Game Time... The Dordt University men's soccer team has made its way to the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) semifinals for the first time since the 2014 season and will play (RV) Concordia Tuesday night, Nov. 8, with a spot in the conference title match on the line. Game time in Seward, Neb. is set for 5pm. 

Dordt, the No.3 seed, brings a 9-3-6 record into Tuesday's semifinal, one win shy of its first 10+ win season since 2014. Concordia, the No.2 seed, has a 10-match unbeaten streak and is 14-2-2 coming into Tuesday night. 

• Game Info: 
  • Live Stats | 
  • Watch | 
  • GPAC Tournament Page | 

All-Time... Tuesday night's match will be the 41st in the long-standing rivalry, dating back to the 1979 season, between Dordt and Concordia with the Defenders holding the edge 25-13-2. The Defenders are 3-6-1 in their last 10 matches played against Concordia, including a 4-3 victory in a match played earlier this season. 

• the series, by the numbers...
  • Dordt went unbeaten (9-0-1) in the first 10 matches played against the Bulldogs (1979-1993)
  • the Defenders first loss to Concordia was a 1-0 setback in 1994
  • since the start of the GPAC in 2000, Dordt is 12-1-1 against the Bulldogs
    • Dordt is 5-7-1 in matches played in Seward since 2000
  • the Defenders 4-3 win earlier this year snapped a six-game losing streak to Concordia
  • most goals scored by Dordt - 7 in 1984
  • most goals scored by Concordia - 5 (3x)
  • Dordt shutouts - 16
  • Concordia shutouts - 9
  • this will be the second postseason match played between the two teams
    • Dordt defeated Concordia 2-1 (OT) in 2001 quarterfinals in Seward, Neb.

GPAC Tournament Schedule / Pairings... The Dordt vs Concordia match is the lower bracket between the No.3 and No.2 seeds. The top half bracket match-up pits No.1 seed Hastings vs No.5 Midland, the only team to record an upset in the quarterfinals.

Tuesday's semifinal winners will play for the 2022 GPAC Championship on Friday, Nov. 11 at the higher seed.

2022 Great Plains Athletic Conference Men's Soccer Postseason Tournament

Thursday, November 3, 2022
Quarterfinal Round
#1 Hastings def. #8 Mount Marty 1-0 (2 OT)
#5 Midland def. #4 Northwestern 1-0
#3 Dordt def. #6 Morningside 3-1
#2 Concordia def. #7 Briar Cliff 2-0

Tuesday, November 8, 2022
Semifinal Round- High Seeds Host
#5 Midland @ #1 Hastings, 7pm
#3 Dordt @ #2 Concordia, 5pm

Friday, November 11, 2022
GPAC Postseason Championship
Semifinal winners at highest seed remaining, time TBA

At Stake... The winner of the GPAC tournament will advance to the NAIA Men's Soccer National Championship Opening Round as the league's second automatic representative. Hastings, the No.1 seed, has already secured the GPAC's first bid into the NAIA Championship by winning the regular season title. If Hastings wins the conference tournament as well, the GPAC runner-up (Concordia) will earn the second bid into the NAIA Championship. 

• The NAIA Men's Soccer National Championship - Opening Round will be played at different host sites around the country on Nov.17-19. The 10 winners from the opening round brackets will advance to play at the championship final site - Decatur, Alabama - from Nov.29 - Dec.5.

GPAC Tournament History... This is the 15th time the Defenders have qualified for the GPAC postseason tournament and first since the 2017 season. Dordt is 5-14 all-time in the postseason and is 0-5 all-time in the semifinal round. 
    Semifinal History:

• 2001 - lost to Hastings 6-3
• 2004 - lost to Northwestern 5-1
• 2005 - lost to Hastings 3-1
• 2014 - lost to Midland 6-1

Concordia has qualified for 16 of the 23 GPAC postseason tournaments (2005-06 was regional only), including in each of the last 13 years. They are 11-14 all-time in the conference tournament and picked up their first postseason win since 2018 with their 2-0 victory in last Thursday's quarterfinal. The Bulldogs have won one conference title (2015) and are 3-3 in the conference semifinals.
     Semifinal History:

• 2000 - lost to Doane 1-0
• 2014 - lost to Hastings 2-1 (OT)
• 2015 - def. Hastings 1-0
• 2016 - def. Midland 3-2
• 2017 - def. Northwestern 2-1
• 2018 - lost to Hastings 3-0

Earlier this Season...Blake Hansen broke a 3-3 tie and netted the game-winner during the 83rd minute to give Dordt a 4-3 win against Concordia on Sept.21 in Sioux Center. 

• Game Recap | 

Scouting Reports...
 (RV) Concordia Bulldogs: 14-2-2 (unbeaten in last 10 matches-8-0-2)

• 2nd most wins in a single season (16-2017)
• last 10 matches:
  • def. Northwestern 2-1
  • def. Midland 3-2
  • def. Dakota Wesleyan 6-1
  • tied Morningside 2-2
  • def. University of Jamestown 6-0
  • tied Hastings 1-1
  • def. Briar Cliff 1-0
  • def. Presentation 9-0
  • def. Briar Cliff 2-0, GPAC Quarterfinals
• Head Coach: Jason Weides (15th year)
  • 134-102-30 all-time record
  • hired as head coach in 2008 after a long stint as the Bulldogs assistant
  • played for the Bulldogs, was a 2x all-conference player
• picked 5th of 12 teams in the GPAC preseason poll
• last year: 5-4-2 (5th), 7-8-3 overall
  • lost to Morningside (2-1) in GPAC Quarterfinals
  • snapped a 10-year streak of finishing with 10+ wins
• return six starters, 20 players
• by the numbers (based on 2022 stats):
  • 2.7 goals / match (2nd in GPAC) - 48 scored on season
  • .9 goals given up / match (2nd) - 16 given up
• top players: (bold denotes returning starter)
  • Dominic Abdel-Ahad - 12 goals (4th), 3 assists, 27pts (4th) - 2x GPAC Player of the Week - Oct.11 and Oct.4
  • Carlos Orquiz (all-conference in 2020) - 5 goals, 11 assists (1st)
  • Ryan Wokutch - 6 goals (8th), 3 assists
  • Isaiah Shaddick - 3 goals, 6 assists (5th)
  • Iker Cassanova (2x all-conference) - 1 goal
  • Federico Simonetti (all-conference) - 19 saves, 1 goals against (4th); 2x GPAC Defensive Player of the Week
  • Gabriel Mendoza - 1.1 goals against (5th), 28 saves

Defender Notes:

• 2022 results: 6-1-4 (3rd); 9-3-6
  • 1 win away from 1st 10+ win season since 2014
  • had 12 match unbeaten streak snapped in loss to Hastings in final game of regular season
    • 2nd longest unbeaten streak in program history - 12 (15 in 1991) 
      • last five games:
      • def. Presentation 4-0
      • def. Jamestown 4-1
      • def. Doane 3-1
      • lost to No.22 Hastings 2-1
      • def. Morningside 3-1, GPAC Quarterfinals
• clinched 1st postseason berth since 2017
• secured 1st home playoff game since 2014
• 35 goals scored is the most since 2018
• 6 shutouts is tied for most since 2011
• Head Coach: Ryan Gresse - 4th year
• Blake Hansen and Mitchell Dryden were named GPAC Players of the Week - Sept. 27
• Hansen also earned GPAC Player of the Week honors - Oct.25
• by the numbers:
  • 35 goals scored (1.9 / match) - 4th in GPAC
  • 20 goals given up (1.1 / match) - 4th in GPAC
  • 6 shutouts (5th)
  • 12 players have scored at least 1 goal, 11 players have at least 1 assist
• stat leaders:
  • Blake Hansen - 2x all-conference; 14 goals (T1st), 4 assists, 32pts (2nd)
    • scored career-high 4 goals in win vs Jamestown
  • Tyson Reitsma - 3 goals,  a7sists (T2nd)
  • Javier Moscardo - 4 goals, 3 assists
  • Phil Appelt - 1 goal, 4 assists (T10th)
  • Evan Beier - 2 goals, 2 assists
  • Marco Laenen - 3 goals
  • Kaleb Lee - 2 goals
  • Fran Murdoch - 2 goals
  • Nathan Wanninger - 4 assists (T9th)
  • Mitchell Dryden - 47 saves (6th), .5 goals against (2nd), 5 shutouts
  • Brandon Hansen - 38 saves, 1.6 goals against (8th)