Men’s Soccer Opens Season Monday in Texarkana
TEXARKANA, TX – The Bethel Wildcats open their soccer season Monday at Texas A&M- Texarkana. The match gets underway at 3 p.m. It will also be the season opener for the Eagles.
It will be the fifth meeting between the two programs. Bethel has a 4-0 advantage in the series. The Cats are 2-0 in Texarkana and 2-0 in McKenzie versus the Texas squad.
Live video:
https://www.youtube.com/c/KLFItvTexarkana
Live stats:
https://naiastats.prestosports.com/sports/msoc/2022-23/boxscores/20220822_2avc.xml
Season Preview
Winning thirteen matches for many teams marks a great year. Take nothing away from the Bethel Wildcats after going 13-5-2 last year but the Cats would tell you they were disappointed with their season as it ended with a two-overtime loss in the conference tournament semifinals to Lindsey Wilson. Three of the season losses were by one goal. Bethel was 7-4 in the MSC.
Two Wildcats earned NAIA All-American Honorable Mention awards. Alioune Diop and Pascal Mohungsi had great seasons for Bethel. Diop and Mohungsi were joined on the conference first team by Norberto Lima Vieira.
The Cats will have to replace a talented group of seniors. Alejandro Costales, Joshua McNaught, Justice Nmeregini, Mohungsi, Don Abare, Brandon Akem, Rodrigo Atilano, Callum McKenna, Gian-Luca Schunke, Juan Penegos, Alphonso Gooden, Joao Rizzon, Emmanuel Ezema, and James Whitehead were key members of the program in recent years.
Mohungsi had nine goals and nine assists last year. Gooden followed with six goals and two assists.
Vieira, Diop and second team all-conference member Mountaga Sall all return for Bethel. Vieira finished with 74 saves. Sall had four goals and three assists. Diop was noted as one of the league's top defenders. Sergio Baguena returns after scoring eight goals last season. Nicolas Ruiz is back after having three goals last year.
The Wildcats have signed several key performers who should add depth and strength to several positions. The 2022 roster is a good mix of key veterans and youth.
The 2022 schedule features five conference home matches and two non-conference games in McKenzie. The Wildcats hit the road for two preseason matches and ten regular season games this year. Five of this season's opponents were 2021 NAIA national tournament qualifiers.
Bethel plays two exhibition matches against in-state NCAA Division II competition. The Wildcats make the short road trip to Jackson to battle Union on Aug. 8 before traveling to Christian Brothers on Aug. 15.
BU begins the regular season with a road match at Texas A&M-Texarkana on Aug. 22. The Wildcats face Tennessee Wesleyan in Athens, Tenn., on Aug. 26.
Bethel travels to Brescia on Sept. 1 before hosting LSU Alexandria in the home opener on Labor Day, Sept. 5. The Wildcats are back on the road for their next two matches, at William Carey on Sept. 10 and at Williams Baptist on Sept. 14. Next for BU is a four-game home stand as Missouri Baptist (Sept. 17) and conference foes Pikeville (Sept. 22), University of the Cumberlands (Sept. 24) and UT Southern (Sept. 28) visit Wildcat Stadium.
The Wildcats open October with a road swing to Cumberland (Oct. 1) and Thomas More (Oct. 5) before returning to McKenzie for their final two home matches of the year. Bethel hosts Georgetown on Oct. 12 and Shawnee State on Oct. 15. BU concludes the regular season with three consecutive road games - at Lindsey Wilson (Oct. 19), at Campbellsville (Oct. 21) and at Freed-Hardeman (Oct. 27).