BETHANY — After largely mowing through the competition in the regular season, Bethany coach Sean Williams saw his team’s youth and inexperience Monday (May 5) with first half struggles against Newcastle at Southern Nazarene University’s Wes Harmon Field.

The Lady Bronchos mounted a second half comeback for 3-2 win to advance to the Class 4A Girls Soccer State Quarterfinals.

“First time in the playoffs, nerves butterflies those types of things would be somewhat of a factor you know in the first round playoff,” Williams said via phone.

Bethany (13-3) took an early lead with a goal from sophomore Camryn Regier within the first five minutes.

“Then, we kind of stopped playing soccer,” Williams said.

Newcastle’s defense focused on Regier and the Lady Racer offense heated up with junior Lexi Swetz scoring two goals for a 2-1 lead by halftime.

“I wasn’t particularly pleased at that time with our mentality and just kinda getting outworked,” Williams said.

In the second half, Bethany defended better an started to have “waves of offense,” according to Williams.

Around the 20-minute mark, Regier broke through with a goal to tie the game at 2-2.

It stayed tied until Regier received a corner kick with 14 seconds left. She got a toe on it and pushed it towards the goal. The keeper batted it in the net for a 3-2, Bethany lead.

Regier extended her school record for goals in a season to 47.

“We have you know and arguably the best player in 4A if not the entire state on our team.”

“(Regier) did a good job of really using her teammates in the second half and they were throwing numbers at her,” Williams said. “We did a better job of using our midfielders and finding Jozelin (Hernandez) and Jocelyn (Balderas) and letting them pull defenders and then and then finding her when she’s you know has a better chance to beat one or two players.”

Williams was pleased with the defense in the second half as well as the play of Balderas, Hernandez, Regier and Berkley Johnson.

“They did a much better job spacing and moving the ball and creating matchups.”

After an overtime win over Chickasha a week ago, Williams wasn’t thrilled to have another close matchup but was happy with the result.

“It’s good to see that we have the character to play in those games and not give up,” Williams said.

UP NEXT

Bethany will host Oklahoma Christian School (8-1) Thursday (May 8) at 6 p.m. in the Class 4A quarterfinals.

OCS blanked Hilldale, 2-0, Monday.

Photographs courtesy of Kristie Escoe of Life in Action Photography.

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Newcastle (11-4)	2	0	2
Bethany (13-3)	1	2	3