Defense sets tone for Bearcats

JON DYKSTRA/THE FORUM
Northwest midfielder Ximena Arnau cuts back up field past two Missouri Western players last season during a match on Sept. 15 at Bearcat Pitch.

MARYVILLE, Mo. — It’s difficult not to have a strong defensive culture when your goalkeeper was the MIAA Goalkeeper of the Year as a true freshman.

But is the entire defensive group around Lily Ellis that has made the Bearcat defense so special the past two seasons. The Bearcats led the MIAA in save percentage last season at over 84%. They also led in that category the year prior at 89%.

It speaks to that trust in the defense that all three of this year’s captains for the Bearcats are defenders with Ashton Dain, Sydney Mueller and Moira Franck.

“The maturity and hopefully the calm they bring to the team in those moments will shine through in import moments throughout the season,” coach Marc Gordon said.

Teaming with Emily Yakle, the Bearcats have the luxury and ability to put four veteran defenders across the line in front of Ellis.

“It is always nice to have some consistency defensively,” Mueller said. “It just helps us to grow and learn how to play with each other defensively. Defensive back lines can be so relationship focused and I feel like that is something that is not talked about enough.”

The biggest shoes to fill going into last season belonged Letycia Bonifacio at center back after she was the MIAA’s Co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2022. Franck took on that challenge and started all 19 matches for the Bearcats last season.

“Coming into last year, I was a little nervous, but we had a back line with a lot of experience, and they were great role models and helped me get into it,” Franck said. “I’m excited to be back this year.”

Franck finished the year on the All-MIAA Third Team.

Mueller has been a 3-year starter in the middle for the Bearcats. With 60 career starts, she is in her second season as a team captain.

“We just looked a little more confident in the spring than we have in the past,” Mueller said of a spring where they out-scored four opponents by a total of 10-0. “We looked healthy, looked fresh and played together well. That was a good experience to have moving into the summer and into the fall.”

Dain is also a 3-year starter with 53 career starts. She also scored her first career goal last season.

“It is great to have a lot of experience, especially in the back because we know how different it is coming from high school to college and how the play varies,” Dain said. “Having that chemistry back there and working together with Syd for five years, we know how each other works. We know what the next person is going to do. Especially having Mo and Lily back there as well, it helps us just know how each other plays so we know how to cover each other.”

Yakle has 18 career starts on the other wing.

The midfield for the Bearcats has proven to be where the Arnau sisters roam. Senior Yesenia Arnau has 27 career starts and is an extension of the defensive group when she is in.

Sophomore Ximena Arnau made an immediate impact as a freshman last season with three goals and four assists in 13 starts. She was named the MIAA Freshman of the Year.

Senior Lucia Fernandez is a mainstay in the middle — making 13 starts last season and scoring three goals. Sophomore Makenna West had 13 starts as well and three assists.

The biggest question for the Bearcats going into the season is the same as its been for the last few years — where will they find goals from?

The answer the last two years has been First Team All-MIAA forward Kaylie Rock, but with Rock graduated, Gordon hopes that a more balanced attack could prove even more effective.

“I think there is a different mentality,” Gordon said. “I think that there is maybe a bitter taste for some of our returners from the end of last year, where we were at and felt that we didn’t fulfill who we are as a team.”

Senior Adell Gore is the veteran returner at forward after making 18 starts last season and soring four goals with three assists.

Sophomore Ekaterina Theoharidis made an immediate impact as a freshman with three goals and six starts. Sophomore Margaret Madden, at 5-foot-11, also offers the Bearcats another weapon with her size on the front line.

“We have a very effective group of sophomores in the attack,” Gordon said. “We have Adell as a nine. Margo can play anywhere across the front. … I think we have some depth. It is just going to be the execution and finishing.”

The Bearcats open the season with their first three matches on the road before the home opener on Sept. 13 against Grand Valley State.

“This year, I think that we are the fittest that we’ve ever come in and we are the most eager,” Dain said. “Everyone is very determined.”