CLEVELAND, Ga. (August 20, 2021) – The Truett McConnell University women's soccer team is set to begin their 2021 season Saturday, where they will hit the road to face the University of South Carolina Beaufort. The three-time Appalachian Athletic Conference Champions were tied at the No. 1 seed with Reinhardt University to win the title for the fourth consecutive year, according to the AAC coaches' preseason poll.

Due to the AAC COVID-19 regulations of 2020, all fall sports were prohibited from competing in any non-conference events, ultimately hindering the Lady Bears from competing in a full schedule of competition.

TMU rose to the occasion by dominating in the regular season, earning the title of Regular Season Champions for the third consecutive year, with a record of 10-0-1 in conference play, including a 10-game win streak. The Lady Bears were featured receiving a ticket to the NAIA National Championships, their third straight appearance, where they fell in the Hattiesburg bracket to the No. 2 seed Cumberland University and finished the 2020-2021 season with an overall record of 13-5-2.

"While we as a program have had recent success, I am very excited about the hunger of the group we have here," said Head Coach David McDowell. "The returning core are leaders and they have come back to campus with a sense of unfulfilled purpose. This has set the tone for the rest of the group to push for that extra 1% in each practice to get better and stronger leading to a competitive and driven environment. Our new girls have bought in and have added already to what our culture stand for and this is exciting to see."

The Lady Bears will be returning sophomore Lauren Bergevine, the AAC Defensive Player of the Year, who also earned a spot on the All-Conference first team.  Senior Sydney League and junior Ashleigh Smitherman, both individually All-AAC first team members, are amongst the core group of returners, along with midfielder Kristin Beasley who earned a spot on the All-AAC Second Team.

"We go into this season focusing on what matters – the purpose, people, and process of our culture. We have goals but we will take it one day, one practice and one game at a time and we will do it together, and I can honestly say there is no other group I would want to go through the season with. They are an awesome group of girls and a joy to coach who can also accomplish major things this year."

Saturday's match is set to begin at 11:00 a.m. in Bluffton, S.C., with the first home and AAC opener of the season Saturday, September 11, at 2:00 p.m.

Keep up with the Lady Bears throughout the 2021 season here on tmbears.com and follow us on Facebook (@TMUBears), Instagram (@TMUBears) and Twitter (@TMUBears).