Bethel Men's Soccer Team is the Mid-South Champion

Back-to-Back! Wildcats Capture Second Straight Mid-South Championship

LEBANON, Tenn. – The Bethel University Wildcats are back-to-back Mid-South Conference men’s soccer tournament champions.

Cardiac Cats do it Again 

 How it Happened

Sam Neill and Luiz Antonio Costa Lima scored just 94 seconds apart late in the second half Tuesday, lifting Bethel to a 2–0 victory over Cumberland University at Lindsey Donnell Stadium and securing the Wildcats’ second consecutive tournament crown.

Bethel improved to 9–4–2, while Cumberland fell to 10–2–5.

After more than 81 minutes of scoreless soccer, Neill delivered the breakthrough at 81:59 with his fourth goal of the season. Neill had returned to the match at 79:33, needing less than three minutes to put the Wildcats in front.

Costa Lima quickly doubled the advantage at 83:33, scoring his ninth goal of the season off an assist from Genaro Dumestre. Bethel’s defense protected the lead through the closing minutes to seal another championship.

Mauricio Gonzalez De Leon recorded three saves in 90 minutes to earn the shutout. He stopped two shots in the opening half and denied Luis Cerejo at 59:36 as the Wildcats withstood Cumberland’s second-half pressure.

Bethel held a 6–4 advantage in shots during the scoreless opening half, forcing Cumberland goalkeeper Pau Gelabert to make four saves. Serzhan Aitzhanov provided an offensive spark off the bench, putting all three of his attempts on target before intermission.

Cumberland finished with a 16–13 edge in total shots and a 10–5 advantage in corner kicks, but the Wildcats held a 9–3 margin in shots on goal. Gelabert finished with seven saves.

Victor Vilaca Andrade Cardoso led Bethel with four shots. Aitzhanov added three, while Neill and Costa Lima each placed both of their attempts on goal.

Late goal Heroics Prove to be the Norm Again

The championship capped a tournament run that featured a 4–3 double-overtime victory over Campbellsville in the quarterfinals and a 1–0 road win over Lindsey Wilson in the semifinals. The Wildcats finished the final two rounds with consecutive shutouts to bring the Mid-South tournament title back to McKenzie for the second straight year.

Cats Head to Nationals

The Wildcats   earned the conference’s automatic bid to the NAIA National Championships later this month in Orange Beach.

A preview and selection show will air Friday night at 6 p.m. at: https://www.youtube.com/@PlayNAIA/videos

Coach Malang Jarju commented, “I am so proud of these young men. They put things together, allowing us to win nine of our last ten matches. They bought into our system and never stopped believing we could be successful. The hard work they put in paid off. We embrace the same challenge moving forward.”