MANKATO, Minn. - One year removed from its first UMAC playoff championship game appearance, the Bethany women's soccer team is set to kick off the 2025 campaign Friday night at Luther College. The Vikings, under second-year head coach Ryan Nichols, return eight starters from last season's team that finished 9-7-3 overall and 8-2-2 in the conference.
 
"I'm happy with the group so far this preseason and finishing second last year was a nice standard-setting," said Nichols. "Now the expectation is that we are there again. I think there has been really good buy-in from what the expectation is from the group. Fitness is all over the board but overall, I've been excited by the attitude of the players who are ready to get to work. Spending a lot of time over the past couple of weeks has been really fun."
 
Top returners this season include Elena Lujan Rubio, Mia Johnson, and Reese Moorad. Rubio, a senior captain, earned First Team All-Conference and Fourth Team All-Region after tallying 33 points on 12 goals and nine assists. Johnson, who earned All-Conference honorable mention, posted 14 points on three goals and eight assists from the midfield. And Moorad, a junior forward, had six goals and an assist for 13 points. Along with Rubio and Johnson, the senior class includes Payton Danielson, Ines Fernandez, and Katelynn Bills. 
 
"The seniors have done a really great job of adapting to me in my first year and becoming leaders and great ambassadors for what we want to build here," said Nichols. "Really exemplary work ethic from all of them. Elena Rubio is coming back from 12 goals last year and I expect the same work from her scoring goals and getting up and down the midfield. Emma Rowen, a junior captain in the back line, and Mia Johnson on the right wing. Expecting points from those leaders as well as the work ethic they bring every year."
 
The Vikings defeated Northwestern 5-1 in the UMAC semifinals before losing 4-0 to UW-Superior in the championship game last season, and the goal this year to take the next step forward in the conference. In the 2025 UMAC Coaches Poll, Bethany was voted second with 29 points and one first place vote. UW-Superior was picked to repeat as champion with 35 points and five first place votes.
 
"The goal would be to win the conference tournament and go to the national tournament," said Nichols. "I think we can do it, obviously it's not easy. Now that we've been to a championship game, we can start to act like that's what we're good enough to do. I think as a team that's the goal. Individually, I think we need to continue to buy into the team dynamic and culture. Some individuals want to get to a certain goal milestone, which I think is great. I will always support individual point totals but I think what's most important is winning the conference tournament."
 
With his first recruiting class, Nichols has brought in seven first-years and a junior transfer for a roster total of 20 student-athletes.
 
"I've been happy with the work the newbies have put in so far," said Nichols. "It's my first class of recruits at Bethany and I'm excited about just the variety of different backgrounds. We have a transfer from Spain who has done really well in goal and is pushing Arayah [Baker] who started a lot of games last year. Sarah [Lara Tabuena] has come in and done a good job of providing competition at that position. A couple players from the Netherlands who bring a really good tactical base of knowledge. And then there are local kids like Paige [Winkelmann] from Saint Peter right down the road. There are a lot of fun different Bethany connections. A couple Evergreen Lutheran kids who come from Washington state who know Bethany well through the ELS system. And a few international kids that highlight a fun piece of Bethany. I like the mix of personalities and soccer knowledge and what they bring to the table, so I am excited for that."
 
After the season opener at Luther on Friday night, the Vikings host Gustavus for their home opener on Sept. 3. Bethany will play five non-conference games before starting UMAC competition against UM-Morris on Sept. 17.