歪歪漫画

As Jim Stone gears up for his 23rd season as head coach of the Bemidji State women鈥檚 soccer team this fall, past offseasons begin to blend.

He faintly recalls the last time he spent the month of March outside with his team for spring practices, avoiding the often lingering winter conditions that come with living in northern Minnesota.

鈥淭he years start the blur, but I do think this year is the first year in a long time we鈥檝e been outside since we had a 60-degree February,鈥� Stone said. 鈥淲e got an early start (this year), then we got hit with some cold weather a little bit lately, but this is nice.鈥�

A year removed from a history-making season in 2022, the Beavers surpassed expectations in 2023. They finished in fourth place in the NSIC in the regular season after a 14-game league schedule.

Madelyn Haasken / Bemidji Pioneer

BSU knocked off Augustana in a thrilling NSIC Tournament quarterfinal game before upsetting St. Cloud State in the semifinal round. With an automatic bid to the NCAA Central Region Tournament on the line against U-Mary, the Beavers went back-to-back, winning the conference tournament championship for a second consecutive season with a 2-0 triumph over the Mauraders.

With a youthful roster 鈥� one that graduated just three rostered seniors 鈥� BSU rode its late-season momentum to the Central Region Tournament semifinal. Now, that same roster is poised for more success in five months.

鈥淚鈥檓 so glad we have so many girls coming back,鈥� sophomore forward Katrina Barthelt said. 鈥淚 think this spring is adding to the relationships we have built already. Then, when we get to add all of the amazing new freshmen coming in, it鈥檒l be such a big boost. We had a really good season. I think we鈥檙e all just really looking forward to getting back to having another one.鈥�

Preparation for the 2024 slate began indoors during the winter months. Once the Beavers got to work outside again, individually centered regimens morphed into team-based practices. Stone has fine-tuned this cycle over the course of two decades at the helm.

Madelyn Haasken / Bemidji Pioneer

鈥淲e want to develop these kids and help them take the next step as individual players,鈥� Stone said. 鈥淥nce we get outside in the spring, we merge those two worlds. It鈥檚 not so much like the fall, where we work on set pieces before games or things of that nature, but we may work on our combination play or how we attack tight spaces holistically. In the fall, we might not have time to work on those things as much.鈥�

The offseason is also an opportune time to usher in new on-field leadership. Fifth-year seniors Maggie Cade and Halle Peterson served as the team鈥檚 primary captains in 2023, with junior Maria Stocke also serving as a captain.

Now, Stocke and Barthelt assume the mantle side by side.

鈥淚t was kind of like hockey and how they do (alternate) captains,鈥� Stone said. 鈥淢aria was kind of getting into it and feeling it out, where now she feels comfortable being that leader. You鈥檝e seen Kat鈥檚 confidence grow to be able to verbalize something to the team. That wouldn鈥檛 have been the case six months ago.鈥�

Madelyn Haasken / Bemidji Pioneer

Bemidji State will play the last of its six spring exhibition matches this weekend on the road against Concordia-St. Paul and St. Thomas. While the takeaways from the scrimmages aren鈥檛 results-based, Stone gets a chance to see his new-look team compete at game speed, even without the 2024 freshmen class.

鈥淭here are a lot of variables like what the team on the other side looks like,鈥� Stone said of the exhibitions. 鈥淏ut I feel like we鈥檙e able to do a few things that we weren鈥檛 able to do last spring, which makes sense because last year was a big transition year. We didn鈥檛 have as many seniors, and we were very young.鈥�

Stone said he feels the Beavers are ahead of the curve offensively right now compared to where they were at this time last year.

鈥淲ith those expectations comes pressure,鈥� Stone continued. 鈥淵ou have to kind of figure that piece of it out, and there are other teams that might feel the same way. But there鈥檚 no doubt about it when you feel like you could start the fall ahead of where we were last year.鈥�

But the 2024 season is still far off. For now, the Beavers are enjoying their time on the pitch together in the unconventionally warm April weather.

鈥淏y this point, the team is already close,鈥� Barthelt said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e a tight-knit group, so no matter how many girls we have for these spring practices, it always feels really nice to be out here.鈥�

Madelyn Haasken / Bemidji Pioneer

Madelyn Haasken / Bemidji Pioneer