Women’s soccer remains undefeated in the GPAC

Photo description: Senior Grace Soenksen battles a defender as she shoots on the goal

Photo credit: Kayla Korb (Photo from previous game)

Madeline Peters

Sports Editor

The Concordia women’s soccer team nearly shut out the Dakota Wesleyan University Tigers 6-1 Saturday evening in Mitchell, South Dakota.

The women’s team extends their undefeated streak in the Great Plains Athletic Conference with another massive win. Concordia remains one of three undefeated teams alongside Morningside University who is up next, and Midland University, who tied against the Bulldogs on Sept. 27.

The first half of the game was a shoot-out for the Bulldogs. In the fifth minute sophomore Savannah Andrews slipped in a goal off an assist from fellow sophomore Kierstynn Garner. In the 17th minute, Garner decided that she could not be left out of the scoring column and made an open break for the goal. The Tigers’ goalie dived in front of Garner to stop the attack but was unprepared for Garner’s doggedness as she hopped right over and took an easy shot.

Garner made another goal three minutes later off a long kick to bring the score to 3-0. Of course, Andrews could not let that slide and scored a second goal of her own in the 24th minute. The Bulldogs scored one more goal in the half by junior Kassidy Johnson with an assist from fellow junior Hannah Haas in the 34th minute.

There was only one more goal for Concordia in the game, which was scored by Garner for a hat trick in the 57th minute. After an unfortunate penalty in the goal box, Dakota Wesleyan’s junior Deandrea Johnson kicked a penalty goal in the 68th minute to at least put the Tigers on the board. Concordia’s goalie was then switched out from senior Bradi Ore to junior Angela Banks.

The rest of the game was a defensive slog for the Bulldogs as the invigorated Tigers attempted to put more points on the board. Head coach Nick Smith also put in several players who do not play often to give them more experience as they held off Dakota Wesleyan for the rest of the half.

Concordia narrowly outshot Dakota Wesleyan 14-13, with Garner and Andrews leading the team in shots. Defensively, Ore recorded two saves and Banks had one.

The women’s team is now 8-2-1 overall and 4-0-1 in the GPAC. The team comes back home to battle Morningside University on Oct. 4 at 8 p.m.