11 seniors headline experienced 2022 Bethel Women’s Soccer team
First-year head coach Luka Milicevic previewed the program’s upcoming season at KCAC Media Day.
On Thursday, the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference held its annual women’s soccer virtual media day with each coach introducing and previewing their respective incoming teams.
Bethel was picked to finish eighth in the KCAC’s preseason coaches poll after posting an 8-8-3 record last season.
First-year head coach Luka Milicevic — who is taking over for both the men’s and women’s teams this fall — provided insight into this season’s senior-heavy Thresher squad.
“This is going to be my first year as a head coach coming into a program that has a lot of returners,” Milicevic said. “We bring 23 returners and bring one freshman.”
With as many returning players as Milicevic has, even over a week into the season there’s still plenty of team chemistry to be built — including learning how one another, from coaches to players, operates.
Regardless, there’s been a positive outlook on Milicevic’s coaching experience going forward and with both the assistant coaches he kept on staff and those he brought in.
“They know what the expectation is and they're trying to learn how I do things,” Milicevic said. “I think there’s a strong culture already in the team in place. We’re just kinda rolling with it.”
With a whopping 23 players returning from a season ago, 11 of those make up the senior class — 8 of which are expected to be featured in the starting lineup on opening day.
Featured players include, as Milicevic noted, 2021 all-conference center back Abby Edson, Cheyenne Lisle, and reigning leading goalscorer (12) and Bethel’s female breakthrough athlete of the year from a year ago Claire Hedlund.
Other notable contributors are seniors Katy Ponce — an all-conference defender — Taylor Dashney, and forward Sydney Brown. Additionally, Lexia Vincenti and Lexi Eddy each made promising impressions last season.
“It’s a group that’s experienced that is hammering the belt and I’m very excited to be their coach this year,” Milicevic said.