ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Concordia- St. Paul soccer team will return home to Sea Foam Stadium to kick off the 2022 season against non-conference opponent Rockhurst (Mo.) on Thursday night at 6 p.m. On Saturday, CSP will travel to Fayette, Iowa to face off with the McKendree Bearcats for the first time in school history, on the campus of Upper Iowa University.
 
BUY TICKETS TO HOME GAMES ONLINE
Fans are encouraged to buy tickets in advance and bring your QR code to the gates to skip the line! Friends and families who utilize the pass list will also be utilizing the online ticketing service while all students, faculty & staff will access their free CSP tickets through the service. Fans do not need to create a login, remember a username or password or download an app to purchase tickets, and tickets can still be purchased with cash at the gates. Find out more in the partnership announcement between CSP Athletics and HomeTown Ticketing.
 
WATCH ONLINE – NSIC NETWORK
All Golden Bear NSIC soccer will be available to watch online, free of charge, powered by the NSIC Network, supported by BlueFrame Technology. Visit nsicnetwork.com/cspbears on a laptop or desktop computer, download the NSIC Network app on your mobile device or watch on your supported OTT provider such as Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Android TV. Search "NSIC Network" and download the app for the league's full sport and team lineups. NSIC NETWORK FAQ
 
DOWNLOAD THE APP
Fans can download the CSP Bears fan app, free of charge and available in the App Store or on Google Play. The app contains rosters, schedules, scores, stats, news, social media and more! Customize your options to get notifications to your favorite teams, as well. Search "CSP Bears" in the app store to stay up-to-date on Golden Bear athletics.
 
PRESEASON
With fall camp coming to an end, the Golden Bears look to use a strong preseason as momentum heading into the regular season.
 
When asked about how the team looks in the early going, Bellis replied, "So far so good. No major injuries, which is important and a good sign of not overdoing it." He also stated, "Everyone has made tremendous strides and have improved during camp and workouts."
 
With the season right around the corner, Bellis stated, "Our hope is by Thursday everybody will be ready to play both physically and mentally. Team chemistry wise, we'll know where we're at after the game."
 
The Golden Bears played in four scrimmages at home against CSP alumni in the alumni game, Northern Iowa, Minnesota Duluth and St. Cloud State. Bellis stated, "It's good to get minutes under the belt, whether it's against alumni, DI or DII programs. It's more about giving the players the opportunity to shine and take opportunities of those minutes."
 
NON-CONFERENCE ACTION
 The Golden Bears begin the season with three non-conference games to begin the regular season. They will open the season at home against Rockhurst (Mo.), then they will travel to McKendree (Ill.), and conclude non-conference action at Parkside (Wis.).
 
The Golden Bears go into the matchup against Rockhurst coming off a 7-0 victory a season ago against the Hawks. In the last matchup, junior Katie Anderson was able to score a pair of goals on eight shots (four on goal). Junior Sophie Pawlyshyn was also a big factor with seven shots (three on goal) and an assist.
 
On Saturday, CSP will travel to McKendree to face off with the Bearcats for the first time in school history. The Bearcats are coming off a GLVC Conference Championship and NCAA Division II regional appearance.
 
Non-conference action will conclude on Friday, September 2, as the Golden Bears will travel to the Parkside to take on the Rangers. The Golden Bears will look to have a similar showing as they did last season as they defeated the Rangers 3-0 for the first time in school history
 
The Golden Bears look to use the non-conference games to get prepared for the opening test in conference play. Bellis stated, "We have three non-conference games coming up. That'll get us prepared for Augustana, who are good and strong and physical."
 
NSIC PREVIEW
The Golden Bears are coming off a 10-7-3 (8-4-3 NSIC) season from a year ago, that saw them advance to the conference semifinal. They will look build to have similar success as they did in the 2019 campaign with an NSIC Championship and Central Regional appearance.
 
The NSIC has picked the Golden Bears to finish fourth in the conference preseason poll with 178 points in the poll, trailing only Minnesota State, Bemidji State, and Augustana. MSU garnered eight first place votes, while BSU had five and Augustana had three.
 
Bellis stated, "I don't really pay much attention to the preseason poll to be honest, all that matters is where you are in November. But hopefully we can finish somewhere in the top four."
 
When speaking on the NSIC Bellis said, "The NSIC is stacked with the competition and everyone seems to be getting better. The conference is strong, it's fast, it's physical and most of the coaches play a good brand of soccer."
 
The Golden Bears will begin conference play at home on September 9 against Augustana. The two teams battled to a 1-1 draw a year ago in Sioux Falls, S.D.
 
A key matchup for the Golden Bears comes on November 12, when they hit the road to take on #9 Bemidji State. The Beavers eliminated the Golden Bears in NSIC Tournament semifinal by a score of 1-0 and defeated them in St. Paul by a score of 2-1 last season.
 
Conference play for CSP soccer will conclude at #19 Minnesota State on October 27. The two teams battled to a 0-0 draw in last year's match. The Mavericks are coming off an NSIC Conference Championship and NCAA Division II Tournament appearance.
 
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Fifth-year senior Tori Miller started all 20 of the Golden Bears' matches last season and accumulated 1770 minutes on the field, most among all returners, while helping the team secure eight shutouts and allowing under five shots on goal per game to the opposition. Bellis stated, "Tori Miller is one of the best leaders I've ever had. She knows all the ins and outs of our program and how we do things."
 
Sophomore Sammy Ponsonby will look to step into a bigger role for the Golden Bears this season. The sophomore appeared in 19 games and started in two a season ago. She accumulated a pair of goals and two assists with 14 shots (five on goal) in the 2021 season. Bellis stated, "Sammy Ponsonby has stepped up her game. Last year she was injured a little bit in the preseason. She has prepared herself in the summer physically. She looks to be in really good shape and has done great in training."
 
Sophomore Brittany Bordson has made an impact in the preseason for the Golden Bears. Last season she made 16 appearances and had 10 starts for the Golden Bears. She scored her first career goal against Emporia State in the 2021 season. Bellis stated, "Brittany Bordson is a good natural athlete and has really stepped her game up from a technical standpoint. Her passing is better, dribbling is better and precision is better heading into this season."
 
FINAL WORDS FROM COACH STEVE BELLIS
"We are looking this year to continue our winning vein and making sure we are in the hunt for a conference title. I want people to come out and watch us play. I encourage the student body and families and friends who haven't seen a whole lot of soccer to come out and watch us play. It's fun, it's fast, it's physical and there isn't a dull game. With no overtimes this year it's 90 minutes and done."