Video summary
The Bemidji State University women's soccer program enters its 31st season with the ambitious goal of building upon a successful previous year while adapting to significant roster changes following graduation. The departure of eight seniors, including standout forward Katrina Bartelt and two-time NSIC Offensive Player of the Year Ela Wade, leaves substantial holes in both scoring and defensive midfield roles that new players must fill. Despite these losses, the team maintains an optimistic outlook, viewing the transition not as a setback but as an opportunity to grow hungrier for success and improve collectively under the guidance of Coach Stone.
To replace Bartelt's prolific goal-scoring record, which accounted for nearly half of the team's total goals last season, the squad relies on a "scoring by committee" approach featuring emerging talents like Maddie Fridle. While Fridle is expected to be a high-level contributor without needing to replicate every aspect of her predecessor's performance, she joins a forward line capable of pushing each other toward greater heights. Similarly, the team plans to leverage its experience with set pieces and corners from last year, hoping that players can capitalize on these moments for goals and assists while maintaining their strong defensive structure anchored by returning goalkeeper Roslyn Bitner.
A major focus for this upcoming season is integrating a talented incoming freshman class that makes up over one-third of the roster, providing depth to replace departing starters like senior Sonya Alfieri. Coach Stone emphasizes unity within the group as they prepare to take on bigger shoes in various positions, noting that many young players are ready to step up immediately rather than waiting for development time. The team has already begun practicing with this new dynamic and is set to play three exhibition matches before opening their regular season at home against Missouri Western State on August 28th.
Ultimately, the narrative of the 31st edition of BSU women's soccer centers on continuity through adaptation rather than simply replacing names from last year's roster. By combining the leadership of returning juniors like Bitner with the energy and talent of new freshmen, the Beavers aim to sustain their high level of play despite graduating key figures who contributed significantly to a season that allowed only 11 goals and recorded twelve shutouts. As they prepare for two weeks of pre-season action leading up to August, the team is confident in its ability to honor the legacy of those who left while forging a new path forward for the program's future success.
Read the full video transcript
Practice got underway this week for the
31st season of BSU women's soccer and we
stopped by to get the scoop on how the
new group is coming together as they
ready to take the pitch 2 weeks from
today.
It was a heartbreaking finish for the
30th edition of BSU women's soccer.
>> [cheering]
>> But team 31 is ready to kick off the
next 30 years for the Beavers.
>> It's a new season, a new start, but I
also think it makes us hungry for more.
We made it so far, so we just want to
continue to do that and just be better.
>> The Beavers graduated eight seniors
including two-time NSIC Offensive Player
of the Year and 2025 Central Region
Player of the Year Katrina Bartelt, who
accounted for 13 of the team's 38 goals
last season.
>> We have a lot to build off of her, like
just take what we know from her and just
like we all work together. We have like
a great forward lineup that um we all
just like push each other to be better.
So, I think that we're all capable of
being able to score goals.
>> We'll probably be a little bit more
scoring by committee.
Um but I think I think the committee
could be really good.
Um and I think um Maddie Fridle's going
to be a huge piece of that.
>> [screaming]
>> The good news is that she doesn't have
to be Katrina. She can be Maddie Fridle
and and if she does that really well,
that's going to do a lot of great things
for us cuz she's a she's a high-level
player.
>> Another important part of the Beavers
offense was, counterintuitively,
defensive midfielder Ela Wade, who had
two goals and five assists, several of
which came from set pieces.
>> We were really good with like corners
last year, free kicks. We're going to
try and step up, but those are moments
where you should definitely be able to
like capitalize on and get goals and
assists from those moments. [screaming]
>> But Coach Stone also likes her defensive
ability.
>> She's really good on the ball, but she's
really good off it and you know, she's
got a great anticipation defensively and
um she's just got a little bit better
every single year and she's playing at a
really high level right now.
>> She'll help anchor a defense that only
allowed 11 goals and had 12 shutouts
last year. And while Bemidji State did
graduate starting goalkeeper Sonya
Alfieri, they return junior Roslyn
Bitner, who owns two of those shutouts
in her three matches started.
>> I think the confidence has grown through
some of those experiences, and I think
Ross has done a really good job of
gradually growing into it, and I think
she's ready for some big moments right
now.
>> It's just about younger players stepping
into bigger shoes
because I feel like this year, more than
any other year I've been here, we have a
lot more shoes to fill, but I think we
have a lot of players who can step up.
>> Some of those players are rising
underclassmen, but some will come from
the Beavers class of 13 incoming
freshmen who count for over a third of
the roster.
>> They're very talented. There's a lot of
them, but I think they're going to be a
really good addition to the team.
>> We've been really pleased with this
freshman class. I think it's going to
it's going to be one that really puts
their stamp into this program, both this
year, but also into the future.
>> Coach Stone described this team as
unified and is looking forward to seeing
how that plays out on the pitch. The
Beavers have three exhibitions before
opening the season at home August 28th
against Missouri Western State, and we
will have the highlights of that game
when it gets
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