2024 Women’s Soccer Preview
MCKENZIE, Tenn. - Expectations are high for the 2024 edition of the Bethel Women's Soccer team as the Lady Wildcats look to expand on last season's success.
Bethel returns 26 letterwinners from the 2023 team which finished 11-4-3 overall and 4-1-1 in the Mid-South Conference. The Lady Wildcats advanced to the NAIA National Tournament for the sixth time in program history. The 11 victories included the program's first-ever win over UT Southern, three wins against top 25 competition (No. 7 UT Southern, No. 21 Georgia Gwinnett and No. 24 Campbellsville) and triumphs over
Georgetown, Lindsey Wilson, Freed-Hardeman and Campbellsville in conference play. The Lady Wildcats advanced on penalty kicks over Southeastern in the opening round of the national tournament before falling to Spring Arbor in overtime in the Round of 16.
The 2024 squad boasts an experienced roster with eight seniors and nine juniors. Among the returning upperclassmen are three all-conference performers from last season - first team defender Paula Pinilla, second team goalkeeper Alicia Perez and second team defender Hilda Moyo. The trio played a key role in the Lady Wildcat defense which allowed only 20 goals and posted eight shutouts in 18 matches. Perez tallied 55 saves last year. She ranks fourth in career saves in program history with 130.
Bethel brings back most of its offense with this year's returners representing 92 percent of goals scored and 87 percent of assists from 2023. The Lady Wildcats return their top five scorers from a season ago, paced by leading scorer Audrey LaRue (12 goals) and joined by Kalina Stanisic (eight goals), Elle Carson (six goals), Ainhoa Chirivella (five goals) and Kelly Nunes (four goals). Carla Cebollada, who led the team in assists with seven, also returns. Chirivella (third with 18) and Cebollada (tied for 10th with 12) rank in the top 10 in career assists in program history. Chirivella is tied for 10th in career goals with 21.
Cassidy Kerkesner and Johanna Veldhuizen played in all 18 matches last season, while Briley Ross and Viviana Villalobos saw action in 17 games. Those four returners, along with Anna-McCall Johnson, Olivia Kavanagh-Spall and Hadley Looper - all of whom scored goals last year - are important contributors to the Bethel attack.
The Lady Wildcats welcome six newcomers in goalkeeper Alba Lopez Guerrero (Barcelona, Spain), forwards Sofia Faro (Santiago, Chile) and Zainab Manneh (Dyersburg, Tenn.), midfielder Leni Volker (Ritterhude, Germany) and defenders Jana Faude (Griesheim, Germany) and Khloe Outland (Chapel Hill, Tenn.).
Bethel is set to play a 16-game schedule with eight home matches. The Lady Wildcats open the season August 15 at Life. The team plays its first home match of the year against Olivet Nazarene on August 19.
A three -match road swing follows the home opener as Bethel plays at John Brown on August 24, against Thomas in Mobile, Ala., on August 31, at Mobile on September 2.
A September 5th home match against Brewton-Parker was added was added to the schedule in late July. The Cats hit the road again traveling to UT-Southern on September 14.
The Lady Wildcats then return to the friendly confines of Walter Butler Stadium for three consecutive matches. Bethel hosts Oakland City on September 17 and Williams Baptist on September 20 then begins the conference slate by entertaining Lindsey Wilson on September 25.
The month of October features two home games and three road matches. Bethel travels to defending national champion Cumberlands on October 3 before welcoming Georgetown (October 10) and non-conference foe Georgia Gwinnett (October 13) to McKenzie. The Lady Wildcats finish the month playing at Cumberland on October 23 and at Campbellsville on October 30.
The regular season concludes with a home match against Freed-Hardeman on November 5.
The 2024 season marks Coach Misty Aird's 25th year at the helm of the Lady Wildcat program. She has an overall record of 256-172-27. Aird ranks 11th in wins among active women's soccer coaches in the NAIA and is the all-time winningest female coach in NAIA women's soccer history. She is assisted by Armando Guell "Tico" Castro, who was voted as the Mid-South Conference Assistant Coach of the Year in 2023.
Coach Aird commented, "This is my 25th season as head coach of the women's program. This group of girls are so special, and I know this year is going to be special. I'm proud to be their Coach, I have an amazing staff, that's going to help me lead this group to set records, set standards and to make history. No fear, no doubts, just success on and off the field."