FREMONT, Neb. – On Wednesday night, the Midland Warriors faced the Concordia University Bulldogs and were narrowly defeated in a defensive showdown, 1-0.
Similar to their matchups the last few seasons, the Warriors and Bulldogs very physical and the mood was tense all night, there would be two yellow cards given out along with a total of 17 fouls on the night.
The first half was a gritty affair and Midland finished with more fouls (6) than shot attempts (4). Concordia was also quiet offensively in the half with only 4 shot attempts, but a late corner kick would spark some life into their attack.
While Midland was attempting to clear the corner kick, the Bulldogs got a timely interception in the box that sophomore midfielder Matt Schultz turned on and fired into the back of the net. The goal would give Concordia a 1-0 lead going into the intermission.
The second half was filled with much more attack as Midland battled to try and draw even. The Warriors had 9 shot attempts (4 on goal) and dominated much of the possession in the final 25 minutes of the match. Senior midfielder Jared Money earned a few opportunities with two shots on goal and a third shot that was just wide right.
Warriors’ sophomore Matthew Ricci was strong in goal in the half as he saved three shots and helped his defense to draw the Bulldogs offsides three times. It would prove to just not be the Warriors night as sophomore defender Yannick Pohland’s header was saved in the waning seconds, which would seal the match and give Concordia (8-2-1, 6-1-1) the victory.
“The result didn’t reflect the performance by our guys tonight,” said head coach Raphael Martinez. “I thought we controlled the game and created more opportunities. Unfortunately, that is soccer. The team that plays better doesn’t always win.”
The Warriors (5-3, 5-3) will take the pitch again on November 11 at home against Briar Cliff University (8-0, 6-0). The GPAC matchup is set to kickoff at 2:30 p.m.
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