The Bethel College Men’s Soccer team hosted Avila University on Oct. 10, 2026. The boys had been coming off a two-game win streak against Sterling and Bethany Colleges. The season had been off to a slow start, but as the season progressed, they’ve been able to find ways to finish.
“Going into the Avila game, we were confident, especially after back-to-back wins. Regardless of who we faced, our mission was still the same: win the game.” Said Junior Luis Aviles from Houston, Texas.
The game started quickly, with both teams searching for an opportunity to score. It looked like Avila had a main focus on defense in the first half of the game; Bethel blew Avila out of the water, outshooting them 10-5. It wasn’t until late in the first half, at 39:41, that Bethel took advantage of the defense.
Aviles caught the defense from the right side of the field and found Connell Silmon from Wichita, who gained speed and attacked for the first and only goal of the match. This erupted the Thresher fans in the stands.
“When I saw my teammate winning the ball, I thought, ‘This is our chance.’ I picked my head up and saw him; I gave it to him, hoping he’d score, and he did.” Said Aviles.
This was Junior Aviles’ first collegiate assist; going into the second half, this momentum kept the Threshers rolling, as he attempted a goal of his own. For the rest of the second half, the Threshers seemed to be continuing the same game plan as before: pressuring their defense. This was highlighted as the boys outshot Avila 4-1 in the second half. Freshman Hugo Duran from Portonovo, Spain led them with three shots, two on goal.
“We’ve done so much to prepare for every game; we found their weakness, so the strategy was to keep attacking it, and it ended up working for us,” Said Aviles. “As a team, we were focused on getting a big win. Unfortunately, we did struggle, but we found ways to secure the win.”
The Thresher Men’s soccer team has been able to finish games, with defense being a huge key. They held McPherson College to one goal; their only loss was to Evangel University, and they tied against Oklahoma Wesleyan. The boys will face Evangel University at home on Oct. 24, at 6:00 p.m.