ANNA RANZINGER
Staff Writer
Everyone expected that the 2020 school year was going to be unlike any other. As students returned for the new school year, they questioned how things were going to be regarding the pandemic. Students wondered how things would be altered to meet the demands of the virus, professors had to restructure their courses and athletes had to adjust to new protocols to stay as safe as possible. Some teams struggled more than others when it came to COVID-19. One group in particular was the women’s soccer team.
Going into their season last year, the Threshers were predicted to be 12th, second to last in the conference. The season started out rocky as games were not being won, but got even worse when games were not being played due to a multitude of players getting the virus. The women’s soccer team went into a month-long quarantine because of a series of unfortunate events. The upside of this was that following their quarantine, the girls went on to win six of their seven last games. These victories led them to the playoffs for the first time in ten years.
The Bethel women’s soccer team had many in awe and coming into this new season, they were predicted to be fifth in the conference. This was a large jump after just one season of play.
“Last year our team went through a lot of adversity, but came out stronger than ever once they returned. They were dedicated and worked hard and I am thrilled that they were able to see some good results. I think that seeing success and results became contagious for them,” Head Coach Alex Hagan said.
Coach also mentioned that some changes are being made this year that he is very confident in.
“We have a lot of new freshmen that fit the dynamic of our team very well. They are eager to learn and they have an amazing work ethic. Their ability to contribute and add depth to our already established team is something I am very excited about. We are also trying out a new formation that I believe will give us an advantage when attacking,” Hagan said.
Coach acknowledged that the team has come a long way since last season, but he is always looking to keep growing and improving.
Sydney Brown, junior starting striker from Keller, Texas, also had some encouraging words about the dynamic of the team this year.
“We just keep getting better every year. I think this has to do with the fact that we are connecting way better now than we ever have in the past. We are all able to put everything aside and focus on our one common goal: winning,” Brown said.
On August 19, the Threshers opened their season against Oklahoma Panhandle State University and came out on top with a 2-0 win. Everyone is very optimistic about the season ahead and one thing for sure is that the Threshers do not plan on letting off the gas anytime soon.
