Fulton, MO – The Bethel College women's soccer team showed  promise in their season opener against William Woods University, despite a challenging 4-2 defeat on the road. Head Coach Ignacio Milla expressed optimism following the match, which featured solid performances from some newcomers.

"Started pretty slow, you can tell there were some jitters, but that's normal for the first game," Milla remarked. "However, I'm very happy with the reaction of the girls after a challenging start."

Freshman Beth Lloyd and senior Grace Anderson led the scoring for Bethel, each finding the back of the net in the second half. Lloyd's goal came off a counterattack in the 80th minute, while Anderson capitalized on an opportunity from the top of the arc in the 74th minute.

Twelve of the 17 players who took the field for Bethel were newcomers. Among the freshmen, Jacie Scott played the full 90 minutes, and finished with 7 saves.

"We're always looking for a win, and while we didn't get it today, I felt we took huge strides, especially with our reaction in the second half," Milla added.

The Threshers will now prepare for their next match against a top-20 team, Hastings College, at Thresher Stadium on August 28th, where they hope to build on the progress shown in the second half of this game.