Pulido, Tigers prepare for GPAC playoffs after strong finish during fall season

MITCHELL, S.D. – Under the direction of first-year head coach Luis Pulido, the Dakota Wesleyan University men's soccer program is gearing up for the Great Plains Athletic Conference Tournament. Making its first appearance in the conference playoffs since the 2015 season, Pulido and the Tigers have less than a month to prepare as they will face No. 10 Morningside College at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 10 in Sioux City, Iowa.

 With the NAIA fall championships slated for the end of April and the beginning of May, the GPAC moved its postseason playoffs to the beginning of April.

 2020 Season Rewind

 The Tigers entered the 2020 fall campaign with a nice mix of both newcomers and returners as DWU's 36-man roster consisted of 15 returners and 21 newcomers. Thus, Dakota Wesleyan kicked off the season with plenty of experience and talent on both sides of the pitch, despite being selected 11th in the GPAC preseason polls.

 Out of the gate, DWU split its first four games as the Tigers earned a pair of road victories versus Viterbo University and Dordt University. After a midseason slump, the Blue and Gray won three of its final four and Dakota Wesleyan finished with a 5-7-1 overall record, good enough for an eighth-place finish in the GPAC.

 At the conclusion of the season, three Tigers were tabbed as all-conference performers including Ndrin Maloku (Prishtine, Albania), Tyler Anderson (Monticello, Minn.) and Carson Fox (Watertown, S.D.). Appearing in 11 games during his freshman campaign, Maloku took the conference by surprise as he earned All-GPAC First Team honors. The Prishtine, Albania, native finished third in the conference in both goals scored and goals per match and ranked 11^th nationally in goals. The first DWU men's soccer player to earn first team status since 2011, the freshman forward totaled 43 shots, two assists and three multi-goal contests.

 Meanwhile, Anderson and Fox were selected to the All-GPAC Honorable Mention Team after appearing in 11 matches as well. Anderson led the Dakota Wesleyan defensive unit and registered five shots and three shots on goal. Fox, who helped pace the DWU offense alongside Maloku, recorded one goal and one assist during his freshman campaign.

 "The fall season was filled with a lot of change in various aspects and putting ourselves in a position to qualify for postseason in spite of the adversity the team faced was a testament to the grit that this team possesses," Pulido commented of his squad. "We are excited for what is to come in the spring games and the conference playoffs and look forward to seeing what we are able to accomplish."

 New Additions

 Despite losing several players from the fall including Maloku, Dakota Wesleyan welcomes numerous newcomers for the spring season. At the center-back and outside-back position, Joshua Jones (Papillion, Neb.), Benjamin Barros (Concepcion, Chile) and Joseph Tandazo (Severn, Md.) all join the Tigers and will be counted on for DWU's postseason push. Meanwhile, at the midfielder position Lucas Trindade (Sao Paulo, Brazil) and Luis Lescure (Panama City, Panama) also look to continue their careers for the first time with the Tigers.

 Jones, a three-year member of the soccer team at Papillion – La Vista High School, earned All-Metro Second Team honors in 2019 as a junior. A transfer from Mount St. Mary's University, Tandazo finished his high-school career as both an IMG Cup and USASA champion after receiving All-County Honorable Mention honors. Trindade and Lescure join Pulido and the Tigers with plenty of experience and talent as well.

 Upcoming Schedule

 The spring season is scheduled to kick off for DWU versus in-state foe Presentation College at 1 p.m. on Sunday in Aberdeen, S.D. Following Sunday's match, Dakota Wesleyan will host a pair of games versus Central Community College and Waldorf University, both from the Pepsi Cola Soccer Complex in Mitchell.

 The Tigers welcome Central Community College at 6 pm on Wednesday followed by a matchup versus Waldorf slated for 3 pm on Saturday, April 3. The quarterfinals of the GPAC Postseason Tournament commences on Saturday, April 10 as DWU clashes with No. 10 Morningside in Sioux City, Iowa.