Hastings Tops Bulldogs in GPAC Final
Photo by Abi Schroeder
by Jordan McCoy
On Friday night, Nov. 11, Hastings College, now second in the nation and undefeated, beat the Bulldogs 3-1, giving the Broncos an NAIA Tournament berth and concluding the Bulldogs’ season.
The Broncos had the first seed in the tournament, granting them home-field. The Bulldogs came in with the second seed.
The Broncos explosive offense was difficult for the Bulldogs to defend. Hastings took 20 shots to Concordia’s 12. However, senior goalkeeper Mark Horsburgh provided seven saves for the Bulldogs.
The Broncos struck first in the 20th minute. Then, the Broncos scored again in the 37th minute with a goal from Hastings’ top scorer, Daniel Whitehall.
After halftime, the Broncos scored once more to make the score 3-0 in the 64th minute. The Bulldogs were not going down without a fight. In the 79th minute on a breakaway to goal, forward Marcelo Hernandez was fouled inside the box. Hernandez neatly placed the ball in the back of the net on the penalty kick to make the score 3-1.
Concordia ended their season with a record of 11-7-2 overall. Next year, they will be missing starters Hernandez, goalkeeper Mark Horsburgh and defender Andrew Mussell, who all have finished their eligibility to play.
“I am proud of the boys’ hard work this year,” said head coach Jason Weides. “We accomplished some great things and will continue to do so next season.”
