ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Golden Bear soccer team (2-0) got off to the best start since the 2001 season this past weekend, defeating both Western State and Nebraska-Kearney, and will continue their non-conference schedule against Viterbo on Sunday, September 9^th. This will be Concordia's final non-conference matchup of the season, with game time set for 1 p.m. at the Outdoor Athletics Complex in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Golden Bears opened their 2018 schedule with a pair of road games in Kearney, Nebraska, facing Western State and Nebraska-Kearney for the first time in program history. The squad first took on a solid Western State team, coming away with a 1-0 victory. This was the second year in a row that the Bears started off the year with a win and the seventh time overall in the CSP's Division II history.
 
The CSP offense got off to an efficient start, scoring with their first shot of the game. In the 11^th minute, senior captain Jade Weller took a pass from teammate Katri Gifford and buried a goal from 20 yards out into the far left side of the net to give the Bears a 1-0 lead. This was all Concordia would need, as the team held Western State to only two shots on net, both of which were stopped by junior goalkeeper Emily Nelson.
 
On Sunday the Bears came away with a 2-1 win over the host school, Nebraska-Kearney. Both sides of the field had an impressive showing, as the Concordia defense only allowed two shots all game and the offense fired nine shots of their own, scoring once each half to secure the win.
 
The Lopers got on the board first, scoring in the first five minutes of the game, deflecting in a 40-yard free kick to take an early lead. The Bears answered later in the half when Gifford put herself in a good position to finish off a cross from freshman Jena Berkland. In the second half, it was Berkland who found the back of the net this time, taking a pass from Leah Johnson and popping a shot over the goalie from the center of the box to score what would end up being the game-winner.   
 
VITERBO SERIES HISTORY
The Bears hold a 3-5 all-time record against the V-Hawks and a 2-2 record in their last four matchups. This will be the fifth year in a row that the Bears have faced Viterbo in the non-conference portion of their season. The last four games between these two teams has featured a home field advantage, with both CSP and Viterbo being victorious in their own stadiums.
 
LAST MEETING VS VITERBO
In their 2017 matchup, the Bears came away with a 1-0 win at Sea Foam Stadium in St. Paul. Concordia held a dominant 21-2 margin in shots, including an 8-1 edge in shots on goal. In the 65^th minute it was Tori Jensen who finally put one away for the Bears, taking a through ball from Hannah Pedersen and slotting it over the opposing goalie. CSP's goalie Jordyn Clark received the win and the defense recorded their first of seven shutouts for the 2017 season.
 
ABOUT THE V-HAWKS
Viterbo is currently 2-1 on the year with wins over Northwestern College and Marian University and a loss to Clarke University. The team will also play two more games before facing the Bears on Sunday, taking on both Cardinal Stritch and Dordt this week.
 
The V-Hawks return 26 players from their 2017 roster and add 12 freshman. Among their returners are two of their top four goal scorers from last season in seniors Macey Kalscheur and Nicole D'Ambrose, who combined for seven goals in 2017. Both Kalscheur and D'Ambrose have already scored twice this year, with freshman Sydney King also adding two goals of her own.
 
As a team, Viterbo averages 19.3 shots per game, with 10 of them being on goal. They have scored seven different times throughout their three games for an average of 2.3 goals per game. The V-Hawks goalkeepers have a 64.3 save percentage and allow an average of 1.67 goals per game.
 
 
If you are not able to make it to La Crosse for the game, follow along with the action using the live stat link at the top of the page. This link can also be found on the schedule page.