MANKATO, Minn. - The Concordia-St. Paul soccer team (13-4-4) fell 2-1 in the First-Round of the NCAA Central Region Tournament to the Griffons of Missouri Western (16-2-3) in Mankato, Minnesota at The Pitch on Friday afternoon.
Following the NCAA Tournament loss, head coach Steve Bellis stated, "Today's result was certainly heartbreaking for our squad. We thought our performance in the second half warranted a different result. However, sometimes that's how close games go."
Bellis added, "We had a wonderful season and we are so proud of how well our team has done both on and off the field this year. We thank our seniors for their dedication and we look forward to the future for CSP soccer."
In the first half, the Griffons got off to a strong start having 11 shots and scoring the first goal of the day at the 18th minute to put the Golden Bears on their toes.
Once the fire was lit, CSP responded with a goal of their own at the 23rd minute mark. Brittany Bordson scored her fourth goal of the season with an assist from Ashley Bennett to even the score.
Missouri Western held a 11-4 shot advantage in the first half and forced Concordia to make six saves.
Both teams came out determined in the second half with CSP just edging out the 5-4 shot advantage.
The Griffons scored the eventual game-winner at the 61st minute.
The Golden Bears showed no sign of quit and raced up and down the pitch trying to even the score once more.
The Navy and Gold had three shots in the final minutes but were unable to get one on the scoreboard.
Ashley Bennett and Jada Cannady each led the team with two shots.
Sophia Haase, Belle Abruzzo and Clare Snapko all played a full 90-minute outing with Abruzzo and Snapko holding down the defensive side of the pitch.
Goalkeeper Sydney Potter got her 16th start of the season, making seven saves to bring her season total to 63. Potter faced one corner kick and 15 shots.
The Golden Bears cap off their best season since 2019, holding 14 shutouts, tallying 37 goals and making just their second NCAA appearance as a program. The future is bright for CSP soccer!
