Box Score SEWARD, Neb. – It was the second gameday of the year for the Southwestern College women's soccer team on Saturday, as they headed up north to face the Concordia University Bulldogs in Seward, Neb. A tough battle, with two newcomers scoring their first goals for the Moundbuilders, ended in a 3-2 loss at the hands of the Bulldogs.
In a game that did not lack scoring, the first of the five total tallies in the matchup was scored by the Bulldogs in the 23rd minute by the newly substituted Niah Kirchner. The early strike put a bit of pressure on the Builders to find the equalizer.
The first half was an even game as both teams had four shots and three saves in the first period of the bout. Not impressed by the first goal, the Builders kept up the pressure and believed in their strengths.
Coming out strong after halftime, the Builders kept the foot on the gas and started early with a shot from Hailey Rouse. Shortly after, freshman Keiana Jones from Portishead Town, England used her opportunity to tie the game and scored her first goal in a Builder kit.
Shortly after, the Builders were afforded a chance after a foul by the Bulldogs in their own box, leaving the Builders with a penalty kick. Avery Norman, sophomore from Shawnee, Kan., walked up to take the penalty and could not elude the Bulldogs' goalkeeper Angela Banks. The save kept the score as it had been, 1-1.
The score would continue to read 1-1 for a majority of the second half, but the final 15 minutes of play would turn the game on its head. In the 77th minute, an unfortunate own goal brought the Bulldogs their second lead of the game and made the score 2-1. It is the second year in a row that Southwestern has allowed an own goal in a match against Concordia, each of which resulted in one-goal losses. Not even fifteen seconds later, Aliya Aldama scored her first goal for the Bulldogs and ran the tally to a 3-1 lead for Concordia.
With hope in their heart, the Builders' offense tried to have an impact on the result of the game and continued fighting. In the 82nd minute Natalia Bak, a freshman from Bristol, England, was able to tighten up the score by scoring her first goal for SC.
The Builders would have another chance in the 86th minute, as Bak had another shot that narrowly missed the frame to the right, and Southwestern would fall to the Bulldogs by the final score of 3-2.
The Builders Women's Soccer team (0-1-1) will be back on Monday night at Richard L. Jantz Stadium as they play Bacone College. This will be their third non-conference opponent in a list of six total tune-up battles before the start of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) schedule.
--buildersports.com--
