ARDEN HILLS, Minn. – The Bethel University women's soccer team was handed its first loss of the season on Saturday afternoon, falling to the Elmhurst Blue Jays by a score of 3-2. It was a promising start for the Royals but a second half surge by the Blue Jays was ultimately too much to overcome.
"We had a great first half, unfortunately we did not have the second half we were hoping for but it's a great opportunity for growth. We gained experience against a quality opponent and are looking forward to coming back strong", assessed head coach
Amanda Maxwell.
The two teams appeared to be evenly matched throughout the majority of the opening period as the game remained scoreless for the first 30 minutes. Junior
Mikala Smith put the Royals on the board in the 30
th minute with her second goal of the season. Following Smith's opening goal, freshman
Sydney Wight added to the lead just 8 minutes later, highlighting the impressive group of newcomers that Coach Maxwell has in her arsenal this season. Wight's goal gave the Royals a two-goal cushion and a wealth of momentum heading into halftime.
The second half began in a similar fashion to that of the opening period, with both teams playing solid defense and balancing the time of possession. However, as the game wore on, the Blue Jays began to dominate that category and as a result they notched a few more shots-on-goal. Team captain Emily Heimerdinger first broke the ice for the Blue Jays in the 59
th minute and teammate Kat Waugh tied the game 21 minutes later off an assist from Briana Small. However, the crucial blow for the Royals came in the 88
th minute when Megan Hart headed in a goal off a corner kick from Anna Garritano.
While suffering a tough defeat, Coach Maxwell maintained that she was pleased with the early-season performances of the freshmen as well as the veteran leaders that have been on the team for much, if not all, of her tenure. The Royals will play next on Monday afternoon, back at the Ona Orth Complex and will be looking for their second victory of the season.
