Bethel soccer splits with rival Tabor with a loss and a tie
The Threshers women were overtaken by Tabor 2-1, while the men were held to a 1-1 draw, following controversy
HILLSBORO — Bethel's soccer teams traveled to Hillsboro this Wednesday to take on their known rivals, Tabor. The women lost with a score of 2-1, getting the first goal in the game, but Tabor scored two and managed to grab their third win in the KCAC.
After many controversial calls in the men's game, which took place shortly after the women's, Bethel had to settle for a tie in the contest with a score of 1-1.
It was a hot start for the Threshers, as only four minutes in, Filip Maksimovic grabbed his 12th goal of the season. The sophomore from Belgrade, Serbia, would be given a through ball and slot in right past the Tabor goalkeeper.
The Bethel men would continue their run with a goal, but this time being disallowed, as the center referee and assistant referee disagreed if the ball crossed the line. The final verdict: no goal. This wouldn't be the only goal not allowed for the Threshers, as the flag was raised for a very close offside call, leaving the Threshers with a solo goal in the game.
Head coach Luka Milicevic stated, “We shouldn’t rely on refs to win games. What I am trying to say is that we need to put ourselves in a position in which mistakes by the refs won’t affect us much. But the mistakes were obvious, and it doesn’t make our job easier.”
Tabor equalized in the 31st minute with a long ball over the top of the back line and onto the foot of the Blue Jays attacker. This left both teams heading into the second half with all to play for at 1-1.
Bethel felt a glimpse of hope when a Blue Jays defender would get himself a red card, leaving them to only ten players, but unfortunately for the Threshers, they couldn't manage to break the deadlock.
Bethel is sitting at third in the KCAC with 14 points; however, the five teams below them have 13 points, showing how tight the gap is and how important the next span of games are for the Threshers if they want to have a good standing before the playoffs. Ottawa is the next opponent for Bethel, who had a slow start but are showing promising signs, meaning a good game is coming soon.
“Ottawa is a very strong team that just had a slow start,” Milicevic added. “However, we can compete with everyone this year, and a win at Ottawa is not out of the picture! We will try our best.”
Ottawa is in fifth place in the standings, with a record of 4-3-1. This will be a very important match for both sides, fighting for all three points. The women will also take on the Braves, who are currently in 11th place, sitting right below the Threshers in 10th. The game will take place in Ottawa on Saturday, the 19th of October, at 5:00 p.m. for the women and the men will follow at 7:30 p.m.