Courtesy of Midland Athletics
SIOUX CITY, Iowa – No. 25-ranked Midland University returned to Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) action on Saturday as it traveled to Sioux City, Iowa, to take on Briar Cliff University. A red card against the Chargers and two second-half goals helped the Warriors cruise to a 3-0 victory.
“We had everything to prove today,” said head coach Josh Nakayama. “We are finding our rhythm now.”
Briar Cliff played physically from the opening whistle, committing six fouls in the first 15 minutes. The Chargers out-fouled Midland 10-2 in the first half and picked up three yellow cards. Offensively, the Warriors held a slight edge with eight shots, four on target, while the Chargers managed five shots with just one on goal.
Just when it looked as if the first half would end scoreless, Juan Villadiego found space down the right side in the 41st minute. He sent a cross into a crowded box that deflected off a pair of Briar Cliff defenders before ricocheting perfectly to Sid Gunton-Day, who volleyed the ball into the top of the net for a 1-0 Midland lead on the final shot of the half.
The second half remained physical as Midland controlled possession but couldn’t extend the lead until the 61st minute, when Angjelos Arapi received his second yellow card, resulting in a red card and leaving the Chargers a man down for the final half-hour.
In the 78th minute, Tyler Gilliland glided past a Briar Cliff defender and fired a right-footed shot past the keeper into the bottom-left corner to double the Warriors’ advantage. Just over five minutes later, a well-timed run by Nacho Salmeron and a pinpoint through ball from Villadiego set up Salmeron one-on-one with the goalkeeper. He buried his shot into the back of the net to make it 3-0 in the 84th minute.
Midland’s defense sealed the clean sheet as goalkeeper Tomas Reyes made his second save in the 90th minute to preserve the shutout and secure three GPAC points.
“I’m very proud of the way our team kept our emotions in check and had a very good performance,” Coach Nakayama said. “Consistency is key. It is important we stay hungry.”
The Warriors controlled the match statistically, outshooting Briar Cliff 17-7 overall and 8-2 in shots on goal. The Chargers committed 14 fouls to Midland’s seven and collected five yellow cards, while the Warriors had one (Thomas Gibson, 20:46). Reyes finished with two saves in 90 minutes, and Villadiego was involved in all three goals, notching two second-half assists.
Midland (9-1-2, 3-0-1 GPAC) will be back on the road Wednesday as it travels to Crete, Nebraska, to face the Doane Tigers (2-6-2, 1-1-2 GPAC). Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. at Al Papik Field.
