Women’s soccer earns first GPAC win of season against Briar Cliff, 1-0
Junior defender Hannah Kile (21) maneuvers her way around a member of the opposing team to bring the ball back to the Bulldogs.
Photo credit: Josiah Seabaugh
By Maddy Peters, sports editor
The Concordia women’s soccer team achieved their first Great Plains Athletic Conference win Saturday evening with a 1-0 shutout against the Briar Cliff University Chargers.
After several heartbreakers against other GPAC teams, the Bulldogs have finally come out on top on homecoming weekend. For coach Nick Smith, the team has been aching for a win.
“It’s a long time coming for this group,” said Smith. “It’s nice to be able to win a game and not play terrifically, and so we know that we’ve got levels that are in front of us, but I think the important thing for the group right now is that we did just get that first win and we start to grow that belief again.”
The game winning goal was a 25-yard boot by freshman Kyana Rios with an assist from senior Emily Howard in the 49th minute. This was Rios’ first collegiate career goal.
The team faced a scoreless first half with few shots on either side. Briar Cliff had two for the first 45 minutes and Concordia had one taken by senior Hannah Haas.
The Concordia team suffered the loss of their top scorer junior Kierstynn Garner who had to leave the game for injury late in the first half. Garner was out for the rest of the game, but Smith believes she will be back in action in no time.
“From what I understand, I think it’s a little nerve thing and so I think she’s going to be okay,” said Smith, “She was trying to do some stuff there in the second half to get back on the field, but she wasn’t feeling one hundred percent and the game was going well where it was fine for her to sit and really to rest.”
The second half was a bit more dangerous for the Bulldogs as the Chargers tested the defensive capabilities for the group. Senior goalie Angela Banks recorded five saves and maintained the shutout.
“I think the most important thing about today is that we got the result, and getting into GPAC play this year, we’ve struggled a little bit in terms of the results,” said Smith. “Performances have been really good. And so tonight, performance wasn’t great, but we got the result, and so we’re at a point right now where I think we’re turning things. So it’s just important for us to get across the finish line with first of all, a win, but secondly and importantly for us to shut out.”
That turning point is going to be essential with one more month of regular season before the conference tournament. Every game will shake up the chances for that coveted GPAC championship.
“We have seven games in front of us,” said Smith, “Seven opponents who each are going to pose their own tests, but I think when we’re playing at our level that we’re capable of, those are games that we can win.”
The path forward for Smith is to take the joy and triumph from this first step and put it towards moving through that last stretch through the post-season.
“And now for us, it’s just about building on this result, you know, the first result in GPAC play for us, and trying to move now from strength to strength, and if we can do that, I’d like us to be peaking at the tail end of the season when we get into tournament time,” said Smith.
The team is now 4-5-1 overall and 1-3 in the GPAC. They get a midweek break to rest up before heading to Mitchell, S.D. to face Dakota Wesleyan University. First kick is scheduled for 3 p.m.
