Courtesy of Midland Athletics
SIOUX CENTER, Iowa – Midland University opened conference play on the road Saturday evening, facing Dordt University in its first Great Plains Athletic Conference matchup. The Warriors rallied from a two-goal deficit to tie the game early in the second half, but the Defenders scored late to hand Midland a 3-2 loss.
Dordt struck first in the 16th minute to take a 1-0 lead, then added another in the 30th to go up 2-0. Midland created several chances, but the Defenders held the Warriors scoreless through the first 45 minutes. Dordt led 8-4 in shots at halftime, including a 4-2 edge on goal, and held a 6-2 advantage in corner kicks.
Midland came out strong after the break. In the 46th minute, Addison Castellanos put the Warriors on the board with a long-range strike. Just three minutes later, Jordyn Van Rensburg connected with Stella Weidner, who slipped the ball past the keeper to equalize at 2-2.
Both teams battled through the second half, but Dordt broke the deadlock in the 85th minute to reclaim the lead. The Defenders held on down the stretch to seal the win.
Ava Brandt played the full 90 minutes in goal for Midland, recording 13 saves. Dordt outshot Midland 25-6 overall and 13-2 on frame.
Midland (1-4-0, 0-1 GPAC) will travel to Yankton, South Dakota, to face Mount Marty in a GPAC matchup on Wednesday, Sept. 24. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
