GPAC Play Opens with Draw for Warriors Against Dordt

FREMONT, Neb. – Midland University was back on the pitch for its first Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) match on Wednesday night as it faced off against Dordt University. The Warriors earned a hard-fought 1-1 draw, battling the final few minutes as they played down one and then two players.

The Defenders opened the scoring in the 11th minute when the ball made its way into the box, bounced around, and fell to the feet of Nolan Karel who fired a shot past the Midland keeper to put Dordt up 1-0.

The Warriors responded, putting a lot of pressure on the Defenders' back line. Midland outshot Dordt 10-3 in the first half including a long-distance shot from Nacho Salmeron that looped over the goalkeeper and rattled off of the crossbar and back into play.

Just before the break, Midland four the equalizer as Juan Villadiego gathered the ball in the 44th minute and crossed in a beauty of a ball that found Hugo Garcia-Rosado Duran in the box. Garcia stuck out his foot and was able to gather and redirect the ball into the back of the net to tie the game at 1-1 and send it into halftime deadlocked.

The Warriors took no time attacking in the second half as Garcia won a free kick on the edge of the box in the 50th minute. Juan Villadiego fired the free kick on net but the Defenders' goalkeeper palmed it away to relieve the danger.

Dordt responded with four of the next five shots, including a shot that hit the post in the 67th minute but the Warriors' defense was able to hold firm and keep the score level at 1-1.

Midland applied pressure on the attack again with four shots in four minutes but with eight minutes left in the game misfortune hit their side. The Warriors were forced to play with 10 men as Josh Kacperski dove into a tackle and earned himself a straight red card in front of the Defenders' bench in the 82nd minute.

"We need to have a bit more composure in front of goal. We created enough chances to win," said head coach Josh Nakayama.

Dordt would get a couple of chances with a man advantage before Joel Barcenes earned a second yellow card stopping a counterattack and forced the Warriors to play the last minute and a half with nine men. The Defenders put together a couple of chances before time ran out on the attack and ended the game in a 1-1 draw to earn both teams a point.

"It was a tough game and both teams played well," said Coach Nakayama, "Lots to build on."

Midland (2-3-1, 0-0-1 GPAC) will be back in action this Saturday as they travel to take on Northwestern (1-2-3, 0-1-0 GPAC). The game is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. at the NWC Soccer Complex in Orange City, Iowa.