Thresher women's soccer gets their second conference win against McPherson
Lloyd gets two goals and two assists, helping earn Bethel Women's Soccer their second conference win with a score of 6-3
This past Wednesday, the McPherson Bulldogs traveled to North Newton to take on the 1-3-1 Threshers, hoping to win after taking a high-scoring loss vs. Friends. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs though, the Bethel women weren't going to let their dream come to life, as they took down McPherson in a 6-3 thriller.
The Threshers weren't going to waste any time, as in only seven minutes, Beth Lloyd, a junior transfer from Manchester, England, started her game off strong, earning her fourth goal of the season. However, their lead wouldn't last long as the Bulldogs would equalize in the ninth minute.
Two more goals would come in the first half, in favor of Bethel. Beth Lloyd earned her first assist in the night, playing the ball to Leonie Kuhrt, the true freshman from Feienwell, Germany. Lilli Reisser would also capitalize on an opportunity as she caught a bouncing ball and delivered it to the top corner, grabbing her first goal of the season.
The junior transfer from Enger, Germany, was playing out of her natural position with the absence of Briseis Gomez, a sophomore midfielder from El Paso, who was out with a concussion. Although playing the center defensive role may be out of her comfort zone, Reisser managed to make an impressive impact on the game.
“This was my first goal for this team, and since I am used to playing as a center back, I was not expecting to score a goal in my second game on the six. Now I am hoping to follow up on that goal in future games and keep being helpful to the team,” Reisser added. "I would say I am still adapting to the new position and have a lot of improvement to do. But I really enjoy being in the midfield and contributing to the game as much as possible, not only defensively but also towards the goal.”
The half would end with a score of 3-1 and resumed with dominance from the Threshers, as Malayasia Larque, a striker from Wichita Falls, Tex., would bag her fifth goal of the season in the 56th minute. Larque is another true freshman making her mark in her first season.
Lloyd would get herself another goal, as well as an assist, to officially make it two and two on the night. Grace Anderson, the fifth-year senior from Heath, Tex., would also add her name to the scoresheet, making it her third goal of the season, in the 82nd minute. Anderson’s goal would come after the Bulldogs attempted to make a comeback, scoring twice, but eventually the game would be won by the Threshers, 6-3
“I am proud to have scored and assisted in such a crucial game. It was an amazing team effort, with everyone playing crucial roles. Our buildup, especially in the final third, is really coming together. I couldn’t be prouder of my teammates,” Lloyd stated. “With the win and continuing to improve each day in practice, our confidence is growing. I am excited to keep working hard with my teammates and be ready for the next challenge ahead.”
The Bethel women move on to 2-3-1 in the KCAC after this much needed win.
Head coach Ignacio Milla said, “We really needed it; I felt we have been finding our form more and more every game, and yesterday was a great offensive performance that led us to that needed win. I thought we had control of the game throughout most of the game, and the times where McPherson had a bit more momentum, I felt we handled well. I think more than anyone in particular, the team really performed as an overall unit, which is great to see. We played a good amount of players, and the level never dropped.”
The next game for the Threshers will be on Saturday at 11 a.m. The Threshers will take on the Evangel Valor in the comfort of their own home, Thresher Stadium. The Valor are sitting at 3-3 in the conference, hoping to gain a positive record away from home.
“We hope to keep this momentum and bring the same energy and play this Saturday against a very tough opponent, Evangel, that lately has been in form. We will work in this next few days to prepare for it and hopefully perform this Saturday to get another result that gets us closer to our objective,” said Milla.