Broncos Hold Off Concordia to Win GPAC Tournament; Earn Bid to Nationals
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Hastings (11-7-2) | 1 | 0 | 1 |
|
Concordia (NE) (8-3-9) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
(Seward, NE) – The #5-seed Hastings Broncos traveled to Seward on Wednesday for a shot at the GPAC Tournament Championship, ultimately winning 1-0 over #2-seed Concordia in a defensive battle. Hastings went all three tournament games without giving up a goal, which were all on the road.
Senior Lewis Albert, the reigning GPAC Offensive Player of the Week, got the Broncos on the board, as he found the back of the net in the 26th minute off of a pass from sophomore Juan Arteaga Lopez.
Hastings outshot the Bulldogs 4-1 overall and 2-1 on shots on goal as they took the 1-0 lead to halftime. Freshman Tim Berger, senior Ruben Bande, and junior Sebastian Palmer also recorded shots in the opening period.
The Broncos played with a defensive focus in the second half, not willing to give up a game-tying goal. The strategy proved to be the right one, as the Broncos held them scoreless. Hastings knocked off the Bulldogs 1-0, who hadn't lost a conference match all season.
Concordia finished the game with one more shot than the Broncos, 6-5, while both teams had two shots on goal. Bande recorded the lone shot in the second half, but Albert's goal in the first half proved to be the deciding factor. Senior goalkeeper Pablo Arce-Salinas, who was last weeks' GPAC Defensive Player of the Week, saved both opportunities.
Up next, Hastings will await their seeding in the NAIA National Tournament. The selection show can be watched here at 2pm on Saturday, Nov. 16.
