Lady Wildcat Soccer Reports for 2022 Campaign
MCKENZIE, Tenn. – Coach Misty Aird and her staff welcomed the 2022 Lady Wildcat team to campus Thursday. Following the check-ins, the Lady Wildcats were administered physicals by the Bethel training staff.
The l Lady Wildcats look forward to a bounce back season this fall. The Cats finished 6-10 last year but were on the cusp of a winning mark, losing seven games by just one goal. Bethel was 4-7 in the MSC.
The Lady Wildcats will have the task of replacing several key performers including seniors, Shanay Ricketts, Molly Flynn, Maria Fernanda Campos, Ashari Bowen, Elvira Martin, Jodi Butler and Sacha-Gay Brown. Brown was named to the MSC first team and later signed a professional contract with a team in Turkey. Ricketts and Martin were named second team all-conference. Martin led the squad with ten goals while Ricketts had 75 saves. Flynn, Campos, Bowen and Brown all played key roles in their Wildcat careers.
Bethel returns their second leading scorer in Ainhoa Chirivella who had eight goals this past season. She also led the team with eight assists. Chirivella is tied for seventh in career assists (13) through her first two seasons. She also set the school record for assists in a game with six last year at Pikeville. Other key returners include Elle Carson, Alicia Perez, Olivia Kavanagh-Spall and Allie Chappell.
Bethel had another impressive off-season in signing several players who can help the program immediately. Some of those players include Natalie Rojas, Paula Pinilla and Ana Ramirez.
The Lady Wildcats face a challenging schedule for the 2022 season that includes nine home competitions, ten Mid-South Conference matches and seven games against 2021 NAIA national tournament qualifiers.
Bethel begins the campaign with a road match at Texas A&M-Texarkana on Aug. 22. The Lady Wildcats welcome Middle Georgia State to McKenzie for the home opener on Aug. 28.
BU travels to Brescia on Sept. 1 before returning home for a Labor Day game against LSU Alexandria on Sept. 5. A road match at William Carey, defending NAIA national runner-up, awaits the Lady Wildcats on Sept. 10. Next for Bethel is a four-game home stand as Missouri Baptist (Sept. 17) and conference foes Pikeville (Sept. 22), University of the Cumberlands (Sept. 24) and defending NAIA national champion UT Southern (Sept. 28) visit Wildcat Stadium.
The Lady Wildcats open October with a road swing to Cumberland (Oct. 1) and Thomas More (Oct. 5) before coming back to McKenzie for their final three home matches of the year. Bethel hosts Georgia Gwinnett (Oct. 8), Georgetown (Oct. 12) and Shawnee State (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. 29).
2022 Bethel Women's Soccer Schedule
Aug. 22 at Texas A&M-Texarkana
Aug. 28 vs. Middle Georgia State
Sept. 1 at Brescia
Sept. 5 vs. LSU Alexandria
Sept. 10 at William Carey
Sept. 17 vs. Missouri Baptist
Sept. 22 vs. Pikeville*
Sept. 24 vs. University of the Cumberlands*
Sept. 28 vs. UT Southern*
Oct. 1 at Cumberland*
Oct. 5 at Thomas More*
Oct. 12 vs. Georgetown*
Oct. 15 vs. Shawnee State*
Oct. 19 at Lindsey Wilson*
Oct. 21 at Campbellsville*
Oct. 29 at Freed-Hardeman*
(*) - Mid-South Conference game
Coach Misty Aird commented, "We are excited and are looking forward to the season. We play and compete in the hardest conference in the nation and we are looking forward to the competition."
Coach Aird enters her 23rd season with the Lady Wildcats. She is 11th in the NAIA among active coaches. Aird is 238-161-20 overall and the all-time winningest female coach in NAIA history.
GO CATS!!