The 2008-09 year was marked by many highlights in each of Bethel University's 18 varsity sports. Over the course of the summer, we will continue to relive those highlights sport-by-sport. We continue our series with men's soccer.
In the team's second season under Head Coach Pepe Jon Chavez, the Royals made significant strides, even if they only had one more win than the 2007 team to show for it. As a team, Bethel scored 24 goals, which was twice as many as the previous season, and reduced the number of goals scored by the opposition by nine. The conference season is always a tough one in the MIAC, but the Royals held their own against just about everyone, with their biggest win coming against St. Olaf on October 8.
ARDEN HILLS, Minn. - On a beautiful sunny afternoon, the Bethel Royals outshone even the weather on their home field with a 3-2 victory over the St. Olaf Oles. The win signifies the end of a nine game slide and the team's first conference win of the season.
The Oles struck first at just over the ten minute mark of the game. Not allowing it to phase them, the Royals turned it up a notch and put away three unanswered goals on the Oles, which would be all they needed to claim their win.
Brandon Peplinski (So., Maple Grove, Minn.) was the first Royal to capitalize offensively, scoring an unassisted goal at 42 minutes into the game. Bethel's two other goals in the game were put in by leading scorer for the Royals,
Randon Sommars (Sr., Cambridge, Minn.). The first goal was scored at the beginning of the second half, at 48:08, assisted by
Andreas Scott (So., Cedar, Minn.) and Sommars' second goal came at just under 58 minutes into the game, assisted by Peplinski.
St. Olaf would score again with just over 20 minutes left to play in the game, but it would not be enough to overtake the Royals. The Oles nearly scored again - on themselves - as some mis-communication between an Ole defender and their goalie resulted in the ball narrowly missing the net, which would have given the Royals a 4-2 lead.
Royal goalkeeper,
Nick Kantor (Jr., Buffalo, Minn.) had a big impact on the field today stopping 13 of the Oles 15 shots on net.
Bethel returns much of its 2008 team and will kick off the 2009 season on Tuesday, September 1, against Crown College at 5 p.m. in St. Bonifacius, Minn.
