BETHANY — Bethany coach Sean Williams was concerned his girls soccer team hadn’t been tested this season in District 4A-1 action leading up to the title game with Chickasha on Monday (April 28).

Each team was undefeated in district play and riding winning streaks. Following an 0-3 start to the the season, Bethany had outscored opponents, 79-8, in a string of 11 straight wins.

The district-clinching win did prove to be a challenge. It took an overtime golden goal from freshman Jozie Hernandez for a 3-2 win in a back-and-forth game at Southern Nazarene University’s Wes Harmon Field.

“That was a game that we absolutely needed going into the playoffs with the type of talent, the intensity and the physicality,” Williams said via phone. “Good teams are gonna do good things and we haven’t really had to respond to anything like that yet and so I liked our mentality and how we responded to that.”

Bethany (12-3, 8-0) had the wind at its back in the first half and finally took advantage late in the first half on a goal from sophomore Camryn Regier.

In the second half, Chickasha (9-3, 7-1) took the wind and the lead, scoring twice. Williams said his team struggled with “composure” for about 10 minutes of playing time after falling behind.

“I didn’t think we played very good soccer,” Williams said. “I thought they did a good job of creating chaos. They had the wind so they high- pressed and counter-pressed and kept it in our half (of the field).”

Despite the rough stretch, Williams had confidence in his team to answer.

“We’re too good not to create a good look at goal and we did that. We got the goal and tied it up,” Williams said.

Regier’s second goal (and her school-record 44th goal of the season) tied the game at 2-2.

The Lady Bronchos got the wind for overtime and took advantage for the win.

Hernandez got in the left channel and cut it to her right foot and hit a curler for the winning goal.

Williams said he knew it was going in the net as soon as it left her foot and that clock keeper stopped the clock because he knew the match was over.

“It was just untouchable, upper 90 back post. Just a fantastic finish by her.”

Williams praised freshman midfielder Shayne VonFeldt.

“She does a bunch of the legwork and end of the dirty work that sometimes goes unnoticed, but defensively was all over the field.”

Regier has received a lot of attention due to her prolific scoring, but Williams saw contributions from his team as a whole.

“She’s just a tough matchup for anybody and but she does such a great job of incorporating Jozie, Jocelyn Balderas, Berkley Johnson and our center mids,” Williams said.

He also praised senior Kayten Donley and junior Korbyn Baker.

“The back line played great. I thought they battled all game with their physicality and in speed and especially in transition,” Williams said.

Goalie Camdyn Konz tweaked her back in warmups but played through it.

“It was all around gritty performance, one that we needed. It was a total team performance.”

UP NEXT

Bethany will host Newcastle Monday (May 5) at 6 p.m. in the first round of the playoffs at SNU’s Wes Harmon Field.

Photographs courtesy of Kristie Escoe of Life in Action Photography.

	1	2	OT	F
Chickasha (9-3, 7-1)	0	2	0	2
Bethany (12-3, 8-0)	1	1	1	3