4 team … I’m just excited to see how this season pans out.”
The talent and leadership of the veterans is showing up along with the boost received from freshmen such as Sanchez and Preister. A Grand Island native, Sanchez wreaked havoc in notching a goal and an assist on the night. She was set up by Elena Ruiz for a one-on-one with All-American goalkeeper Natalie Allison for the game’s first goal. Later in the first half, Sanchez fought off a defender and found Garner for her 51st career goal.
There was credit to go around beyond the goal scorers. The midfield is an area of strength led by seniors such as Ruiz and Niah Kirchner. Meanwhile, Slaymaker helps anchor a back line including the likes of Triniti Rowe, Shelby Rugg and others. In goal, Aaliyah Matthews made eight saves while playing all 90 minutes. Collectively, the Bulldogs fended off 10 Columbia corner kicks. The lone Cougar goal came in the 23rd minute via Georgia Pardalos.
Prior to Saturday night, the program’s previous highest ranked wins came over No. 16 Hastings in 2014 and No. 16 Bellevue in 2015. The act of knocking off a top five team puts the ’25 Bulldogs in uncharted territory. It’s a win that could serve them well as the stakes get higher later in the season. Perhaps then Smith will say ‘yes’ to the Wobble.
Said Smith, “The mentality area of our team over my time is one that we’ve been building on. We had to get rid of this imposter syndrome that when we’re in big games that we truly belong and believe that we belong. When you play good teams, they’re going to have spells. They have players on that team that are quite good. It’s just about us managing. We made some adjustments in the second half in terms of what our shape was and in our personnel that helped us settle. We ended the game really well.”
The first road trip of the 2025 season is up next. The Bulldogs are slated to play at Dakota State University at 6 p.m. CT on Wednesday. The Trojans of Madison, S.D., will kick off their inaugural season of women’s soccer at home on Monday when they host Mount Marty. In the sport of women’s soccer, Dakota State will compete as a member of the Continental Athletic Conference (NAIA's independent conference).
Concordia slashes toward victory over Trojans in second frame
Aug. 27, 2025
MADISON, S.D. – Karaoke echoed throughout the bus ride back home as Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Soccer sealed its first road win (4-1) of the 2025 season over Dakota State University (S.D.). Traveling to Dan Beacom Complex, the Dawgs collectively fired off 25 total shots as the Trojans took the field for their second game ever. Lupe Sanchez tallied two past the keeper on the bookends of the scoring frenzy.
Head Coach Nick Smith and company move forward to 2-0-1 early in his third campaign.
“It’s good to get a win first and foremost,” said Coach Smith. “I think sometimes it's hard to follow up a big performance on Saturday. Dakota State made things really tough on us. They were really organized defensively. We just need to work on being cleaner in front of the net. The more players that are dangerous, the better off we will be at the end of the year. Lupe has really hit the ground running. Kyana got her second as well. For us to not only get different players, but also different positions to score goals, will be the key to our success over the season.”
Tension began to mount as Concordia remained scoreless through the first 30 minutes. Substitution Sanchez barreled through three defenders to get to the goal area and boot a left footed goal to take the lead in the opening half. The freshman, out of Grand Island Northwest, scored the fourth and final mark and has started her collegiate career with four goals in three games. Evie Keller tagged the assist on the second.
“It’s been awesome,” said Sanchez. “I know a couple of the girls that play at Concordia now, so we already have some connection and chemistry for me to be able to make goals.”
Sophomore Kyana Rios received a cross put on a rope by Savannah Andrews and made sure to finish the eventual game winner. The midfielder, an Omaha South alum, put the one touch past the keeper for her second goal in 2025 and sixth career.
Kierstynn Garner and Elena Ruiz would have a connection of their own as the Kearney, Neb., native would tally her 52nd goal of her career.
The stout midfield and defense would hold Dakota State to six total shots. Anchored by Taylor Slaymaker, Shelby Rugg and Triniti Rowe, the defense allowed only one shot outside of penalties. Goalkeeper Aaliyah Matthews garnered two saves through the 90 minutes between the posts.
Fourteen players kicked at least one shot apiece led by Sanchez (four) and Charli Preister (four). The Dawgs had 24 on the roster leave the side.
The Trojans’ Nichole Corona scored the lone goal and kicked two of the shots on goal. Dakota State, in its inaugural season, moves to 0-2 and will prepare for Midland on Saturday.
Concordia (2-0-1) will return to Bulldog Stadium and host the in-state Nebraska Wesleyan University Prairie Wolves (0-0) on Saturday (Aug. 30). First kick at 7:30 p.m. CT in Seward.
Garner’s hat trick and Dawg defense deliver shutout of Prairie Wolves
Aug. 30, 2025
SEWARD, Neb. – Kierstynn Garner delivered a stellar hat trick performance being a part of every goal of the 4-0 shutout of Nebraska Wesleyan University on Saturday (Aug. 30). The Bulldog midfield and defense put on a 90-minute clinic only allowing two shots. Garner now has six scores in four games early on.
The squad out of Seward remains unbeaten (3-0-1) with a three-game win streak under its belt.
“A big focus for us today was to be clean defensively and to get through the full 90 without conceding,” Head Coach Nick Smith said. “As the results are going right now, we are scoring some goals. We are putting ourselves in an opportunity to win every game. We just have so many pieces who are dangerous and capable of putting the ball in the back of the net. It is important to make the opposition to make decisions and to punish the decisions that they make. K is just efficient in front of the net. You give her four chances in the game and she is going to score three goals.”
The three-score showing produced by Garner allowed her to surpass Brittany Thomsick (2003-06) for the third leading goal scorer in program history with 55 total finishes. Perhaps the most impressive to reach the net, Garner flicked up a shot over and to the right of the keeper landing in the back farside corner. With six goals and three assists, the Kearney, Neb., native has already racked up 15 points in the early going.
“It was exciting to play, “ Garner said. “We really found each other and my teammates found the right passes and I was able to put them away. Our defense and midfield played well. They controlled the game and they were able to find each other well. It’s exciting but I couldn’t do it without the people behind me.”
The Lupe Sanchez took the game-winner breaking the scoreless tie (17’), as she has four goals in four games. Sanchez, from Grand Island, Neb., also tag-teamed with Shelby Rugg for an assist on the fourth goal.
Senior Niah Kirchner, Kyana Rios and Evie Keller controlled the midfield to help the back line and maintain the majority of the possession. Rugg, Hannah Kile, Taylor Slaymaker and Triniti Rowe each made stops in compromising matchups, leaving only one shot on goal for substitute keeper Grady Smith to clean up. Smith and Aaliyah Matthews combined for the team shutout and after today, Savannah Andrews has totaled three assists this season.
The Bulldogs continue to go deep into the bench with 23 making an appearance on the grass including newcomers Abby Haynes, Joey Long, Charli Preister and McKennah West. Wingers Sadie Mares and Avery Black kept the pressure on offensively in the final third throughout the match.
Nebraska Wesleyan (0-1) relied on Averie Hike in the team’s opener for the 2025 season. The Prairie Wolves will face Illinois College in Abel Stadium tomorrow.
Concordia (3-0-1) will travel to Bellevue University (2-0) on Wednesday for a Nebraska rivalry bout. In the game of unbeatens, the Bulldogs will take the field at 5:30 p.m. CT at the Renner Dennis Outdoor Athletic Complex. The two teams remained in a stalemate (1-1) after full time in 2024.
Bulldogs and Bruins draw in rival contest
Sep. 3, 2025
BELLEVUE, Neb. – The Bulldogs and Bruins proved to be worthy opponents as the rivalry ended in a 1-1 draw on Wednesday (Sept. 3). Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Soccer and Bellevue University ended in a tie for the second year in a row, this time at the Renner Dennis Outdoor Athletic Complex. Kierstynn Garner would add the lone goal and has scored in every game this season thus far.
The Dawgs are 3-0-2 and remain unbeaten through the first five games of the 2025 campaign.
“For us in the first half, they made things hard,” Head Coach Nick Smith said. “Their press and re-press were really polished and clean. We had to make a couple of adjustments at halftime and change roles for some players. Ultimately, in the second half, we balanced the game out well. We created some good chances in the second half. It was a little unlucky for us not to get one. At the end of the day, a 1-1 is a fair result for the evening. It was good for our group, to not really get going and not play as well as we can, but still get a result.”
Struggling to keep possession in the opening frame, the Bulldogs pressed the back line and forced a pass back to the Bruin keeper. Garner, bearing down pressure, puts a boot to the arrant clearance by the keeper and puts the visitors up in the opening half.
With a home field advantage, Bellevue used the width of the field to connect long passes and shared the ball toward the opposing net. The Bruins’ Maju Serrano pushed a cross from the far side of the field for a header equalizer by Lily Humes just before going into the locker rooms.
In the second frame, Bellevue continued to hold an edge in possession but settled for shots well outside of the penalty box. Making her first start this season, Concordia goalie Aliya Vidro made 10 saves keeping the Bruins at bay. Vidro, a Colorado Springs, Colo., native, grabbed a career high and single-game high in saves this season.
In a contest played mostly in the midfield, the sides exchanged blows back and forth as the Bulldogs were led by Niah Kirchner, Elena Ruiz, Evie Keller, and Charli Priester. The possessing teams would lose the ball when getting towards the top of the box near the back line.
Bellevue (2-0-1) was led by Humes’ score, Adi Kasel (three shots) and Mia Hurt (three) in the 90 minutes. The Bruins totaled 16 shots with 11 on goal compared to the Dawgs 5. Goalkeeper Abril Cura collected a save. The purple and black will face another GPAC squad in Morningside on Saturday in Sioux City, Iowa.
Concordia (3-0-2) will celebrate 11 seniors on Saturday in its home match versus Kansas Wesleyan University (1-1-1). The Bulldogs will host the graduates at Bulldog Stadium and plan to kick off at 2:30 p.m. CT in Seward. CUNE defeated the Coyotes (4-1) in the last meeting in 2023.
Andrews deals in triumph over Coyotes on senior day
Sep. 6, 2025
SEWARD, Neb. – Savannah Andrews ripped through the Kansas Wesleyan University defense scoring two goals to push the Bulldogs ahead (3-1) on senior day. Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Soccer gave up another penalty but prevailed in improving fashion over the Coyotes. The CUNE program celebrated 11 seniors on Saturday afternoon (Sept. 6).
Remaining unbeaten after six contests, the Seward Side has a 4-0-2 overall record.
“It is a big moment for us on the season but a bigger moment for those who are seniors,” Head Coach Nick Smith said. “When it is all said and done, this is going to be one of the best classes to come through Concordia Women’s Soccer. We sent them off on a day that is truly celebrating them. We got off to a good start and moved the ball really well. Ultimately, when chances arose today, we were able to score some goals. It was an all-around performance. Today was coming for Sav. It just makes us more dynamic to have more people scoring goals for us.”
Following both squads receiving votes in the latest NAIA coaches poll, the Concordia offense came out firing the first eight of nine shots in the game, with the attacking third breaking into the scoring column.
After 22 minutes, Senior Niah Kirchner drove a spicy cross, meeting a saved header by Savannah Andrews. The rebound was quickly collected by the Gretna, Neb., native and punched in the top of the net for a senior day score. In the 53rd minute, Kierstynn Garner ran to the box and passed the ball to open space for Andrews to bury a screamer into the right bottom corner. The Gretna High alum notched her first two goals of the season and now has 27 in her career.
“It’s just great to finally get the first one in,” Midfielder Andrews said. “Hopefully, they will be falling more and more. It’s good to get back in a groove for things, especially on senior day. Sometimes we may not play our best, but we have such good team chemistry that we can just pull it together any day. I just love how close we are as a team.”
The Bulldog defense has given up seven goals in six games, but four have now come from penalty kicks as the Coyotes got on the board via a handball in the box.
Freshman Charli Priester responded by winning a scramble drill ball and gave the Bulldogs the second insurance goal (75’). Out of Columbus, Neb., Priester has scored three goals early this campaign.
Concordia’s back third shut down the KWU offense in the opening frame allowing four shots and in the second half forced the visitors to settle outside of the box.
The 11 seniors celebrated were Abigail Allen, Niah Kirchner, Savannah Andrews, Sierra Springer, Selah Draper, Ashlee Trujillo, Elena Ruiz, Hannah Kile, Shelby Rugg, Kierstynn Garner and Augustine Abshagen. A class that has helped the program make monumental strides in their four years.
After some time off the field, Concordia (4-0-2) will host its final non-conference clash against York University (0-3-1) in Seward on Wednesday (Sept. 17).
Wild Dawgs stay hungry in York shutout; end non-conference unbeaten
Sep. 17, 2025
SEWARD, Neb. – Like a pack of wild Dawgs, the Seward side launched into aggressive offensive play to shut out York University (4-0) on Wednesday night (Sept. 17). Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Soccer battered every part of the opposing goal with a 28-3 shot advantage. Kierstynn Garner scored her 20th career game-winning goal in the contest.
Head Coach Nick Smith and the bloodhounds have yet to taste defeat, boasting a finished 5-0-2 non-conference record.
“Our focus was on ball tempo,” said Coach Smith. “We wanted to move the ball quickly because York was going to be defensively organized. Teams have really struggled to open them up. We were fortunate that we got some good looks and good goals tonight. We largely ran the show in terms of possession. When they had some opportunities, the defense performed how they were required to. Ultimately, it was down to ball retention tonight.”
In the 40th minute, Sierra Springer sent a through ball to a streaking Garner. With a Panther on her right hip, she kicked a left-footed shot to the opposite side of the net to put the Bulldogs on the board. The Kearney High alum scored her 8th goal of the season and her 57th goal of her career.
The Bulldog midfield gobbled up every loose ball and pushed it into the attacking third as the offense rattled off seven unanswered shots in the first 21 minutes of play. The ball winners were led by Niah Kirchner, Evie Keller, Savannah Andrews, Elena Ruiz and Charli Priester. Kirchner, a senior out of Millard West High, led the high-intensity pressure against the Panther midfield as a lead Dawg. The center and defensive third stifled the York offense with zero shots on goal in the 90 minutes.
“We have been working on exploiting the outside areas moving forward and getting shots off our crosses. Our defense was doing a really good job of getting balls out of the air and settling them down, playing with our feet. It is really exciting for us. We are running through our whole entire squad. We are still fresh on our legs and it’s going to be a good season.”
Coming out of the locker rooms with a one goal lead, Concordia looked to build on the first half's 12-0 shot differential. Lupe Sanchez continued her red-hot scoring campaign with her fifth goal (assist by Garner) in seven games. The Bulldogs piled on with Kyana Rios (assist by Ruiz) and Priester (assist by McKennah West) notching their third and fourth goals, respectively.
Goalkeeper Aliya Vidro garnered her first career shutout with the help of the backline, having to make zero saves. The Bulldogs would have a 16-3 shot advantage in the second frame and a total 13-0 shots on goal tally.
Concordia (5-0-2) will travel to Orange City, Iowa and take on Northwestern (4-2) on Saturday (Sept. 20). The Bulldogs are set to take the field at the NWC Soccer Complex at 3:30 p.m. CT. The two teams had a back-and-forth match in their last meeting with the Red Raiders winning on the road (4-3).
Dawgs storm back in final minutes to preserve point in GPAC Opener
Sep. 20, 2025
ORANGE CITY, Iowa – All hope seemed lost as the Bulldogs found themselves down, 3-1, going into the final nine minutes, but Kyana Rios and Kierstynn Garner would not be denied to preserve a draw (3-3) with Northwestern on Saturday (Sept. 20). Garner scored the equalizer in the 86th minute as Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Soccer came up just shy of the go-ahead score in the final seconds of play.
CUNE stays unbeaten with a 5-0-3 overall record and a 0-0-1 GPAC showing thus far.
“We have a confidence in our attacking side of play that allows us to put ourselves in positions to get results even when we are losing games,” Head Coach Nick Smith said. “We have done that today. To score two goals and salvage a tie on the road, there are definitely positives that you pull from that. Ultimately, it was a disappointment in our overall game performance and management. Northwestern set themselves up to be defensively difficult and looked for counter moments. The lionshare of the problems we suffered today came from our own making. The pros of our mistakes are we can make ourselves better.”
Disappointment could have set in for road the Dawgs, as the Red Raiders tacked on their second (53’) and third (68’) goals in the second frame, as the first half one goal lead had dissipated. As the minutes waned, the Concordia offense dialed in more pressure and Rios scored (83’) past the Northwestern keeper for her fourth of the season.
Down one, Evie Keller dishes a prime through pass to a cheetah-like Garner and makes the Red Raiders pay for the open space to take her ninth goal of the year.
In the first frame, Savannah Andrews continued her tear with a cross from Garner and fired it into the far bottom corner. Andrews, a Gretna High alum, has three goals and three assists in the past six games.
Concordia peppered the opposing goal with 19 shots compared to Northwestern’s seven. The stout offense has now shot 47 times in the past two contests. Garner (six), Andrews (four) and Rios (three) were out front in the chances taken in Orange City.
Two goalies split time vying for the ownership of the Bulldog net as Aaliya Vidro played the first 60 minutes and Grady Smith the last 30.
The Red Raiders (4-2-1, 0-0-1 GPAC) were led by three different goal scorers in Lydia Timm, Olivia Regnerus and Aliza Edwards. Keeper Bailey Bynum blocked out three shots and Edwards was the only NWC player to have more than one try. Northwestern will travel to Forest City, Iowa to face Waldorf this Wednesday.
Concordia (5-0-3, 0-0-1 GPAC) will make a short trip to College of Saint Mary (1-6, 0-0 GPAC) on Wednesday afternoon (Sept. 24). The Bulldogs will start play at 3 p.m. CT in Omaha, Neb., as they look to seize their first conference win.
Dawgs use second half to take hold of first GPAC win
Sep. 24, 2025
OMAHA, Neb. – The Bulldogs defeated the College of Saint Mary (3-1) at Heritage Park on Wednesday afternoon (Sept. 24). Kierstynn Garner rolled out two more goals, including another game winner (21 career) to hit double digits in the 2025 campaign.
Head Coach Nick Smith and the Dawgs are 6-0-3 overall and 1-0-1 in the GPAC.
“Overall, it was a good performance from us,” Coach Smith said. “We created a large quantity of high-quality chances in the game and we limited them to mostly taking opportunities from distance. Getting an early goal helped us settle into the game. We got into half 1-0. They ended up equalizing and that kicked us into another gear. Once we found that second gear, we were able to do some good things. The hope is that we can become a little more clinical in our execution up front.”
Finding themselves tied (1-1) in the middle of the second half, Abby Haynes sent a pass to Garner, who made good on the eventual contest-seizing chance. In the 64th minute, Haynes, a freshman from Columbus, Neb., notched her first career point as a Bulldog with the dish.
With the Flames trying to find the equalizer, Sierra Springer delivered the knockout blow punching the ball in the back of the net in the 77th minute. The senior out of Raymond Central High scored her first goal of the season and her first in the last 14 games.
Garner scored in the second minute of the contest, and putting the two goals together has now amassed 11 on the season and 28 points. The Kearney High alum has reached the 60 career scores mark, which only three, including her, have touched in the program’s history.
Aliya Vidro racked up nine saves almost besting her performance at Bellevue with 10. The sophomore keeper from Colorado Springs, Colo., has 20 saves in her four starts.
Seven played smashed shots toward the CSM goalie with Garner (five), McKenna West (two), Lupe Sanchez (two), Savannah Andrews (two) and Springer (two). With 15 total, Concordia University, Nebraska edged out the Flames in shots on goal (11-10) and many of the home squad’s chances came from 25 yards out. The Bulldogs pushed 11 shots in the second frame. The Seward side went into virtually into a two-deep, playing 21 different athletes in Omaha.
College of Saint Mary (2-7, 1-1 GPAC) experienced its first conference loss in 2025 but will recoup against Northwestern on Saturday. The Flames were led by GPAC Offensive Player of the Week Bella Olsen scoring her seventh tally of the season. Ella Klusman took a game-high six shots and keeper Jenna Brown grabbed eight saves.
Concordia (6-0-3, 1-0-1 GPAC) remains unbeaten and will be tested at home against Briar Cliff (2-5, 0-1 GPAC) on Saturday. The Dawgs will take the field at 3:30 p.m. CT at Bulldog Stadium.
Rios and the Bulldogs barrel roll Chargers; Remain undefeated
Sep. 27, 2025
SEWARD, Neb. – Kyana Rios and the Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Soccer squad flexed a superior prowess in the 4-1 victory over Briar Cliff on Saturday afternoon (Sept. 27). The Bulldogs punished the Chargers with 18 shots and left no doubt after the opening minutes of the contest. Rios doubled down with a two-goal brace and the eventual game winning score.
The undefeated freight train rolls to 7-0-3 (2-0-1 GPAC) overall, matching last year’s 10-game unbeaten streak.
“Once we got going, things started to go really well for us today,” Head Coach Nick Smith said. “The only disappointment we have is that we conceded a goal early on. We continue to stay hot in front of the net. I also see us still leaving goals out there. Chance creation is getting better, now it is just, can we get execution in those moments?”
After giving up an early score, the Dawgs didn’t blink and bounced back only nine minutes later. Standing almost out of play for a free kick five yards outside the penalty area, Sadie Mares blasted a bending ball to the far top corner to give the BCU keeper no shot at the playing hero for the equalizer. Mares scored the first goal of the season and the second of her career.
Rios and Abby Haynes would connect on two different occasions to put in the second (14’) and fourth (78’) scores of the game. The Sophomore, out of Omaha, Neb., has already gathered six goals in the first nine games having scored four in her freshman campaign. The midfielder has a whopping team-best .429 shot percentage.
“We played solid today,” Rios said. “The practices leading up to the game helped us prepare well. You know, we are not at our full potential yet. We have a lot of growth to do still. It’s good to get a win out here and Wednesday, we will be coming back to get another result.”
Garner struck once again, with Niah Kirchner delivering the score in open space in the 66th minute of the contest. KG has now scored 61 career goals and is only the third person in the program to reach the mark, along with Angela Krueger (1997-00) and Jennifer Davis (2002-05).
Nine different Bulldogs fired shots with Garner (four), Rios (three), Haynes (two), Ashlee Trujillo (two), Elena Ruiz (two) and Guadalupe Sanchez (two). Grady Smith blocked out four saves and the contest win.
Briar Cliff’s Tamzin Hilton scored in the fourth minute and was assisted by Ellen Lofsjogard. Hilton led the team in shots (two) and goalie Kinley Wood took six saves for the visitors. The Chargers (2-7, 0-3 GPAC) will have a break from conference play and welcome Bellevue to Faber Field.
Concordia (7-0-3, 2-0-1 GPAC) is expected to host Mount Marty (5-3, 2-0 GPAC) on Wednesday night. The Bulldogs will walk out at 8 p.m. CT at Bulldog Stadium.
Dawgs and Lancers land at nil draw in one sided affair
Oct. 1, 2025
SEWARD, Neb. – The Bulldogs swarmed the Lancers seemingly the entire 90 minutes but couldn’t get the final result as the two teams finished deadlocked (0-0) at full time on Wednesday (Oct. 1). Concordia University, Nebraska pummeled the 18-yard box for 20 shots to the Lancers’ four. Grady Smith and Aliya Vidro combined for a complete shutout for the Dawgs.
The Seward squad continues its regular season unbeaten streak to 15-0-4 since last season and an 11-0-2 record at home since Sept. 28, 2024. The 2025 team’s slate performance moves to 7-0-4 overall and 2-0-2 GPAC.
“I can’t really fault our group tonight,” Head Coach Nick Smith said. “We put in a really good effort overall. It comes down to some decision making on the final ball or shot at the end of the night. You outshoot a team 20-4, you are probably expecting that you are winning that game. Mount Marty did a good job of being organized and putting 10 players behind the ball. Ultimately, I wanted just a bit more composure in the second half.”
With the majority of the possession at the feet of the home whites, the Bulldogs put the offensive intensity into hyperdrive shooting 15 chances in the final frame. Kierstynn Garner (four), Charli Priester (four), Kyana Rios (three), Guadalupe Sanchez (three), Savannah Andrews (two) and Abby Haynes (two) made up the bulk of the opportunities to change the scoreboard.
In one of the many good chances to take the go-ahead goal, Shelby Rugg sprinted down the sideline to still an Evie Keller pass. The senior wing crossed the ball into the penalty area to an open Priester. The Columbus, Neb., native settled the ball with her chest and swung away as the Mount Marty keeper fell to her left and grabbed the save.
Smith started the first half in goal and Vidro finished the time in the net for the two-person clean sheet. The duo combined for four saves and finally got the strived-for opponents’ nil.
Said Smith, “A huge step forward for us tonight was that we have not conceded. It has been a big focus of ours in the last couple of games. We have given too soft of goals in previous games and tonight, we were really sound defensively. Each of the two, came up big in their moment.”
The Lancers (5-4-1, 2-1-1 GPAC) break an all-time losing streak that Concordia had since the beginning of the matchup, which now has a total record of 23-0-1 in favor of the Dawgs. MMU relied on GPAC Defensive Player of the Week Brooklyn McNac in goal with 10 saves for the opposition’s shutout. Mika Moriera paced the visitors with two shots.
Concordia (7-0-4, 2-0-2 GPAC) will travel to Morningside (5-1-2, 2-1 GPAC) for an important GPAC match to stay in the top of the conference standings early on. First kick is set for 8 p.m. CT on Saturday at Elwood Olsen Stadium. The Bulldogs defeated the Mustangs, 3-1, in last season’s bout.
Nineteen game unbeaten streak snapped by Morningside
Oct. 4, 2025
SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The Bulldogs struck first in the clash of top GPAC competition, but Morningside responded with three unanswered in the 3-1 loss on Saturday night (Oct. 4). The Mustangs snapped a 19-game regular season unbeaten streak going back to 2024.
Head Coach Nick Smith and his side move to 7-1-4 overall and 2-1-2 in the conference.
“We played quite well in the first half,” Coach Smith said. “We were able to find good spaces and consistently get at them. We created three or four really good looks and were probably a little disappointed we didn’t score more in the first half. Two minutes into the second, they score off a set piece, and that changed the momentum. I’m not sure we regained our flow after that goal in the second half.”
In the 26:00 mark, Savannah Andrews found some open space just inside the 18-yard box and smashed a no-doubter just inside the near post. With the setup pass by Elena Ruiz, the Gretna High alum notched her 4th goal of the season and the 29th of her career. With a one goal lead going into the half, both squads had five shots apiece in the opening 45 minutes.
Early in the second frame, Morningside responded with a score by Trinay Garcia via Emma Feigl and Ida Carlsson less than two minutes in. The Mustangs would tack on two more from a brace performance by Keyera Harmon.
The Bulldogs would muster three chances in the second half but were stifled by a defense that has only allowed six goals through eight games. Andrews and Kierstynn Garner took two boots at the opposing keeper apiece, leading the team in shots taken. Triniti Rowe, Kyana Rios, Elena Ruiz and Charli Priester took the remaining chances.
Only having five shots on goal, the Mustangs pushed three past goalie Aliya Vidro as she gathered two saves in the 90 minutes. Concordia would take the only two corner kicks of the entire game and would make five less fouls (eight) than its counterparts.
Morningside’s Keyera Harmon kicked a game-leading five shots and finished with two scores, moving her season total to seven. Moriah Dixson was challenged four times and grabbed three saves in her home net. Melissa Tsatiris and Sami Murray tallied assists to Harmon as the Mustangs added to their overall record (6-1-2) and conference showing (3-1). They will host Dordt this upcoming Wednesday.
Concordia (7-1-4, 2-1-2 GPAC) will travel to Hastings (8-1-2, 3-0-1 GPAC) on Wednesday (Oct. 8). The Bulldogs will take the field at 8 p.m. CT with the aim to get back to the consistent success under Coach Smith.
Said Smith, “The idea is to believe in the success that we have had and what we have done to be successful. We just need to get back to the roots of our team and what our strengths are.”
Dawgs slay Broncos in top GPAC clash
Oct. 8, 2025
HASTINGS, Neb. – Charli Priester and the Dawgs fist pumped in delight defeating the defending GPAC champion Hastings (2-1) at Lloyd Wilson Field on Wednesday (Oct. 8). Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Soccer dominated midfield play to possess the ball and outshoot the Broncos 14-10. Priester scored the game-winner over in-state rival Hastings in the 76th minute.
The Seward side claimed victory over the once-conference power mounting an 8-1-4 overall record and a 3-1-2 GPAC slate.
“This is the best we have played in a while,” Head Coach Nick Smith said. “We were really good tonight. They got a goal early, but our reaction to it was really good. There was only going to be one winner tonight. It was a really good performance against a good team. It was definitely a performance that we needed right now.”
The clock began to fade as the two teams were deadlocked at one going into the 76th minute. With a throw-in from Evie Keller, the ball went from the feet of Kierstynn Garner, Kyana Rios (assist) and the final one-touch strike finish from Priester. The Columbus High product celebrated her fifth goal in her freshman campaign.
The midfield claimed ownership of the possession with relentless play from the center of the pitch. Led by Niah Kirchner, Keller and Elena Ruiz, the Bulldogs only allowed three shots on goal in 90 minutes. The wings, Sadie Mares and Shelby Rugg, continually charged up the field to make Concordia’s offensive possession dangerous as Rugg consistently drew contact.
Said Smith,” We came at them with a shape that they probably weren’t expecting. Our press was really good. Our reaction to retain the ball and move the ball after we turned them over was really good. Ultimately, it allowed us to control large portions of the game.”
In somewhat a déjà vu moment from the men’s contest, Hastings scored early (8’) and put the Bulldogs on their heels.
With a reliable connection built over hours on the field together, Savannah Andrews sent a perfect pass to Kierstynn Garner, who sliced to the far bottom corner for the early equalizer. KG has produced 62 career goals and continues to inch closer to second all-time in scoring held by Angela Krueger (1997-20) with 65 total.
The back line, including Hannah Kile, Triniti Rowe and Taylor Slaymaker, held firm in the set pieces and keeper Aliya Vidro blocked the other two saves. Garner (four), Priester (three) and Keller (two) were out front in shots taken.
The Broncos’ (8-2-2, 3-1-1 GPAC) Avery Higgins scored the early notch via Madie Miles. Jesse Chartier had a game-high six shots (two on goal). Tatiana Villasenor grabbed three saves in the five on goal.
The Bulldogs (8-1-4, 3-1-2 GPAC) is set to host Waldorf (1-8-1, 0-5 GPAC) for Homecoming this Saturday (Oct. 11). The Bulldogs will challenge the Warriors at 8 p.m. CT inside Bulldog Stadium. CUNE defeated Waldorf (8-0) in a shutout last year.
Concordia comes down on Waldorf in Homecoming festivities
Oct. 12, 2025
SEWARD, Neb. – Coming off a momentum-building conference win, the Bulldogs exuded confidence to steamroll Waldorf in a 10-0 whipping on Homecoming night (Oct. 11). Seven different Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Soccer players put a point on the scoreboard with Kierstynn Garner and Kyana Rios leading the way. Shelby Rugg and Abby Haynes scored their first collegiate goals in the contest.
The Dawgs (9-1-4, 4-1-2 GPAC) scored the most tallies under Head Coach Nick Smith, as his program high was eight before tonight.
“We were just solid in possession and started early tonight,” Head Coach Nick Smith said. “We found a pretty consistent finishing touch. We had a bunch of players step up and get goals and assists for us. The idea for me was to build on the team points we had on Wednesday night. One of the toughest things is to play a game that you are probably expected to win after a big one. Our group responded really well. Our focus was solely on Waldorf.”
Garner got the goal-scoring party started with an assist by Kyana Rios. The Kearney, Neb., native would be a part of six of the 10 goals, matching a hat trick and three assists in the shellacking of the visitors. With her third score, the forward hit her 16th goal of the season and her 65th of her career. KG has tied Angela Krueger (1997-02) for second all-time in goals scored in the program.
Rios buried a score via Sadie Mares and would punch in another from Garner in her two score one assist performance. An Omaha South product, Rios has mounted eight goals in her sophomore campaign.
Shelby Rugg bottled up some new navy kit power and struck her first score as a senior on the back line. Primarily playing the center back position this season, her chances have been limited.
“It was really nice,” Rugg said. "That was my first collegiate goal. It was really fun to finally score as a defender. Working the ball with each other. Getting the ball out wide. Everyone was actually on the same page today. Everyone was clicking. Anytime we lost the ball, there was nobody slacking. We were just mentally strong today and didn’t let anything get by us.”
Lupe Sanchez, Sadie Mares, Niah Kirchner and Haynes all found the back of the net at the homecoming extravaganza. Kichner scored her first this season and the Columbus High alum finally hit pay dirt in the scoring column. McKenna West shared two assists in the outing.
The offense was in peak form with 38 shots to the opposing teams’ zero. Chances came straight on as the Bulldogs had a 5-0 corner kick advantage. Grady Smith and Alicia Lopez would combine for a shutout in the 90 minutes. Sierra McElhannon returned from a last year injury in the late minutes.
Concordia (9-1-4, 4-1-2 GPAC) will travel to Fremont, Neb., facing Midland (1-10-1, 0-7 GPAC) on Wednesday (Oct. 15). The Bulldogs will take the pitch at 7:30 p.m. on Heedum Field.
Goals Scored List (Assist)
· 10’ - Kierstynn Garner (Kyana Rios)
· 13’ - Kyana Rios (Sadie Mares)
· 22’ - Shelby Rugg (Kierstynn Garner)
· 30’ - Kyana Rios (Kierstynn Garner)
· 33’ - Gaudalupe Sanchez (McKennah West)
· 47’ - Sadie Mares (Kierstynn Garner)
· 49’ - Kierstynn Garner (Evie Keller)
· 56’ - Kierstynn Garner (Unassisted)
· 66’ - Niah Kirchner (Avery Black)
· 68’ - Abby Haynes (McKennah West)
Dawgs dazzle under the lights; Shutout Midland in third-straight win
Oct. 15, 2025
FREMONT, Neb. – The sizzling Bulldog attack continued to turn up the heat with a 4-0 shutout of Midland on Wednesday night (Oct. 15). Now on a three-game win streak, Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Soccer hammered the opposing goal with a 28-6 shot advantage. Kierstynn Garner became the second-highest goal scorer in the program’s history with 66 in her career.
Head Coach Nick Smith and company hit double digit wins (10-1-4) and are 5-1-2 in the GPAC.
“Our evolution throughout the 90 minutes, I am taking as a positive that we can use as a standing block,” Coach Smith said. “We took a step forward in the second half. We scored some goals and created opportunities, but I don’t think we got into the game well. We struggled with tempo and the width of the field. We created a lot more chances and got into the game more in the second half.”
In the 5th minute, Sadies Mares crushed a ball over the top to Garner, who made a last-second cross to Kyana Rios for the early score. Rios notched her ninth goal of the season.
With a 2-0 lead coming out of the break, a set piece scramble commenced the lone Garner score. Guadalupe Sanchez hustled to the ball, pushing it to KG for the turn and fire. The Kearney High alum put her 17th score of 2025 on the stat sheet.
Said Smith, “K would be the first to tell you, she is in this place because she has quality people around her on the field. At the end of the day, K is going to go down as one of the best Bulldog finishers that the program has ever seen. She is just an instinctual finisher on a level that I have never seen before. Her conversion rate is incredibly high, and her shot selection shows that she makes good decisions in those attacking areas.”
Looking for the first corner kick score of the campaign, the Bulldogs’ Taylor Slaymaker came in clutch with a tap-in from a Mares blast. Slaymaker scored the second goal of her career.
Concordia finished with a 7-0 corner edge in the dominant offensive showing. Possession seemed to remain at the feet of the Bulldog midfield, and the defense only allowed three shots on goal (six total). Aliya Vidro grabbed her second complete shutout and three saves. Sanchez found her seventh goal of the season from Sierra Springer.
The three leading finishers in the attacking third which includes Garner, Rios and Sanchez have mounted 33 goals in the NAIA nationally ranked offense.
Midland (1-11-1, 0-8-0 GPAC) had six shots from six different players and Ava Brandt collected 14 saves, her game high for this year. The Warriors will face Waldorf in Forest City, Iowa looking for their first conference win on Saturday at 5 p.m. CT.
Concordia (10-1-4, 5-1-2 GPAC) will make the trek to South Dakota to face defense-led Dakota Wesleyan (4-2-6, 3-1-3 GPAC) on Saturday. The Bulldogs will take the field at 6 p.m. CT in Mitchell, S.D.
Dawgs' prolific offense prevails versus stonewall Tiger defense
Oct. 18, 2025
MITCHELL, S.D. – Elena Ruiz plunged a dagger in the back of the net in the second half for the eventual contest winner over Dakota Wesleyan on Saturday night (Oct. 18). In the battle of complete opposite play styles, the dangerous Bulldog offense found the go-ahead score in the 69th minute against a stingy Tiger defensive third. It would be enough as Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Soccer took the 1-0 victory.
The Seward side has won four in a row totaling an 11-1-4 overall record and a 6-1-2 GPAC showing.
“At this point of the year, getting a result is important,” Head Coach Nick Smith said. “Dakota Wesleyan has gotten some results against tough teams this year. They defend really well. We did enough in the second half where we had earned a goal. I’m pleased with that. They are really organized. They have some athletic bodies back there that do a lot of work for them. They set themselves up to play a counter game. They cause teams to have a difficult time to score goals against.”
The battle was known from the outset as the conference’s most prolific offense was visiting a Dakota Wesleyan squad that had allowed less than one goal per game (0.75) in their previous 12 matchups.
In a second half corner kick, Kierstynn Garner soared in a rainbow to Evie Keller, pushed it toward the goal as Taylor Slaymaker battled for the ball, and kicked it back toward the net. Elena Ruiz stepped up and crushed the score past a Dakota Wesleyan defender in the top left corner. Ruiz, an Omaha South High alum, tallied her ninth goal of her career.
The offense continued to spray the opposing goal with 18 total shots to the Tigers’ nine. Garner matched the DWU total chances (nine) all on her own but was unfamiliarly unable to find the final touch. Abby Haynes was second for the Bulldogs in shots (four) hitting the cross bar late, looking for her second season tally. Five others made up the shots on the score sheet including Niah Kirchner, Savannah Andrews, Kyana Rios, Ruiz and Guadalupe Sanchez.
The midfield and back line did much work in holding and controlling possession as Concordia dominated on-the-ball minutes. Ruiz, Kirchner and Evie Keller were in control of the ball and Triniti Rowe was a consistent presence to help preserve the clean sheet. Combined, the two levels of defense held the Tigers to one shot on goal and high offensive shot taker Hannah Petrucci to only one chance.
Keeper Aliya Vidro collected one save and her third shutout of 2025.
Dakota Wesleyan was led on offense by Noelie Prat and Esmeralda Guzmán with both taking two shots. Goalie Abigail Colgrove was pivotal in defense of the contest not being lopsided with six saves in the net. The Tigers will face Briar Cliff on Wednesday, up next.
Concordia (11-1-4, 6-1-2 GPAC) will have next Wednesday off before hosting Dordt (7-5-2, 6-2-1 GPAC) on Saturday (Oct. 25). The Bulldogs will take the field at 3:30 p.m. CT in Seward, Neb.
Slaymaker punishes stalling defense; Showdown ends in draw
Oct. 25, 2025
SEWARD, Neb. – After a late first half score, Dordt attempted to play defense the rest of the 45 minutes before Taylor Slaymaker netted a 28-yard blast to tie the contest late on Saturday (Oct. 25). The Bulldogs owned possession and outshot the Defenders 10-0 in the second half of play.
Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Soccer continues its six-game unbeaten streak to an 11-1-5 overall record and a 6-1-3 GPAC performance.
“The first goal tonight was going to be a big one for them,” Head Coach Nick Smith said. “In particular, after they get the goal, it’s so close to half then they get to spend the half organizing what they are going to do defensively in the second. The second half was much more comfortable because they sat deeper. So, we create some good opportunities. Fortunate for us today, Taylor is the one who found the unlocking key.”
The two best offensive players in the conference were on the same field in the Seward contest yet didn’t quite live up to the billing after Dordt virtually parked the bus besides Karinna Tel, following her lone score.
In the 84th minute, Slaymaker brought the ball toward the box and found a passing lane that led to naught. Moments later, the Kearney, Neb., native found herself in a similar situation but fired the rocket into the top of goal for the equalizer. After 79 games played in the centerback’s career, she has reached three goals as a Bulldog with undoubtedly her most impressive tally on the board.
Said Smith, “She scored, probably the best goal of her career. It was a great finish into the top corner. Ultimately, it salvages a 1-1 draw today. It was such a good goal. She has shown that she is capable of doing that. She does that every now and then in training. She has scored two in the last three games, so she is getting hot in front of the net for us.”
The Bulldogs plastered the opposing goal with a 16-6 shot advantage led by Kierstynn Garner and Savannah Andrews with three chances apiece. Eight Concordia players had their shot at goal and the two teams remain knotted in corner kicks (3-3) after 90 minutes.
The Defenders’ Lydia Zylstra led the team with a game high seven saves keeping the high-powered Bulldog offense primarily at bay. The two-time All-American Tel took four of the Sioux Center side’s six shots as the talented senior made good on her one dangerous chance. Dordt (8-5-3, 6-2-2 GPAC) will face rival Northwestern in its final regular season game on Wednesday in Sioux Center.
Concordia (11-1-5, 6-1-3 GPAC) will host Doane (8-7-2, 6-3-1 GPAC) in Seward on Wednesday. The Bulldogs will come on the pitch at 8 p.m. CT inside Bulldog Stadium.
Garner’s last second heroics completes comeback over Doane; Claim 2nd in GPAC
Oct. 30, 2025
SEWARD, Neb. – Jubilant screams and hugs were had by the Bulldogs in the final seconds of the regular season finale as game-winning Kierstynn Garner scored the go-ahead goal to defeat Doane on Wednesday night (Oct. 29). After going down in the second frame, Garner and the Concordia University, Nebraska offense compiled back-to-back tallies in the waning minutes to complete the comeback. With the triumph, the women’s soccer squad finishes in second place in the regular season conference standings.
The Bulldogs only suffered one loss (12-1-5) in the entire 18-game slate and finished with a 7-1-3 showing in the GPAC.
“Elation,” Head Coach Nick Smith said. “We played really well tonight. We outshoot them 19-2 but I think we found a different rhythm and a different intensity after we were down. We were able to get two goals in the final 10 minutes, and the ramifications for us were huge. To be able to lock up second place tonight was huge for us.”
The Bulldog attack had outshot the visitors 12-1 before the Tigers took the lead from a few errors in the 73rd minute. Looking down the barrel of a loss and dropping from second place to fifth, the offense immediately picked up steam in response. Just after crossing the final 10-minute threshold, Guadalupe Sanchez pushed the ball towards goal and Garner buried the empty net one touch to equalize.
With the final seconds coming from the crowded Concordia defensive end, Savannah Andrews ran to a cleared ball and punched the dish to KG. The Kearney, Neb., native let the ball slide past her defender on the right as she went left and the race was on toward the opposing keeper. The crafty Kearney High forward crushed a low ball to the right of the keeper and she ran to the corner as Bulldog fans screamed in “elation”.
“It was awesome,” Garner said. “We definitely deserved it. We outplayed them the whole 90 minutes. We just had to get one to go. It’s huge. A loss would have put us back in fifth because it's tight competition, but the win sealed second place, which was huge for us.”
Concordia controlled the 90 minutes with consistent possession in the attacking half, keeping it in Doane’s defensive zone almost exclusively with a 19-2 shot advantage. Garner, Andrews and Kyana Rios led the home squad with three shots each and the Bulldogs had a 6-0 corner kick advantage.
Said Smith, “It’s the first time in program history that we have had three consecutive second place finishes. It’s the first time we've gotten through an 18-game regular season and have one loss. It is huge for home field advantage and also the extra avenues to reach the national tournament bid as well.”
Concordia (12-1-5, 7-1-3 GPAC) earned the second seed and hosts No. 7 seeded College of Saint Mary (6-11-1, 5-5-1 GPAC) on Tuesday (Nov. 4). The Bulldogs will take the field at 6 p.m. CT in Bulldog Stadium. CUNE defeated the Flames (3-1) on Sept. 24 earlier this campaign.
Dawgs eliminate CSM in opening minutes; Defeat Flames in shutout
Nov. 4, 2025
SEWARD, Neb. – Concordia University, Nebraska Women's Soccer bulldozed No. 7 seed College of Saint Mary (3-0) on Tuesday night (Nov. 4). After going down a score in their past two matchups, the Bulldogs blitzed hot out of the gate scoring two in the first six minutes, putting the game to bed early over the Flames. The home blues stayed on the attack with 17 total shots to the visitors' five.
No. 2 seed CUNE (13-1-5) moves on to host the GPAC semifinals for the third consecutive time under Head Coach Nick Smith.
"A focus of ours since the last two games have been the start," Coach Smith said. "The challenge for us tonight was when chances arose tonight, could we execute. Fortunately, we get two chances inside six minutes. It set the pace for the evening for us."
In the 3rd minute, Savannah Andrews lofted a chip pass to Kierstynn Garner as four defenders converged on the elite goal scorer. Garner delt a smooth assist to Evie Keller and the midfielder smashed the game opening goal into the net just under the crossbar. The Grand Island Northwest alum notched her first score of the season and has five points in her freshman campaign.
Said Smith, "It's a huge goal for her so I can stop giving her crap. I mean she has done everything but score all season long. We know that she has goals in her. The goal she scores tonight is a wonderstrike. It was a really good finish. So, hopefully that is a domino goal for her. It is really a reflection of where Keller has been with us all season long."
Less than three minutes later, Elena Ruiz split two defenders just outside the box and found the pink boots of Andrews crushing the one-touch rope into the far top corner. With the tally, the senior Andrews piled up her 30th career goal.
After the halftime break, Taylor Slaymaker tapped in her third goal of the season and gave the Bulldogs even more insurance in the second frame. Garner added another assist to her belt totaling 12 in 2025.
Aliya Vidro garnered three saves and completed the clean sheet with the back line being steady including Slaymaker, Hannah Kile, Triniti Rowe, Shelby Rugg and Sadie Mares. Vidro now has four complete shutouts.
Midfielders kept possession the majority of the match with the likes of Niah Kirchner, Keller, Ruiz and Charli Preister and 9-1 in corner kicks taken.
Ella Klusman (three) and Jimena Estrada Gomez (two) led CSM in shots taken but were unable to get the chances to fall. The Flames end 2025 with a 6-12-1 record.
Concordia (13-1-5) will take on No. 3 seed Hastings (13-3-3) on Saturday. The Bulldogs will take the field at 6 p.m. in Seward.
Dawgs drop heartbreaker in overtime to Hastings in GPAC semifinals
Nov. 8, 2025
SEWARD, Neb. – The GPAC semifinal needed extra time to be decided as No. 3 seed Hastings found a golden goal to defeat No. 2 seed Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Soccer on Saturday night (Nov. 8). The Bulldogs scored an equalizer to push the game to overtime, but were only able to find one score in 16 shots in Seward.
Concordia finishes its tournament run and season with a 13-2-5 record with an outside shot at an at-large bid.
“I feel like it was a typical semifinal,” Head Coach Nick Smith said. “Early on, both teams tried to get themselves in a bit of a rhythm and we were probably better at doing that earlier. We were the better team in the first half. The goal that they go was a little bit against the run of play and they make the most of the opportunity. Kile scoring got us back into the game. We hit the post with K and the crossbar with McKennah. It was a game of inches.”
Quick passing led to an opening for the Broncos’ Payton Tanner to score the game-ending goal from Madison Rhodes in the 95th minute. The third total shot in overtime play ended the game in golden goal fashion.
In the 66th minute of regulation, the Bulldogs needed a tally to knot the game and Kile delivered on the end of corner kick from Kierstynn Garner. The defender out of Raymond Central marked her first goal of the season and her 5th of her career.
Concordia ruled in the offensive attack with a 16-9 chance advantage, especially in the first half (8-3). The Bulldogs also had an edge in corners (3-2) and fouls (3-6). Garner led the team with shots taken (three) and four others had multiple chances including Shelby Rugg, Charli Preister, Sadie Mares and Savannah Andrews.
Dominating the ball for much of the possession, the Bulldogs would look to get the ball inside the 18-yard box but the counter game for Hastings was forward as soon as they collected possession.
Said Smith, “We talked about how close we are as a program. Over the course of the season, it is really important for them to have the perspective that we were really close to being a regular season champion and we got into a semifinal with a chance to host at home. So, it's just about maintaining the progress we have had over these last three years and using the feelings we have right now to come back strong.”
The Hastings offense was led by Rhodes scoring the first goal in the 53rd minute and the assist. Goalkeeper Autumn Button grabbed seven saves in the contest win. HC will host No. 4 Dordt for the conference final.
Concordia will wait to see if it will receive an at-large bid after only losing two games this season and looks to continue the 2025 season in the NAIA Women’s Soccer national championships tournament that will be announced on Nov. 14
Season-In-Review: 2025 Concordia Women's Soccer
Nov. 26, 2025
Sadness was the prevailing emotion on Nov. 14 when members of the Concordia University, Nebraska Women’s Soccer program learned they had not been selected as an at-large qualifier for the national tournament. The bubble had burst for a group that was perhaps the first team excluded from the field. The fact that the Bulldogs were right in the thick of the at-large discussion showed the progress of the program, which qualified automatically in each of its first four national tournament appearances.
No one was quite prepared for such an abrupt ending, Head Coach Nick Smith included. An overtime loss in the GPAC tournament semifinals left Concordia’s fate in the hands of the committee. With time for reflection, Smith offers the proper perspective.
“The big thing was the limbo in between (the GPAC semifinal loss and the national tournament selections),” Smith said. “We knew after the Hastings result that it was becoming unlikely for us, but we knew there was a possibility. Over the next week, we were waiting around and seeing how the conference tournaments were unfolding. We had a big message for the group after the Hastings game that night about how much we have accomplished this year as a team and how we took a step forward building on what we had accomplished last year. In a lot of respects, this year we were a much more balanced team. We increased our goal output and decreased the amount of goals we conceded over the year.”
In other words, the 2025 team reached a higher overall level of play than the 2024 edition that broke new ground with the program’s first ever win on the national tournament stage. This fall, the Bulldogs lost only twice all season (just once in the regular season) while finishing at 13-2-5 overall (7-1-3 GPAC). Concordia came up one win shy of claiming a GPAC regular season title as part of a journey that included the highest ranked win in program history – a 3-1 home victory over No. 4 Columbia College (Mo.).
Throughout the campaign, the Bulldogs were led by an accomplished senior class featuring a pair of three-time First Team All-GPAC honorees in prolific goal scorer Kierstynn Garner and midfield stalwart Niah Kirchner. They were two of the 11 members of the class honored back on senior day. That group did not include super senior Taylor Slaymaker, who returned for a final season to help anchor the back line. The box score never did justice to Kirchner, whose contributions were outlined in detail HERE.
The spotlight often found Garner, who will go down as a program legend. The Kearney native produced 68 goals and 31 assists over the past four years, making her the second leading goal scorer in the history of the program. Remarkably consistent throughout her career, Garner (school record 23 game-winning goals) has always displayed a flair for the dramatic. Her breakaway game winner with 11 seconds remaining to sink Doane, 2-1, in the season finale will stand as one of her signature moments. The goal locked Concordia into second place in the final GPAC standings.
Said Smith of Garner’s impeccable resume, “She’s elite in the elite moments. I think that’s what’s going to be what her legacy is. She had the most game-winning goals in her career going into her senior year. She scores when it matters. You talk about a young woman with the right mentality. That is ‘Kay.’ She is a winner. I know moving on in life – and whenever she moves on from soccer – Kay is going to be good because of the head on top of her shoulders. She’s a special player. There are not going to many players who will compare to her with the consistency she’s had in her career here.”
Garner was joined on the GPAC’s all-conference first team by Kirchner and sophomores Kyana Rios and Triniti Rowe. In addition, second team honors went to freshman Guadalupe Sanchez and honorable mention was earned by junior Sadie Mares, senior Elena Ruiz and Slaymaker. The collective efforts of these honorees and many others on the roster resulted in a team that outscored its opponents by a combined total of 57-20. The Bulldogs led all GPAC teams with an average of 2.85 goals scored per game.
Indeed, Garner led the way with 19 goals and 13 assists in her senior year. She was followed in the goal department by Rios (nine), Sanchez (seven), senior Savannah Andrews (five) and freshman Charli Preister (five). The Gretna native Andrews enjoyed a fine career of her own with 30 goals and 13 assists over 71 games. As a sophomore, Rios stepped up her game while increasing her goal count from four as a freshman.
It was the type of well-rounded squad that Smith sought to build when he first arrived at Concordia in March of 2023. Opponents couldn’t simply key in on Garner – or the Bulldogs would burn them with one of their many other attacking weapons. In addition, the Bulldogs were solid defensively while led at center back by Rowe and Slaymaker. At outside back, Shelby Rugg returned from injury and started all 20 games. When injury occurred to keeper Aaliyah Matthews early in the season, Grady Smith and Aliya Vidro were there to fill the void. The team also successfully integrated a group of talented freshmen, including Preister, Sanchez, Abby Haynes and Evie Keller.
Those underclassmen will assume larger roles while growing throughout this offseason. They’ve had a strong group of senior leaders to look up to. That senior class was made up of – in addition to Andrews, Garner, Kirchner, Rugg and Ruiz – Augustine Abshagen, Abigail Allen, Selah Draper, Hannah Kile, Sierra Springer and Ashlee Trujillo.
Smith and the program will miss them for many reasons. Said Smith, “This senior class has been with me my entire time here. I got them in their second semester as freshmen. I’ve done a lot of growing with them. The ability within that senior class is incredibly high. I’m going to miss them. I’m going to miss their personalities. I’m going to miss the attitude and the willingness of theirs to make things better here. They were tremendous examples for the players coming in as to what we want Bulldog players to look like. It’s disappointing as to how it ends for that group for me. Mor than anything, I’m going to miss them as people and the interactions we have day-to-day and those interactions on the field before and after training. It’s a group that’s going to stick with me for a long time.”
Those seniors will always cherish the memory of the 2024 national tournament win over Benedictine College (Kan.) and the togetherness that came with the highs and lows over four seasons. In 2025, the Bulldogs received votes nationally for nearly the entire season. From the start, Concordia showed it had the ability to compete on a national level. It drew, 3-3 with No. 23 University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma (in a game it could have easily won) and celebrated the historic win over fourth-ranked Columbia in the season’s opening weekend. The Bulldogs navigated all the way into October before finally tasting a defeat.
The trick now is for Concordia to redefine itself and continue the program’s momentum.
“There’s certainly some disappointment at the end of our season,” Smith said. “That disappointment is only there because of the expectations that have been created. We have some big players leaving, but the program goals are the exact same. I hate losing. I don’t want to lose any game ever. Losing only two games this year sets a standard for what the expectations are moving forward. Are we going to be the same look of a team this coming fall? Probably not. Our identity is going to probably have to reshape a little bit. We’ve got a group of players that is hungry to try to find what our next level is. We’re looking for championships and to be in the national tournament. That’s what our goals are going to be next fall.”