Bethel soccer splits with Friends
Bethel soccer splits with Friends
The women lost 3-2 to the Falcons while the men picked up their second conference win after beating Friends 2-1 on Saturday
The Bethel men earned their second win of conference play with a 2-1 win, while the women took a 3-2 loss to the Falcons, even with two goals from Kuhrt.
Last year, the Thresher women lost 5-1 against friends. The Falcons are known to have a quality side each year, which is why this year's game was even more motivation for Bethel to earn their first true win in KCAC play. Although there were high hopes for the women, they couldn't quite get across the line in a 3-2 loss.
The women started on an unprecedented start as freshman striker Leonie Kuhrt scored in the first few seconds of the game, with a long shot rocketing to the top corner. The Thresher's early lead would remain until the 34th minute, as the Falcons would grab their equalizer.
The second half would display more action from both teams, from controversial calls, fouls, and late goals. The first goal in the half would come in the 65th minute and would favor the Falcons, and eventually, they would add to their lead in the 79th minute, making the score 3-1 after a Thresher goal got called back for offside.
Even with the goal deficit though, the Thresher women weren't going to give up there, as in the 85th minute, a free kick would fall to the Threshers, and none other than Kuhrt would be the one to step up to the edge of the 20-yard line to take it. The striker from Feienwill, Germany, would then make it her second goal of the night with the shot going straight to the top left corner, leaving no chance for the Falcons goalkeeper.
This wouldn’t be enough as the women would end up falling 3-2 to the Falcons, moving to 1-2 in conference play.
Later in the night, the Bethel men were seeking retribution against the Falcons, as they were defeated in the first round of the KCAC playoffs just last year with a score of 4-1. This game left the Threshers only wanting more for the current year, as they knew that this final score did not reflect their season.
With a score of 2-1, the Threshers would redeem themselves of last season's loss in a thrilling game.
Head coach Luka Milicevic stated, “Our guys played well, especially in the first 30 minutes. We remained disciplined and defended well to get the win. Confidence is high now, and we have 2 away games in which we need to get good results.”
Bethel started strong; as Milicevic said, the first 30 minutes were played very well, especially because in the 19th minute, sophomore striker Filip Maksimovic, from Belgrade, Serbia, would make it 1-0.
Not long after the Threshers went up by one, they would double their lead thanks to the fifth-year senior, and captain, Lucas Pardo, from Montevideo, Uruguay. After a defensive mistake from the Falcons, it was just Pardo versus the Falcons goalkeeper, and he would slot it in the bottom right corner, giving his team a 2-0 lead.
“It was nice to score the goal but the important part is that it helped the team get the win that we look for,” stated Pardo. “Then it was a very good win at home that helped us gain confidence for the rest of the season; we showed that we can play together as a team and accomplish important things.”
Friends would attempt to get their stride back, hitting the back of the net after a defensive slip-up by the Threshers in the 27th minute. However, this goal wouldn't be enough to get the Falcons any points to take back to Wichita.
No goals came in the second half for either team, with help from a senior defender from Kópavogur, Iceland, Adalstienn Kristinsson. Although the center-back was battling a recent lateral collateral ligament sprain, even missing the previous game versus Bethany, he showed a true fight against Friends, battling for every ball for all 90 minutes. Kristinsson went down once, but after a minute, he was ready to get back in the game and fight for his team. His defensive effort was a true cause for the Threshers’ second-half shutout.
When asked how he felt about carrying on with his injury, Kristinsson stated:
“I'm just happy I could finish the game with my guys,” he added. “It's a huge statement for us to win this game. It truly sets the tone for the rest of the season and what we can expect of ourselves in big games.”
Both of Bethel's soccer teams will travel to York, Neb. on Wednesday. The men will play the Panthers at 1 p.m. and the women will follow at 3:30 p.m.