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This weekend, the team may face its toughest test all season, or maybe even the toughest of their careers, when they travel to play #1 ranked Messiah (PA) in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. The defending national champions, Messiah has outscored its opponents 98-6 this season, tallying five or more goals in ten different games. Last year in the NCAA's, the Falcons outscored the opposition 20-1 en route to being crowned national champs, defeating Wheaton (IL) 5-0 in the title game. While some Cardinal followers may have thought that drawing Messiah in the Sweet 16 was unfortunate, the players and coaches within the program are embracing the opportunity. “I’m really excited,” said junior defender Laura Vasbinder. “I wouldn’t want to pick any other team to play. I think it’s just the perfect opportunity for us.” Endicott (MA) did all they could to upset Messiah in the second round, playing them to a scoreless tie for over 88 minutes before the Falcons deposited one in the back of the net with 1:09 remaining in regulation. Koons, listening to the game on the radio, felt a myriad of emotions as Endicott continued to hold on time and time again down the stretch. “Don’t do this,” exclaimed Koons while listening closely to the play-by-play announcer, “don’t rob our team of this opportunity. I want to play Messiah.” Fortunately for Koons, he got his wish. His program, and more specifically this current team, now gets to endure the ultimate measuring stick. “I told the girls after we won on Sunday that they are really fortunate, because they now get to know where they stand,” Koons said Tuesday during his weekly coaches show. “Nobody ever asks me about a team down south or out west,” Koons continued. “Anyone that knows anything about Division III soccer will ask me what I would do if we ever played Messiah. We get that chance now.” Before winning the championship in 2008, the Falcons fell to Wheaton in the 2007 title game. A year before that, Messiah lost in the Final Four, and in 2005, the program won its first national championship. Many teams that know the recent history of Messiah tend to change their approach when facing off against them. Endicott nearly held the Falcons out, but shouldered a 35-1 shot disadvantage in the process. “All of the teams that have played Messiah in the tournament have just packed in their defense in hopes of getting to overtime or a shootout,” Vasbinder said…. “but we’re not going to significantly change the way we play for anyone.”
Messiah has gone 45-0-2 since suffering its last loss back in November of 2007. If you go back three years, the program has a 68-1-3 record, and if you march all the way back to the team’s first national championship season, the Falcons hold an 86-4-4 record. Regardless, Koons is genuinely confident that his group possesses the capabilities to tussle with any and all opponents. “The way we’re playing right now, and the way we’re defending, I’d put this team on the field against anyone in the country,” he said. “We’re just excited to finally get that opportunity.” That confidence from a leader of any kind has the ability to translate down to everyone involved in the process, and it has. “When your coach tells you something like that, it helps you feel so much more confident in yourself,” explained Vasbinder. “We’re going to come out just as hard as we have in any other game.” Come Saturday, the Cardinals and their defense know it will be necessary to play at the top of its game, this time coming on the biggest stage yet. “I’m just excited to go, to be able to focus solely on soccer,” said Vasbinder. “This is the biggest thing we have ever been to, and having the experience from last year allows us to know what to expect and feel more confident.” With no Otterbein women’s soccer team having ever advanced past the Round of 16, this year’s group has an opportunity to solidify themselves in program history with a victory over the nation’s top-ranked team. Koons and his players wouldn’t have it any other way.
Otterbein Places Four on Academic All-Conference Team
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| Lindsey Rudibaugh notched the deciding goal to propel OC to the Sweet 16. |
The Cardinals, who will make their second trip to the NCAA sectionals in as many years, upstaged Denison in last year’s second round as well.
Denison put pressure on the Cards early, as Otterbein goalkeeper Tara Carter was forced to stop a pair of Kate Henderson shots in the ninth and 11th minutes.
The Cardinals saw a chance on a free kick from the top left corner of the box in the 20th minute, but a bending shot from Rudibaugh went right into the hands of Denison keeper Courtney Cobb.
In the 32nd minute, OC's Jenny Knox attempted a shot in the box off a Cardinal corner kick, only to see it blocked by a Denison player.
As the ball deflected and was rolling around near the middle of a clustered box, Rudibaugh got a hold of it and rocketed the ball into the right side of the net for the score.
The play, similar to Rudibaugh’s game-tying goal against Capital in the regular season finale, allowed Otterbein to take a 1-0 lead into the half.
The Big Red scrapped to find an opportunity in the second half, but the Cardinals held their ground to preserve the victory.
By holding Denison scoreless, the team recorded its 18th shutout of the season, a mark that leads the country.
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| Senior co-captain Carly Dent rejoices after the final horn sounds. |
The win moves Otterbein to 20-1-1 on the year while Denison ends its season with a 16-4-2 mark.
With the victory, Otterbein ties a school and Ohio Athletic Conference record for wins in a single season, tying the output of the 2005 Otterbein squad that went 20-1-1 and lost to Denison in penalty kicks in the Sweet 16.
Carter made three saves in the game for Otterbein while Cobb stopped five for Denison.
OC held a slim 9-8 shot advantage and attempted six corner kicks compared to just two for the Big Red.
Otterbein now advances to the Round of 16 to take on top-ranked Messiah (PA), who defeated Endicott (MA) 1-0 by scoring a goal with 1:09 remaining in regulation of its second round contest.
The Cardinals fell 1-0 to Amherst (MA) in the Sweet 16 a
year ago.
WESTERVILLE, OHIO – After beating an Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) team 1-0 in last year’s opening round, the Otterbein women’s soccer team does it again this season, playing its way to a 1-0 victory over Frostburg State (MD) in the opening round of the NCAA Division III tournament Saturday at Clements Field.
Otterbein improves to 19-1-1 on the season while Frostburg State finishes its year at 18-4.
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Becky Bowser scores the game-winner in the fifth minute. |
The Cards, ranked ninth nationally, wasted no time getting on the board as senior Becky Bowser took a pass from fellow senior Carly Dent off a free kick and put it into the back of the net just 4:12 into the game.
OC nearly pushed the lead to 2-0 when in the 19th minute, but a shot from junior Lindsey Rudibaugh hit the crossbar and deflected out of bounds.
Otterbein controlled the majority of the opening half, taking a 1-0 lead into halftime after out-shooting the Bobcats 8-1 over the first 45 minutes.
OC controlled the ball early in the second half, nearly scoring when junior Rachel Degen just missed high on a ball she chipped from 30 yards out.
Frostburg State then went on the attack, firing back-to-back shots in the 64th minute. However, a Lauren Russell shot was blocked and Cassie Donahue saw hers brought in by OC keeper Tara Carter to sustain the 1-0 advantage.
The Bobcats saw their best chance at the 77:36 mark, but Carter made a quick save on a header attempt from FSU’s Heather Fleishell.
Otterbein was able to hold Frostburg for the remainder of the game, recording the 17th shutout this season.
The Cardinals held a 13-6 edge in shots as well as an 8-0 corner-kick advantage.
Carter stopped three shots in goal for Otterbein while Stephanie Gwinn recorded all three saves for Frostburg State in the opening 45 minutes. Michelle Buckmaster played the second half in goal for FSU.
With the victory, Otterbein moves on to play Denison in the second round, schedule for 1 p.m. Sunday at Clements Field. The Big Red defeated Transylvania (KY) 2-0 in the second game of the day.
Otterbein turned back Denison 2-0 earlier this season in
Westerville behind two goals from junior Rachel Degen.
WESTERVILLE, OHIO – Just as last year had it, the Otterbein women’s soccer team again earned eight selections to the All-Ohio Athletic Conference team, announced this morning by the league office.
Headlining the award recipients were a trio of juniors in defender Jenny Knox, goalkeeper Tara Carter, and midfielder Tara Smith, all of which were chosen to the first-team.
In addition, Knox was named the OAC’s “Defender of the Year” while Carter garnered the “Goalkeeper of the Year” accolade.
The second team was well represented by Cardinals, as another trio of juniors and a sophomore were recognized. Forward Lindsey Rudibaugh, midfielder Cristen Herold, and defender Laura Vasbinder were the three juniors chosen, while sophomore forward Adrienne Novak also earned second-team status.
Junior midfielder Rachel Degen was selected to the honorable-mention squad.
Knox, an NSCAA All-American a year ago, helped spearhead the OAC’s top defense for the second-straight season. This fall, the Cardinals have allowed just seven goals en route to posting an OAC record 16 shutouts. The team has ranked in the top-ten nationally all season in goals-against average (0.34) and shutout percentage (.800). In addition, the Gahanna native has tallied 12 points (five goals, two assists), a mark good enough to tie for third on the team. She is one of just three players to start all 20 games this season, and was recognized as the OAC’s “Player of the Week” back on September 29.
Carter has also had a hand in the shutout record, allowing just five goals all season and holding a personal goals-against average of 0.27. In addition to G.A.A., she led the league in save percentage (.896), shutouts (14), and record (16-1-1). She has made 43 saves thus far in 2009. She is the first Cardinal to earn “Goalkeeper of the Year” honors.
Smith, a second-team All-Conference choice in 2008, earned a spot on this season’s first team after helping the Cardinals in multiple ways. Playing more from a defensive standpoint in the midfield this season, Smith proved beneficial by limiting the opposition’s chances on Otterbein’s half of the field. The team held opponents to just over six shots per outing, as Otterbein only needed to save 2.5 shots per game. Also, Smith recorded one of, if not the season’s biggest goal in double-overtime of the regular season finale to give Otterbein a 3-2 come-from-behind victory over Capital and clinch the OAC regular season title. The Westerville native also set up the game-winning goal in the conference tournament final.
Rudibaugh, also having started all 20 contests this year, leads Otterbein and finished tied for sixth in the conference in scoring with 18 points (seven goals, four assists). Rudibaugh attempted the third most shots in the OAC and scored the game-winning goal in a 1-0 victory at Ohio Northern to regain first place in the league. In addition, she tallied both second half goals in the comeback victory over Capital.
Novak ranks second among Cardinals in scoring with four goals and six assists (14 points). This season, Novak has tallied three game-winning goals, including one in a 1-0 victory at Baldwin-Wallace and another in the 1-0 OAC semi-final win over Capital. Ranking fourth in the conference in assists, she also earned the OAC’s “Player of the Week” award earlier this season on October 19.
Herold lands on the second team for the second-straight season after finishing as Otterbein’s fifth leading scorer with 12 points (two goals, four assists). The Dublin native began the season in strong fashion, tallying the game-winner in a 1-0 double OT victory against Kenyon in the season opener, and following up with another goal in the team’s second victory a few days later vs. Kalamazoo.
Vasbinder teams with Knox to lead Otterbein’s league-leading defensive unit. After starting the final 12 games of 2008, Vasbinder has started all 20 games this season and is the only player to have played every minute of every game. She has also assisted on two Cardinal goals.
Degen earns a spot on the All-OAC team for the second year in a row, this time landing honorable mention status. She currently ranks third on the team in points with 12 (four goals, four assists), and has two-game winners to her credit. Earlier in the season, Degen notched both goals in a 2-0 victory over nationally ranked foe Denison. She has appeared in the starting lineup all 19 games she’s been active for.
The Cardinals’ eight selections were the most by any team in the conference. Ohio Northern was second with six players earning recognition.
Otterbein, finishing ninth in the final regular season national poll, opens the NCAA Division III Tournament this Saturday at Clements Field against Frostburg State. Game-time is set for 11 a.m.
Click here (PDF) to view the All-OAC teams and special award winners.WESTERVILLE, OHIO – Otterbein (18-1-1), ranked 11th nationally, will host Frostburg State (18-3) in the opening round of the NCAA Division III women’s soccer championship on Saturday, 11 a.m., at Clements Field.
The Cardinals received an automatic bid to compete in the 63 team national tournament by defeating Ohio Northern 2-0 in the conference tournament championship game this past Saturday. Freshman Molly Newhouse scored a goal late in the first half that proved to be the game-winner, while freshman Jessica Yaney scored her first goal of the season just minutes before the end of the game.
The Cards enter this NCAA Tournament having not lost in over two months. OC has posted a 17-0-1 record since dropping its only game of the season against Calvin on September 4.
Otterbein will be competing in the NCAA’s for the fifth time in the last six years, while Frostburg State returns to the dance for the first time since 2005. The Cardinals fell 1-0 to Amherst in the Sweet 16 last season.
Also in the Otterbein/Frostburg State pod are 14th ranked Denison (15-3-2) and Transylvania (KY) (13-6-1), who will play the other first-round game at Otterbein's Clements Field beginning at 1:30 p.m. The winners will face each other on Sunday at 1 p.m.
While the two schools have never met, Frostburg does hail from the same conference as Penn State Altoona, the team Otterbein knocked off in last year’s first round contest. The Bobcats beat Altoona 1-0 in overtime of the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) tournament championship last week to claim the automatic berth.
Frostburg is led by the tandem of junior Lauren Russell and freshman Amanda Wharton, who sit first and second respectively on the team and in the AMCC in scoring. Russell is the nation’s fourth-leading scorer with 27 goals and 16 assists (70 points) while Wharton ranks 17th in the country in scoring with 24 goals and nine assists (57 points).
Russell and Wharton headline a Bobcat offense that scores an average of 4.1 goals per game, a mark good enough for seventh in the nation. Frostburg has won seven straight and 14 of its last 15.
The team, which has allowed 12 scores for a goals-against average of 0.57, has used four different goalkeepers this season. Senior Stephanie Gwinn has played in 12 games with ten starts, sophomore Michelle Buckmaster has appeared in 13 games with nine starts, sophomore Kristen Prochniak has eight games played with two starts, and freshman Jessica Flewellyn has six games under her belt.
Buckmaster started the league championship game against Altoona while Gwinn began the game in goal during the team’s conference semi-final match.
The Cardinals are paced by junior forward Lindsey Rudibaugh, who has totaled 18 points (seven goals, four assists) for the season. 13 other Cardinals have tallied at least one goal this fall.
Junior defenders Jenny Knox, Laura Vasbinder, and Hannah Fairbanks combine to lead a defense that has ranked in the top-ten nationally all season long in goals-against average (0.34) and shutout percentage (.800). Otterbein allowed just seven goals all season and set an Ohio Athletic Conference record with 16 shutouts.
Junior goalkeeper Tara Carter, allowing just five goals all season, has put together a 0.27 goals-against average of her own and also holds a save percentage of .896.
Otterbein is 4-2-2 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
General admission to the match is $6. Student and senior citizen admission will be $3 while children ages 3-12 will be admitted for $2.
WESTERVILLE, OHIO – Otterbein, holding a #11 national ranking and the tournament’s top seed, won the 2009 Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament championship Saturday afternoon by defeating 23rd-ranked Ohio Northern 2-0 at Clements Field.
The victory gives the team its second straight tournament title, as the group also defeated Northern 2-0 in last year’s title game.
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| Seniors (from left) Carly Dent, Megan Cooper, and Becky Bowser receive the tournament trophy from OAC Director of Information Lindsay Rickel. |
The game opened with both teams feeling each other out, as only six total shots were attempted in the first 33 minutes.
With less than three minutes remaining in the half, OC’s Tara Smith blocked a kick up into the air and saw the ball fall towards junior Lindsey Rudibaugh in the box. As she was getting taken down by a defender, Rudibaugh poked the ball over to freshman Molly Newhouse, who deposited it into the back of the net for the score.
The goal was Newhouse’s second of the season and her career. She also registered the game-winner in a 3-1 victory over Wilmington back on October 3.
The Cardinals took a 1-0 advantage into the break.
Otterbein had a chance to extend the lead on a corner kick at the 58:16 mark when a header from junior Jenny Knox appeared to have ONU goalkeeper Kristen DeWees beat. However, a Polar Bear defender blocked the shot and kept Otterbein from scoring.
Northern then went on the attack in attempt to even the game, placing more pressure on the Cardinal defense. The Polar Bears saw several chances, but their best might have come in the 78th minute when the ball was loose in the box and Otterbein keeper Tara Carter was fighting to track it down. Fortunately for the Cardinals, a shot from ONU’s Kaitlin Sanders barely made its way off her foot before it was blocked by Otterbein.
With just under three minutes remaining in the game, Rudibaugh lofted a pass over the head of an Ohio Northern player at midfield and towards teammate Jessica Yaney. A freshman, Yaney headed the ball around the defender, regained control, and took it in to beat DeWees and push the lead to 2-0.
The goal was Yaney’s first of her career and marked the 14th different Cardinal to tally a goal this season. Both Cardinal goals came with 2:46 remaining in the respective halves.
Otterbein held a 13-8 edge in shots as well as a 4-2 corner-kick advantage.
DeWees recorded three saves for Northern while Carter stopped five shots and proved valuable by snagging multiple balls that made their way into the box.
By holding the Polar Bears scoreless on the day, the Cardinals tallied their 16th shutout of the season.
With the win, Otterbein receives an automatic bid to the upcoming NCAA Division III women’s soccer tournament. The program will be making its second-straight trip to the big dance and fifth appearance in the last six years. The Cardinals fell 1-0 to Amherst in the Sweet 16 a year ago.
WESTERVILLE, OHIO – Otterbein, holding the tournament’s top seed and a #11 national ranking, defeated fourth-seeded Capital 1-0 Wednesday afternoon in the semi-finals of the Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament.
The win propels Otterbein back into the tournament championship for the second straight year. The Cardinals will host #2 seed Ohio Northern on Saturday, 2 p.m., at Clements Field.
OC defeated the Polar Bears 2-0 in last year’s final in Westerville, and also earned a 1-0 victory in Ada earlier this season.
Otterbein got on the board early, taking a 1-0 lead when sophomore forward Adrienne Novak corralled a short goal kick by Capital keeper Linley Vermillion and fired it just inside the right post in the 10th minute.
The Cards eventually went to halftime ahead 1-0, holding a 5-1 advantage in shots.
Capital came out firing in the second half, out-shooting the Cardinals 7-1 in the first 14 minutes. However, junior goalkeeper Tara Carter made one save, and multiple other shots were blocked by the Otterbein defense to preserve the 1-0 lead.
Otterbein then went on the attack, just missing an opportunity in the 76th minute when Novak found herself under a free kick deep in the box. Unfortunately for Otterbein, Vermillion was there to make the quick save and keep the game at 1-0.
Capital saw its best chance to even the game at the 82:36 mark when Kaylee Phillips had the ball in the box and Carter was slightly away from the net, but junior defender Jenny Knox was there to stop the shot.
Capital had two shots sail high and wide in the last 90 seconds as Otterbein posted an OAC record 15th shutout this season.
For one of the few times all season, Otterbein was out-shot by its opponent, as the Crusaders held a 13-11 shot advantage as well as a 4-2 edge on corner kicks.
Carter stopped two shots in goal for Otterbein while Vermillion tallied four saves for Capital.
WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Tara Carter, a junior from Pickerington, Jenny Knox, a junior from Gahanna, and Carly Dent, a senior from Pataskala, were named to the 2009 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV women's soccer team as selected by the College Sports Information Director’s of America (CoSIDA), released this past weekend by the organization.
Carter and Knox were selected to the first team while Dent earned a spot on the second team. Due to being a first-team selection, Carter and Knox will advance to the national ballot for Academic All-America consideration.
Carter, a three-year starter at goalkeeper, has posted 12 shutouts on the season to go along with 36 saves. She currently boasts a 0.31 goals-against average as well as an .878 save percentage. In addition, her shutout-percentage is second best in the country while her goals-against average is good enough for fourth nationally. A double major in art and art history, she has made the Dean’s List six times.
Knox, a three-year starter at defender, has totaled five goals and two assists on the season. She helps lead the top-ranked defense in the OAC and one that ranks in the top-ten nationally in both shutouts and goals-against. An Allied Health major, Knox has appeared on the Dean’s List all six quarters.
Both Carter and Knox were chosen to the ESPN the Magazine Academic second team in 2008 as well as the Academic All-Conference first team.
Dent, a four-year starter in the midfield, has one goal on the season and sits tied for fourth in the conference with six assists. A Life Science major, she has made Otterbein Dean’s List all nine terms. Dent appeared on the ESPN Academic third-team last season and is a two-time (2007 and 2008) Academic All-OAC pick.
Academic All-District IV team members are selected through voting by CoSIDA, a 2,000-member organization consisting of sports public relations professionals for colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. District IV encompasses the states of Alabama, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee.
To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.20 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director.
The Cardinals, currently 16-1-1 and ranked 15th
nationally, are the top seed in the OAC tournament being played this week. The
team has a first-round bye and will play host to the winner of the
Capital/Wilmington matchup Wednesday at Clements Field. Game time is set 2 p.m.
Click here
to view the entire CoSIDA Academic All-District team.
WESTERVILLE, OHIO – Otterbein, needing a win to clinch the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) regular season championship, grabbed a 3-2 victory over cross-town rival Capital in dramatic fashion Saturday afternoon at Clements Field.
Junior midfielder Tara Smith, having not scored a goal all season, put a shot into the back of the net with 1:56 remaining in the second overtime to give the Cardinals their second straight regular season title and fourth in the last eight years.
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Tara Smith scores the game-winner. |
Smith tallied four goals and three assists in 2008 en route to earning an All-OAC second-team selection.
The game opened up with the Crusaders firing heavily at OC freshman keeper Erin Hartzell, who was filling in for junior Tara Carter. Hartzell, making just her second career start, was forced to make two saves and face a myriad of other shots in the opening ten minutes.
Otterbein responded with some attacking of its own, but no opportunities were able to be converted.
The Crusaders got on the board first, taking a 1-0 lead in the 39th minute when Tara Zimmer found a loose ball in the box off a corner kick and slipped it into the net. The score was the first allowed by Otterbein in 789 minutes.
OC saw a chance a few minutes before halftime, but a shot from junior forward Lindsey Rudibaugh hit the cross-bar and deflected out of bounds.
Capital would take a 1-0 lead into the break.
The Purple and White extended its lead to 2-0 less than three minutes into the second frame as Katie Robinson shot a ball from 20 yards out and over the head of Hartzell.
The Cardinals responded just 21 seconds later when junior midfielder Rachel Degen ran down a ball that was heading out of bounds. Degen stretched to keep the ball in play and found Rudibaugh near the left post. Rudibaugh controlled the pass and put her shot over the head of Capital goalie Linley Vermillion to cut the deficit to 2-1.
With time winding down in the second half and the Cardinals needing a goal, the team found its opportunity on a corner kick with two minutes left.
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Lindsey Rudibaugh scores the second of her two goals. |
A Capital defender tried to clear the ball after it had landed in a clustered box, but Rudibaugh was there to cut off the clear attempt. The Dublin native lofted her shot over a group of players and over the head of Vermillion into the right corner of the goal to even the game at 2-2.
Dating back to last season, Rudibaugh has notched four goals in three matchups with Capital.
Otterbein controlled the majority of action in the first overtime session, but was not able to score.
With two minutes remaining in the second overtime period, sophomore Adrienne Novak found her way to the ball and slipped a pass up the middle to a streaking Smith, who beat Vermillion for the game-winner.
“This is a great feeling,” said Smith on scoring the game-winner, “and it couldn’t have happened at a better time. This wouldn’t have been possible without my great teammates and coaches.”
Otterbein held a 19-13 edge in shots as well as a 9-4 corner kick advantage.
With the regular season title, the team will have home-field advantage throughout the OAC Tournament, scheduled to begin next week.
Head Coach Brandon Koons had nothing but praise for his junior midfielder.
“We always say we don’t care who scores because we know somebody will when we need them to,” Koons explained. “Tara has been wonderful all season and has sacrificed stats to do what we need in other parts of the field. We threw her up top today for the second time in her career, and she did just what we needed. I couldn’t be happier for her and the entire team.”
Being faced with adversity and having their backs against
the wall for one of the few times all season, Koons reflected on the response of
his group.
“Everything great that we say about our team was shown today,” he said.
"We
needed to call on our depth…. freshmen Erin Hartzell and Rachel Denz were
outstanding. We had people playing all out of position just to get a result.
“We got knocked down and were trailing 2-0 at one point,” continued Kooons, “but always believed we could come back. It shows a lot of character to come from behind, especially from two goals."
As the top seed, the Cardinals will have a first-round bye
and then host the winner of the #5 Capital at #4 Wilmington matchup Wednesday at Clements Field. Starting time for that contest is scheduled for 2 p.m.
Capital and Wilmington will play Monday at 7 p.m.
WESTERVILLE, OHIO – Otterbein, sitting atop the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) standings and ranked 15th nationally by the NSCAA, prepares to host cross-town rival Capital Saturday afternoon from Clements Field in Westerville.
The Cardinals hold an overall record of 15-1-1, with a 7-0-1 mark in conference play. The Crusaders enter the contest at 12-5-2 overall and hold down the third spot in the OAC with a 6-2 record.
With a victory, Otterbein will claim the OAC regular season championship for the second year in a row, and fourth in the last eight years. In addition, the team would earn home-field advantage throughout the conference tournament, slated to begin next week.
The Cardinals are led in scoring by the junior trio of forward Lindsey Rudibaugh, defender Jenny Knox, and midfielder Rachel Degen. Rudibaugh (13 points), leads the team and ranks fourth in the league with 59 shots. She is tied with Knox for ninth in the conference with five goals.
Knox helps spearhead a defense that ranks in the top seven nationally in goals-against-average (0.31) and shutout percentage (.813). The team currently has a streak of 720 minutes played without allowing a goal.
Degen and sophomore forward Adrienne Novak have both tallied 11 points this fall, with Novak registering nine points in the Cardinals’ last seven outings.
Capital leads the conference in shots, rattling off nearly 21 per game. Junior defender Kaylee Phillips leads the Crusaders in scoring with 16 points (six goals, four assists), while senior Katie Robinson has recorded 15 points this fall. Robinson leads the league in shots per game (3.9), and ranks fourth with seven goals.
The Crusaders have had three different goalkeepers start at least four games this season, with junior Linley Vermillion leading the way with eight. Vermillion has spent nearly half of the team’s minutes between the posts, recording five shutouts and holding a 0.67 goals-against average. She leads the conference with a .887 save-percentage.
Junior Rose Bussey and senior Erica Shannon also contribute in net for Capital. Bussey has a 3-0-1 record this fall to combine with a 0.91 goals-against average, while Shannon has posted a 3-1-0 mark and holds a G.A.A of 0.49.
The two schools met twice in 2008, with Otterbein prevailing both times. In the regular season finale at Crew Stadium on November 1, the Cardinals used an early goal from Rudibaugh in the sixth minute to grab a 1-0 victory.
Just five days later in the OAC Tournament semi-finals in Westerville, Otterbein earned a 2-1 victory on its way to the conference tournament championship. After Megan Cooper scored the game’s first goal just 34 seconds in the contest, Capital evened the game on a score from Chelsea Caldwell at the 66:12 mark. However, Rudibaugh struck again, wrapping a free kick around a wall of Capital defenders and into the net in the 71st minute for the game-winner.
First-kick from Clements Field Saturday is schedule for noon.
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Hannah Fairbanks |
Otterbein is currently riding a streak of 720 minutes played without allowing a goal.
ONU plays at Marietta on Friday afternoon, while Otterbein's first-kick with the Crusaders is scheduled for Saturday at noon on Clements Field.
ADA, OHIO – Junior Lindsey Rudibaugh scored late in the second half, allowing eighth-ranked Otterbein to escape Ada with a 1-0 victory over 25th-ranked Ohio Northern Saturday afternoon.
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Lindsey Rudibaugh |
The victory jumps Otterbein (14-1-1, 6-0-1 OAC) over the Polar Bears (12-3-2, 6-1 OAC) and back into first place in the Ohio Athletic Conference.
Otterbein got off to a slow start, only attempting two shots in the opening half.
Ohio Northern nearly took a 1-0 lead in the opening half when Natalie White found herself alone deep in the Otterbein box, but a series of diving saves from junior goalkeeper Tara Carter prevented the Polar Bears from scoring.
After a tough first 45 minutes, the game headed to the break locked at 0-0.
The Cards found more opportunities to attack in the second half, doubling up the Polar Bears with a 6-3 edge in shots.
The difference maker came in the 76th-minute,
when Rudibaugh broke away from the ONU defense and had her shot hit the left
post and sneak into the goal for the game-winner.
Sarah Sharbaugh assisted on the play by leading Rudibaugh
with a header pass off the prior goal kick.
The Cards held an 8-7 shot advantage and took three corner kicks compared to just one for Northern.
Kristen DeWees tallied one save for the Polar Bears while Carter stopped three shots for OC.
The team next hits the road to play Muskingum on Tuesday,
with the starting time scheduled for 4 p.m.
WESTERVILLE, OHIO – A year after playing to a 1-1 tie in University Heights, Otterbein and John Carroll do it again, this time battling to a scoreless tie over 110 minutes of action Wednesday at Clements Field.
Otterbein, ranked eighth nationally by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), moves its record to 13-1-1 on the season and 5-0-1 in conference play.
Despite being out-shot 34-3, JCU manages the tie and its record now stands at 5-9-2 overall, 3-1-1 in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC).
Both teams took two shots in the opening 15 minutes, but none found the back of the net. Otterbein then began to control the remainder of the half, going into the break with a 10-2 advantage in shots as well as an 8-1 edge on corner kicks.
The second half began with the Cards controlling the tempo and consistently attacking, firing off three shots and attempting two corners in the first six minutes.
OC sophomore Sarah Sharbaugh saw two opportunities come her way, once at the 53:03 mark and again in the 57th minute. However, the her first attempt was blocked by a Blue Streak defender and her second sailed high.
Otterbein continued to force pressure on the JCU defense as the team rattled off 11 shots over the remainder of the half, including seven shots coming in a nine minute flurry between the 63rd and 72nd minutes.
None, however, were able to find a way past Carroll goalkeeper Molly Gradkowski.
Junior Lindsey Rudibaugh had Otterbein’s final attempt on goal with four seconds remaining in the first overtime session, but Gradkowski was there to make the stop and force the second overtime. OC held a 5-1 shot advantage in the first OT.
Senior Becky Bowser had the team’s best look with just 46 seconds remaining in the second overtime but had her shot sail wide.
Of Otterbein’s 34 shot attempts, eight were blocked by the JCU defense, 12 found their way off target, and 14 were stopped by Gradkowski.
Gradkowski turned in an all-around effort, tallying the 14 saves and hauling in multiple Otterbein crosses into the box.
Junior goalie Tara Carter recorded one save in net for Otterbein.
Otterbein also held a 14-1 corner-kick advantage.
The team will now turn its attention to Saturday’s 2 p.m. matchup at Ohio Northern. ONU defeated Heidelberg Wednesday to improve its OAC mark to 6-0 and take sole possession of first place, with Otterbein now right behind at 5-0-1.
WESTERVILLE, OHIO – Sophomore forward Adrienne Novak (Bethel Park, PA/Bethel Park) has been selected as Co-Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) “Player of the Week”, announced Monday morning by the league office.
Novak shares the honor with Ohio Northern senior Angie Pisut, who tallied two goals on the week, including the game-winner to beat John Carroll. Pisut has scored a goal in five consecutive games.
This past week, Novak helped the 12th-ranked Cardinals play to a 2-0 record and extend its season record to 13-1. The team, which has a current winning streak of 12 games, notched a pair of 2-0 victories over Mount Union and Heidelberg to move to 5-0 in OAC play.
In Thursday’s matchup with Mount, Novak scored in the eighth minute on a through ball to extend the team’s lead to 2-0. Otterbein had scored the game’s initial goal just two minutes prior.
Saturday, the Pennsylvania native recorded her second game-winner of the season by tallying the team’s first goal at Heidelberg. The score came in the ninth minute and saw Novak make a move to beat the goalie and put the shot far post.
After recording just two assists in the first ten games this fall, Novak has found herself on a roll over the last two weeks. In the Cardinals’ last four games, she has scored three goals and contributed two more assists. The surge has moved her up the Cardinal statistics section, as she now sits tied for the team lead in scoring with ten points.
The honor marks the second time a Cardinal has been recognized by the conference this fall. Junior defender Jenny Knox was chosen for the accolade back on September 28.
Otterbein has a crucial week ahead, hosting John Carroll this Wednesday, 4 p.m., at Clements Field before traveling to battle Ohio Northern in Ada on Saturday. Northern is also a perfect 5-0 in league play this season, and JCU battled the Cards to a tie in 2008.
TIFFIN, OHIO – Otterbein moved to 13-1 Saturday afternoon and 5-0 in conference play with a 2-0 victory over Heidelberg in Tiffin.
For the second straight game, the Cards were able to score in the opening ten minutes, as sophomore Adrienne Novak found the back of the net at the 9:09 mark. She has now totaled eight points in the last four contests.
Otterbein out-shot the Student Princes 9-1 in the opening half and went to halftime ahead 1-0.
The second half saw more of the same, as the team held an 11-0 shot advantage and took seven corner kicks compared to none for Heidelberg.
Senior Becky Bowser extended OC’s lead to 2-0 in the 86th minute off an assist from senior Carly Dent.
Lauren Sweeney and Molly Schreiber combined for six saves in net for Heidelberg while Otterbein keeper Tara Carter did not have any. She faced just one shot on the day.
The Cards return home to host John Carroll on Wednesday, with game time scheduled for 4 p.m. The Blue Streaks played OC to a tie last year in University Heights.
WESTERVILLE, OHIO – Otterbein, ranked 12th nationally by the NSCAA, improved to a perfect 4-0 in Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) play and 12-1 overall by defeating visiting Mount Union 2-0 Thursday afternoon at Clements Field.
Mount Union falls to 3-10-1 on the season and 0-4 in league play.
The Purple Raiders nearly grabbed an instant 1-0 lead, but Otterbein goalie Tara Carter made a leaping save to punch away a shot from Mount Union’s Diedre Dick in the second minute of play. After bouncing off Carter’s hand, the ball deflected off the cross bar and back out into the field of play.
It didn’t take long after for the Cardinals to respond and get on the scoreboard, as junior Lindsey Rudibaugh beat a couple defenders and sent a pass from the right side to the opposite post where junior Rachel Degen converted a left-footed goal to put the team ahead 1-0.
The goal was Degen’s third of the season and marked the 600th in program history. Kate Weale recorded the program’s 500th career goal back in 2007 on a free kick at Allegheny.
Just two minutes later, sophomore Adrienne Novak took a through ball from defender Laura Vasbinder and slipped a shot past Mount keeper Kaitlyn Mallernee to extend the lead to 2-0. It was her second goal in as many games.
The game would enter halftime with the Cards on top 2-0.
Otterbein controlled the tempo in the second half, out-shooting the Raiders 9-1. The OC defense stood strong en route to its ninth shutout of the season.
The team has allowed just two goals since its only loss of the season back on September 4, a span of 11 games.
Overall, the Cards held a 19-6 edge in shots, as well as a 13-0 advantage on corner kicks.
Mallernee tallied ten saves for Mount Union while Carter stopped three shots in goal for OC.
The team next hits the road on Saturday to play Heidelberg.
First-kick from Tiffin is scheduled for 4 p.m.
 |
|
Adrienne Novak |
WESTERVILLE, OHIO – 12th-ranked Otterbein cruised its way to a 3-0 victory over Marietta in conference action Wednesday afternoon behind two goals from senior forward Megan Cooper.
The team, winners of nine straight, improves its season record to 10-1 and now stands at 2-0 in league play.
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|
Megan Cooper |
Substituting into the game at the 22:38 mark of the opening half, Cooper wasted no time getting into the action; tallying her first goal of the season in the 27th minute after sophomore Adrienne Novak fed her a pass from the opposite post inside the 18-yard box.
Less than eight minutes later, the London native converted a header from seven yards out to the top right corner to extend the Cardinal lead to 2-0. Novak tallied her second assist of the match on the play.
OC would take a 2-0 lead heading into the break.
The Otterbein defense stayed consistent and wouldn’t budge in the second half, as the Pioneers were unable to get off a shot attempt.
With less than one minute remaining, junior midfielder Ashley Payne scored her first goal of the fall and second of her career with a header that bounced off the hands of the Marietta goalie and over the goal line. Junior Rachel Degen was credited with the assist.
The Cards held a dominant 35-2 shot advantage, including a 22-0 edge in the second half of play. Pioneer keeper Jenna Freeman was forced to make 11 saves while Tara Carter stopped one shot in goal for Otterbein.
OC took 14 corner kicks and did not allow Marietta to attempt any.
The team returns to action Saturday evening when they travel to play Baldwin-Wallace. Starting time from Berea is scheduled for 7 p.m.
WESTERVILLE, OHIO – Otterbein, ranked 12th nationally by the NSCAA, used three second-half goals to come from behind and open Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) play with a 3-1 victory over Wilmington Saturday afternoon at Clements Field.
Wilmington was the only OAC team to defeat Otterbein last season, as the Quakers earned a 1-0 upset of the Cards in 2008 on their home turf.
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| Sarah Sharbaugh (left) and Jenny Knox celebrate Sharbaugh's game-tying goal. |
Wilmington threw the first blow in the 20th minute when Katie Skaleski converted a penalty kick to give the Quakers a 1-0 lead. The score came as a result of an Otterbein defender being called for a foul in the box on a corner kick attempt.
Trailing for only the second time all season, Otterbein responded by out-shooting Wilmington 6-0 over the final 25 minutes of the opening half, with four of those attempts coming from junior forward Lindsey Rudibaugh.
Unfortunately, the Cards were not able to find the back of the net on any of those shots, as the visiting Quakers took a 1-0 lead into halftime.
It didn’t take OC long to strike in the second half, as sophomore forward Sarah Sharbaugh took a cross from teammate Carly Dent just three minutes into the second stanza and deposited it into the goal to even the game.
The goal was Sharbaugh’s first since scoring in a 2-0 victory over Saint Mary’s back on September 11.
Freshman forward Molly Newhouse then scored her first career goal in the 59th minute when she found a loose ball in the box and slipped it past Quaker goalie Maria Larson for the 2-1 lead.
After a Wilmington defender was called for a hand-ball in the box at the 73:13 mark, junior defender Jenny Knox converted her fourth penalty kick in as many attempts this season to extend the Cardinal advantage to 3-1.
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| Teammates rejoice with Molly Newhouse after she scored her first career and game-winning goal. |
The goal capped the scoring for the afternoon as Otterbein grabbed a 3-1 victory to open conference play.
OC held a commanding 22-7 shot advantage, and out-shot Wilmington 19-3 after the Quakers scored the initial goal in the first half.
Larson stopped nine shots for the visitors while Tara Carter came up with three saves between the posts for Otterbein.
The Cardinals held a 4-1 edge in corner kicks and held a 12-4 advantage in shots on goal.
The team returns to action on Wednesday when they hit the road to play Marietta. Game-time for that contest is scheduled for 4 p.m.
WESTERVILLE, OHIO – Otterbein junior defender Jenny Knox (Gahanna/Bishop Hartley) has earned Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) “Player of the Week” honors, the league office released Monday afternoon.
Knox anchored a defense for a Cardinal team that went 2-0 this past week, grabbing a pair of 1-0 victories. The defense held the opposition scoreless for all 162:39 minutes on the week, allowing 12 shots in the two games with just four happening on goal.
The returning All-America selection from a year ago also scored the game-winning goal on a penalty kick in a 1-0 victory at Earlham (IN) Saturday afternoon. The score happened in the 81st minute after OC's Carly Dent drew a foul in the box.
Knox and Otterbein have surrendered just one goal in the last 632:39 minutes of action.
The unit has posted a conference-best seven shutouts this fall, and ranks nationally in both goals-against average and shutout-percentage.
The team hosts Wilmington on Saturday, with game-time at Clements Field scheduled for 2 p.m.
RICHMOND, INDIANA – 14th-ranked Otterbein won its seventh straight match Saturday afternoon, picking up a 1-0 victory against Earlham (IN).
After eighty minutes of tough, scoreless play, junior co-captain Jenny Knox converted her third penalty kick of the season to give the Cards a 1-0 lead. The attempt came after co-captain Carly Dent drew a foul in the box.
OC held Earlham the remainder of the way en route to the 1-0 win.
Otterbein held a 15-9 edge in shots, including a 9-4 advantage in the second half. The Cards took twice as many corner kicks (8-4) in the contest, and also had a 7-3 edge in shots on goal.
The match, which featured three yellow cards, ended with a combined 22 fouls.
Tara Carter tallied three saves between the posts for Otterbein while Earlham keeper Megan Holthaus had six.
The team does not return to the field until next Saturday when they open league play by hosting #21 Wilmington at Clements Field. Game-time is set for 2 p.m.
The Quakers were the only OAC team to beat Otterbein last season, earning a 1-0 victory in Wilmington.
WESTERVILLE, OHIO – Junior forward Lindsey Rudibaugh scored in the 93rd minute to give the 14th-ranked Otterbein women’s soccer team a 1-0 overtime victory over Ohio Wesleyan Wednesday evening at Clements Field.
With the win, the team improves to 7-1 on the season and finds themselves winners of six straight.
Both teams fought back and forth in the opening half, as neither team managed find a way to score. Otterbein’s closest chance came in the 13th minute when senior midfielder Carly Dent missed wide on a shot into the box from the left side.
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| Lindsey Rudibaugh celebrates her game-winning goal. |
The Cards held a 6-2 shot advantage in the opening half.
After the first 45 minutes went scoreless, both sides continued to battle in the second stanza. OC’s Megan Cooper had two attempts on goal in the first 15 minutes of the half, but both were stopped by Wesleyan keeper Margot Klepetko.
The Cards out-shot the Bishops 6-1 in the second half, but were not able to score as the game headed for an extra session.
Just two minutes into overtime, sophomore Sarah Sharbaugh brought in a long kick from defender Jenny Knox, and passed it to nearby teammate Cristen Herold.
Herold then found Rudibaugh, her former high-school teammate, up the right side. Rudibaugh corralled the pass, beat a defender, and slipped the ball past Klepetko for the game-winner.
The score gives Rudibaugh her fourth goal of the season and 20th of her career.
Overall, Otterbein held a 13-3 edge in shots, with a 6-1 shots on goal advantage. The Cards attempted seven corner kicks compared to just four for the Bishops.
Klepetko tallied five saves for OWU while Cardinal goalie Tara Carter had one.
The victory allowed head coach Brandon Koons to raise the program’s overall record over .500. When Koons grabbed the reigns in 1999, the program held a 35-134-7 mark. Now, ten years later, the record stands at 179-178-23, giving Koons a .766 career win-loss percentage.
The team will now hit the road and travel to play Earlham (IN) on Saturday. First-kick is set for noon.
WESTERVILLE, OHIO – Otterbein improved its record to 6-1 Saturday afternoon with a 4-1 victory against Carnegie Mellon (PA) at Clements Field. Four different Cardinals scored goals in the match.
Otterbein took an early 1-0 lead when junior forward Lindsey Rudibaugh scored her third goal of the season when she took a pass from Cristen Herold and scooted it past the Tartan goalie in the eighth minute.
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Becky Bowser |
Carnegie Mellon answered, however, and tied the game at 1-1 in the 15th minute when Brianna Magill headed a ball into the back of the net in the middle of a clustered box after a corner kick.
Just 47 seconds later, senior midfielder Carly Dent took a long pass from Jenny Knox and put the Cards back on top at 2-1.
Senior midfielder Becky Bowser then scored her first goal since late October of 2007 when she took a cross from Adrienne Novak and found a way to maneuver the ball past a defender and the CMU keeper.
Otterbein took a 3-1 lead into halftime, out-shooting the Tartans 10-4 in the first 45 minutes.
Knox then converted her second penalty kick of the season in the 57th minute after a Tartan defender was called for a hand-ball in the box. The goal put Otterbein ahead 4-1 and concluded the scoring for the day.
Overall, the Cards held a 15-7 shot advantage, as well as a 6-2 edge on corner kicks.
Carnegie Mellon goalie Becca Gold recorded all three saves for her team in the second half, while Anya Rosen allowed the three scores and had no saves in the opening stanza.
Junior keeper Tara Carter stopped four shots between the posts for Otterbein, and freshman goalie Erin Hartzell recorded her first save as a Cardinal by playing the last 14:37 in goal, the first appearance of her career.
Otterbein will next host Ohio Wesleyan on Wednesday at Clements Field. Game-time is scheduled for 4 p.m.
WESTERVILLE, OHIO – Ten months after scoring the game-winning goal against the Big Red in the NCAA second round, junior midfielder Rachel Degen does it again and helps Otterbein (5-1) play to a 2-0 victory over #14 Denison (4-2) Tuesday evening at Clements Field.
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Rachel Degen |
Just 12 minutes into the match, Degen took a corner kick from teammate Carly Dent and headed the ball into the back of the net for the 1-0 advantage. Degen’s goal to beat Denison in the postseason a year ago was scored in the 13th minute.
The Cards would take a 1-0 lead into the break despite Denison holding a 7-4 shot advantage in the opening half.
Degen, an All-OAC second teamer last season, then buried a shot from 25 yards out at the 83:45 mark to give Otterbein the 2-0 win. Her goal last November against the Big Red came from nearly 30 yards away.
Overall, Denison out-shot the Cards 10-8 while Otterbein held a 6-3 edge in corner kicks.
Denison keeper Courtney Cobb stopped three shots while Otterbein goalie Tara Carter recorded a season-best six saves, just two shy of her 2009 total upon entering the match.
The Cardinals next host Carnegie Mellon on Saturday at Clements Field. Game-time is set for 2 p.m.
NOTRE DAME, INDIANA – The 25th-ranked Otterbein women’s soccer team played its way to a 2-0 record this past weekend at the St. Mary’s Invitational.
The Cards opened up on Friday with host St. Mary’s, and found themselves locked in a scoreless game at halftime.
Sophomore forward Sarah Sharbaugh then put Otterbein ahead 1-0 when she scored at the 50:45 mark after receiving a cross from midfielder Carly Dent.
Junior defender Jenny Knox extended the OC lead to 2-0 on a penalty kick in the 68th minute.
Otterbein held a 16-1 shot advantage as well as an 8-0 edge in corner kicks.
Patty Duffy stopped six shots for St. Mary’s while Otterbein keeper Tara Carter did not have any.
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Day two saw the Cards pitted against Rose-Hulman, and once again the first half ended with neither team being able to muster a goal.
In the 82nd minute, junior forward Lindsey Rudibaugh scored what would eventually be the game-winning goal on a breakaway, giving the team a 1-0 victory.
Otterbein out-shot Rose-Hulman 23-2 and attempted nine corner kicks to none for the Engineers.
Over the weekend, the Cardinals held a dominant advantage in both shots (39-3) and corner kicks (17-0). In goal, Carter was not forced to face any shot attempts from the opposition.
The group next returns to action when they host sixth-ranked Denison Tuesday afternoon at Clements Field. First-kick is slated for 5 p.m.
ADA, OHIO – The Otterbein women’s soccer team bounced back after losing on the opening day of the Ohio Northern Classic to defeat Kalamazoo (MI) by a score of 3-0 Saturday afternoon in Ada.
Junior midfielder Cristen Herold gave the seventh-ranked Cardinals an early 1-0 lead when she corralled a loose ball off a blocked shot in the tenth minute and scored her second goal of the young season.
Junior forward Lindsey Rudibaugh, the OAC’s second-leading scorer a season ago, extended the lead to 2-0 when she took a pass from defender Laura Vasbinder and scored on a breakaway at the 23:35 mark.
Otterbein would take a 2-0 lead into the break after outshooting Kalamazoo 12-2 in the first half.
Sophomore forward Adrienne Novak then had a shot bounce off the post in the 62nd minute, but fellow sophomore Sarah Sharbaugh was there to head the ball into the back of the net to put Otterbein up 3-0 and conclude the scoring for the match.
The Cards held a 20-8 shot advantage as well as a 6-5 edge in corner kicks.
Kalamazo’s Courtney McCoy and OC’s Tara Carter each stopped three shots between the posts.
Otterbein will next travel to participate in the St, Mary’s (IN) Tournament next weekend, opening with host St. Mary’s at 4 p.m. on Friday.
ADA, OHIO – #7 Otterbein suffered a 3-0 loss to 17th ranked Calvin (MI) Friday afternoon in the opening game of the Ohio Northern Classic in Ada, Ohio.
Otterbein began with a few chances, and nearly scored when a shot from sophomore forward Sarah Sharbaugh ricocheted off the post. The Cards out-shot the Knights 3-0 in the first 23 minutes.
Calvin, however, got on the board first when Carly Prins scored from 20 yards out on the left side in the 24th minute, giving her team a 1-0 advantage.
The Knights quickly struck again just two minutes later and took a 2-0 advantage when Jillian Honderd found the back of the net off a free ball at the 26:41 mark.
Calvin kept its foot on the accelerator and extended the lead to 3-0 at the 41:56 mark when Honderd tallied her second goal of the match, this time on a breakaway off a deflection.
The Knights took a 3-0 edge into halftime.
Both teams battled in the second half, but neither was able to produce any scores as Calvin earned the three-goal victory.
The Cards held a 10-8 shot advantage and also attempted one more corner kick (5-4).
Kayla Stulzer stopped three shots between the posts for Calvin while Otterbein goalie Tara Carter had two saves.
OC will play Kalamzoo (MI) tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m.
WESTERVILLE, OHIO – Junior midfielder Cristen Herold scored in double overtime to give the seventh-ranked Lady Cardinals a 1-0 victory over visiting Kenyon.
Otterbein also defeated Kenyon 1-0 last fall in the season opener.
The first half saw physical play from both sides, as the two schools committed six fouls each. The game would head into the break locked at 0-0.
Both teams saw chances in the second half, but were unable to convert as the game headed into overtime.
Otterbein controlled the tempo for nearly the entire first overtime session, but were unable to convert any scoring opportunities. The Cards outshot the Lords 3-0 in the first OT.
Just 35 seconds into the second overtime period, Herold took a pass from senior forward Megan Cooper in the middle of the field and drilled a shot out of the Kenyon goalkeeper’s reach and into the back of the net for the victory.
The Cards held a 13-5 shot advantage, and also had three more shots on goal (6-3).
Cooper, who scored the game-winner in last year’s victory over Kenyon, led the team with two shots on goal.
Kenyon keeper Kat Powers tallied five saves while OC goalie Tara Carter stopped three shots.
The Cardinals also held a dominant 9-0 corner kick advantage.
Otterbein next travels to play in the Ohio Northern Tournament this coming weekend. They will open against #17 Calvin (MI) on Friday afternoon at 1 p.m.
WESTERVILLE, OHIO – After winning the conference regular season and tournament titles and making the NCAA Round of 16 last season, Otterbein enters 2009 with high expectations as ten starters and 15 letterwinners return. Last season, the team compiled an 18-2-2 record and ended the season with the program’s highest national ranking ever, finishing seventh in the final poll.
The Cards, who outscored their opponents 46-10 a year ago, will stay in the same slot and begin this season ranked seventh.
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| Forward Lindsey Rudibaugh led the Cardinals with ten goals last season. |
“We are very excited about the returning class, the large incoming class of good, hard-working kids, and the potential of our entire group,” said head coach Brandon Koons.
In 2008, the Cardinal defense ranked 12th nationally in goals-against-average (0.45) and 20th in shutout percentage (.636).
“We have always built teams on strong defensive ideals,” Koons explained. “Our group always goes by the old cliché that ‘offense wins games and defense wins championships’. We will put the same emphasis and effort into a strong defense and hope that it pays off like it has in the past.”
Headlining the returnees are juniors Jenny Knox and Lindsey Rudibaugh, both of whom were named to the All-OAC and All-Mideast Region first teams a year ago. Rudibaugh, a forward, ranked second in the league with ten goals in 2008 while Knox, a defender, earned a spot on the NSCAA All-America third team.
In addition to Rudibaugh, the team welcomes back a pair of sophomore forwards in Sarah Sharbaugh and Adrienne Novak, as well as a pair of seniors in Megan Cooper and Becky Bowser.
Sharbaugh tallied 18 points (six goals, six assists) last season during her freshman campaign to finish second on the team in scoring and earned All-OAC second team honors, while Novak found the back of the net four times, including goals in the first and second round of the NCAA’s.
Cooper recorded ten points (four goals, two assists) last season en route to earning the team’s “Most Improved Player” award, while Bowser started nine games and played in all 22.
Senior Carly Dent, juniors Rachel Degen, Cristen Herold, Tara Smith, and Ashley Payne, and sophomore Alyssa Hale all return to make up a deep and experienced group of midfielders.
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| Midfielder Rachel Degen was named second team All-OAC and All-Region in 2008. |
Degen put away the game-winning goals in the conference tournament championship and NCAA second round last fall and earned second team All-Conference and All-Region honors.
Herold (11 points) and Smith (ten points) were also
selected to the All-OAC second team last season while Dent (five points) started
every game but three.
Payne played in every contest a year ago (with 15 starts), while Hale returns
after gaining valuable experience during her first season as a Cardinal. She
made eight starts and also appeared in all 22 contests in 2008.
Junior Laura Vasbinder returns to join Knox on a defense that posted 14 shutouts and allowed just three goals during conference play a season ago.
Otterbein also brings back junior goalkeeper Tara Carter, who earned honorable mention All-Conference last season after leading the league in goals-against average (0.45), shutouts (12), and save-percentage (.868.) Her goals-against average was good enough to rank her in the top 20 nationally.
With so many crucial pieces to the puzzle returning, the coaching staff has made sure that everyone within the program understands success just doesn’t come automatically, regardless of what happened in previous years.
“We’ve had similar seasons with such quality returning, but every team is different,” Koons said. “Our expectations are to learn from the mistakes of those earlier classes and make sure we create a better experience for the current team. We don’t want to become complacent. We want everyone to return prepared to pick up where we left off in 2008 and will allow no-one to believe it will just happen again.”
Take all pieces into account, including the addition of some newcomers, and the group appears ready and able to embark on yet another successful season.
WESTERVILLE, OHIO – Forward Lindsey Rudibaugh and defender Jenny Knox took home Most Valuable Player honors from the annual women’s soccer awards banquet, held Sunday in the Otterbein Campus Center.
Rudibaugh, a sophomore from Columbus (Dublin Coffman High School), was named the Cardinals Offensive MVP by leading the team and ranking fourth in the Ohio Athletic Conference with 22 total points (ten goals, two assists) this past season. Rudibaugh scored six of her goals in the team’s last six games of the regular season, and led the team with 32 shots on goal. She was named to the All-OAC first team as well as the All-Great Lakes Region first team.
Knox, a sophomore from Gahanna (Bishop Hartley High School), earned Defensive MVP honors by leading a Cardinal defense that finished 11th in the nation in goals-against average (0.45) and 20th in shutout percentage (.636). Knox tallied four goals and one assist this past fall and was also named to the All-Conference first team and All-Great Lakes Region first team. In addition, she became just the fourth Otterbein women’s soccer player to earn All-America status.
Both Rudibaugh and Knox were two of just three Otterbein players to start all 22 contests this season.
In addition to Rudibaugh and Knox, other players receiving special honors were: forward Megan Cooper, Most Improved Player; forward Lauren Capelle, Performance of the Year; and midfielder Rachel Degen, Goal of the Year. The five members of the senior class were also honored with the Coaches Award for their constant leadership, work rate, positive influence, and contributions.
Cooper, a junior from London (Jonathan Alder High School), tied for sixth on the team in points (four goals, two assists) in addition to scoring the game-winning goal in the Cardinal’s opening match of the year at Kenyon.
Capelle, a senior from Fairfield (Fairfield High School), earned the “Performance of the Year” Award by recording a hat trick (three goals) and tallying seven total points in a come from behind 5-3 victory over Ohio Wesleyan. A two-time OAC Player of the Week this past season, Capelle finished third on the team with 12 total points, including one game-winner.
Degen, a sophomore from Columbus (Dublin Scioto High School), was chosen as the recipient for the “Goal of the Year” Award by scoring the game-winning goal against Denison in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. A bomb from nearly 30 yards out, the goal sent the Cards to the Round of 16 in the national tournament. Degen tied for fourth on the team with 11 points (3 goals, give assists) and also recorded the game-winning goal in the conference tournament championship game vs. Ohio Northern. The Dublin native finished the year tied for fourth in the OAC in assists.
Capelle and fellow seniors Cara Gale, Natalie Harper, Julie Kathman, and Kate Weale were honored as a group with the Coach’s Award, recognizing the departing players for the many contributions and positive influences they had on the women’s soccer program throughout their four years as student-athletes.
The Cards earned their highest national ranking in school
history this past season, finishing seventh in the final national poll.
WESTERVILLE,
OH – Otterbein sophomore defender Jenny Knox (Gahanna/Bishop Hartley) was named
to the 2008 NSCAA/adidas Women's NCAA Division III All-America third team,
released this past weekend by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America
(NSCAA).
Knox, a two-year starter at defender, helped the Cardinals reach the NCAA Round of 16 this fall for the second time in program history. In addition, the 18 wins by the group was the second-best single season total ever achieved within the program. A first-team All-Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) and All-Great Lakes Region selection, Knox also helped guide Otterbein to their third OAC regular season title in the last seven years, as well as the third conference tournament championship in the last five. Of the ten goals allowed this season by the Cards, only three came in conference play.
While Knox admitted it was a big shock to her when notified of the special accolade, her coach had a much different reaction.
“It doesn’t surprise me at all,” said Cardinal Head Coach Brandon Koons. “I’ve known her for a few years now and I’ve always thought very highly of her. A lot of things had to fall into place, but she has great teammates around her and she did a great job in working with everyone. She definitely deserves the credit.”
To be selected as one of the top 34 Division III players in the country is, to say the least, quite a special feeling for the Gahanna native.
“I feel honored to represent my team, my coach, and Otterbein College as a women’s soccer player,” Knox said. “If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t work half as hard or play with as much passion as I do. It’s exciting to receive such a great honor, and it’s one I’ll carry proudly the rest of my life.”
One of only four sophomores selected as All-America, (all others were of junior or senior status), Knox has shown abilities and demonstrated leadership qualities well beyond her years.
“Her importance in the contributions she’s made has little to do with her being young, but it’s exciting to think she’s only a sophomore because she will be back the next two years,” Koons said. “Jenny came back this season much more fit. She was stronger, quicker, and also possessed a lot more confidence. We didn’t allow a lot of goals this season and other teams didn’t have many dangerous chances because the organization she had stopped things before they ever got too bad.”
At the end of her freshman season, Knox was informed that three of the discs in her back were fused together. Not being able to run, she was forced to miss all but the last two sessions of spring training. Instead of panicking, she used 15 weeks of physical therapy as a way to get in shape and return to dominance as a player in the air, a quality the coaches had seen while recruiting Knox but also one she had failed to show during her first season in Westerville.
“I came back this season more fit than I have ever been in my entire life,” explained Knox. “Realizing my ability to do what coach asked of me increased my confidence as a central defender and led to an overall great season.”
In addition to scoring four goals and tallying two assists this season, Knox was part of a defensive unit that finished the season ranked 11th nationally in goals against average (0.45). In addition, the team held opponents scoreless in 14 of 22 matches, ranking them 20th in the country in shutout percentage (.636). However, when you see those rankings listed on the NCAA website, they fall under team statistics, not individual.
“It would have been impossible for me to receive this honor without my teammates,” said Knox. “Everyone worked together to have the exceptional season that we had. From the beginning of preseason to the end in New York, the team had a chemistry that I think is rare to find, hard to discover, and special to have.”
According to Knox, who was also named to the 2008 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV second team earlier this season, it’s been easier to succeed in the environment that she and her peers have created.
“I think the great atmosphere of the team this season gave me confidence and allowed me to find my niche on the field,” she said. “The support of my teammates made it easy to get excited for games and to just love playing.”
With the honor, Knox becomes the
fourth Otterbein women’s soccer player to be named as an All-American and the
12th from the OAC. The four All-Americans that Otterbein now boasts is tied for
the most in the conference with Heidelberg.
WESTERVVILLE, OH – The sophomore trio of defender Jenny Knox, forward Lindsey Rudibaugh, and midfielder Rachel Degen earned spots on the 2008 NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region Division III women’s soccer team, announced yesterday by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).
Knox and Rudibaugh were named First-Team All-Region while Degen was selected to the second team.
Knox (Gahanna/Bishop Hartley) tallied four goals and two assists this season and led an Otterbein defense that ranked in the top 20 nationally in both goals against average (0.45) and shutout percentage (.636). She was one of three players to start all 22 contests in 2008 and was recently named Third-Team All-America by the NSCAA.
Rudibaugh (Dublin/Coffman) led the Cardinals in scoring and finished fourth in the Ohio Athletic Conference this season with 22 points (ten goals/two assists), including three game-winners. She also started all 22 matches this fall.
Degen (Dublin/Scioto) recorded three goals and five assists this season (11 points), including game-winning goals in both the OAC tournament championship game and the second round of the NCAA Tournament. She finished tied for fourth in the OAC in assists and eighth in assists per game.
Overall, the team earned their highest national ranking in program history by finishing seventh in the NSCAA/adidas final poll. The 2005 team that advanced to the Sweet 16 finished tenth in the final rankings.
“It’s a wonderful honor for our team and the OAC as a whole,” said Head Coach Brandon Koons.
Click here to view the
final national rankings.
WESTERVILLE, OHIO –Senior Julie Kathman, junior Carly Dent, and sophomores Jenny Knox and Tara Carter have all been named to the All-Ohio Athletic Conference Academic First Team, announced the conference office last week.
Kathman, a three-year starting defender from Greenville, had one assist on the season and helped lead a defensive unit that totaled 14 shutouts. An Organizational Communications major, she has appeared on the Otterbein Dean’s List all nine quarters. Kathman was named Honorable Mention Academic All-OAC in 2007.
Dent, a three-year starting midfielder from Pataskala (Watkins Memorial High School), finished the season with one goal and three assists. A Life Science major, she has made the Otterbein Dean’s List six times and was also named to the Academic All-OAC Honorable Mention team in 2007.
Knox, a two-year starting defender from Gahanna (Bishop Hartley High School), tallied four goals and two assists this fall and teamed with Kathman to spearhead a defensive unit that was the best in the conference. An Allied Health major, she has made the Dean’s List all three quarters.
Carter, a second year goalkeeper from Pickerington (Pickerington North High School), posted 14 shutouts this season and stopped 66 shots between the pipes. She boasted an .868 save percentage as well as a 0.45 goals against average, a mark good enough to rank her in the top 20 nationally. A double major in art and art history, she has made the Dean’s List three times.
The Cardinals competed in the NCAA Round of 16 this past
weekend where they suffered a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Amherst College. The
squad became the second team in program history to advance to the third round of
the NCAA Tournament.
GENEVA, N.Y.—#16 Otterbein (18-2-2) fell to #9 Amherst (14-2-3) by a score of 1-0 on Saturday afternoon in the NCAA Division III Women’s Soccer Tournament Round of 16.
Otterbein had an early chance when sophomore forward Lindsey Rudibaugh sent a cross into the box just five minutes into the match, but a sliding Sarah Sharbaugh was unable to get a foot on it.
Amherst then took a 1-0 lead when Kyla Woodhouse took a lead pass and slipped it past Otterbein goalie Tara Carter in the 18th minute.
Otterbein was unable to convert on a couple of corner kick opportunities throughout the remainder of the first half as the Lord Jeffs took a 1-0 lead into the break.
The Cards had another chance with 22:30 remaining in the contest when the Amherst goalie fell in the box, but sophomore Rachel Degen had her shot blocked by an opposing defender.
Unfortunately, Otterbein was unable to find a way to score the rest of the way as they suffered their second loss of the season and were eliminated from the tournament.
Amherst held a 14-10 shot advantage while Otterbein held a 3-2 edge in corner kicks.
Carter tallied eight saves while Lord Jeff keepers Allie Horwitz, Lili Ferguson, and the Amherst defense combined for five.
Amherst will move on to play host William Smith in tomorrow’s Elite Eight match while Otterbein concludes its season with an 18-2-2 record.
WESTERVILLE, OHIO – As the Otterbein women’s soccer team gears up to play in the Sweet 16 this coming weekend, they know the experience of competing in a variety of situations will come in handy. This season, the team has played a significant amount of games with a lead, they have battled while locked in a tie, and they have played from behind. They have taken the field in both good and bad weather. They have won games at home, on the road, and at neutral sites.
Every player on the roster, regardless of class rank, appears to have developed a sense of familiarity with the game atmosphere and has been able to play with poise when placed in different situations. Head Coach Brandon Koons has obviously worked hard to prepare his team to deal with multiple scenarios.
“Coach has done a great job preparing our team this year,” said sophomore defender Jenny Knox. “From the beginning of camp until now, he’s been great to play for because he understands the game so well and brings such a strategic approach. We have great communication and he’s very reciprocal with us about what we want to do in certain matches.”
This season to remember has been made possible by all players being on the same page and knowing the importance of one another. Rallying together allowed the Cardinals to win this past weekend in dramatic fashion. Freshman Adrienne Novak scored what may have been the goal of the year to this point by knocking in a shot with just seconds left in regulation in the team’s opening round match.
“Adrienne is just that player who is so surprisingly clutch in those big games,” said goalkeeper Tara Carter. “She scored a goal at Mount Union earlier in the season with seven seconds left in the first half that ended up sealing the game. It was also great for her individually because a lot of her family was in attendance this weekend.”
Novak also scored the game’s second goal against Denison on Sunday, but the shot of the weekend and the goal that advanced Otterbein to this weekend’s Round of 16 was a bomb from over 30 yards out by sophomore Rachel Degen.
“Rachel is the snake of our team,” Carter explained. “She always finds a way to get that goal that nobody expects or do something that completely surprises everybody. All three goals she has scored this year, which have all been from over 30 yards out, have been the most ridiculous goals I have ever seen.”
Even Carter, who has not had to face an abundance of shots this season due to the effective Cardinal defense, was forced to perform under pressure on Sunday when Denison came charging hard in the second half in an attempt to climb back into the contest. With the Big Red firing shots in her direction, Carter joked about how many minutes were played on Otterbein’s side of midfield.
“I don’t like playing on our half of the field,” she said. “I would much rather watch us at the opposite end scoring goals. However, when the ball is at the other end I still have to mentally prepare. It’s exciting when I am part of the action and making big saves because it makes me feel good - but I still like it a lot better sitting back and watching.”
If anyone thinks the only laughter shared this season was by Carter in her interview, they better think again. Fans who arrive at games early enough to watch warm-ups may wonder if the team ever gets nervous, as it is always possible to spot more than one player vigorously dancing to the pre-game music.
“I think players get nervous, but people also tend to laugh when they are nervous,” Knox said. “We are just so comfortable this year that we let that stuff go. We try our best not to think about the game too much until right before hand.”
While the team may have their funny side and enjoys a good laugh, they also are very committed to winning and have developed the mindset that losing is not an option.
“I think at this point it’s a great attitude because anyone can win at this stage of the tournament,” said Knox. “When you look at who’s played who and who’s beaten who, it’s all up in the air right now and it’s really exciting to be a part of. At this point we have to tell ourselves that we’re not just happy to be here, we want to win. That’s what we’re ready to do and I think we’ll be up to the challenge this weekend.”
Whatever happens this weekend, many will still debate if this team is better than the team in 2005 that won a school-record 20 games and reached the Round of 16, where they lost to Denison in penalty kicks. A crucial member of that club was defender Lauren Thompson, who went on to earn All-American status in 2006 and is currently a graduate assistant coach for the team. She has had an up-close look at this year’s talented bunch.
“The two teams are very comparable,” Thompson said. “It’s hard to sit down and say this team is better for this reason and the other team is better because of this reason. Both teams showed dedication, had good team chemistry, and played for everyone else on the team.”
Fans of this year’s team will be hoping for a different
outcome than the one in 2005. No matter what happens, one thing is for sure –
the squad will be well prepared and ready to go come first kick Saturday.
WESTERVILLE, OHIO – Otterbein (18-1-2) will travel to William Smith College in Geneva, New York to play Amherst College (MA) (13-2-3) on Saturday in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Division III women’s soccer tournament.
Otterbein plays Amherst at 1:30 p.m. in the second of two games on Saturday. Johns Hopkins will take on host William Smith in the first match, scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.
Amherst, ranked ninth in the country, advanced to the Sweet 16 after defeating Farmingdale State 4-0 in the first round and host Springfield 3-0 in the second round. The Lord Jeffs, who earned an at-large bid to the tournament out of the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), are another opponent the Cards will be facing for the first time.
“We are doing all of our homework right now, but until we are ten minutes into the game I really won’t know what they’re like,” explained Head Coach Brandon Koons.
The Cardinals earned a spot in the Round of 16 by defeating Penn State Altoona 1-0 in the opening round on Saturday, and then turned around on Sunday to claim a 2-0 victory over Denison. Not only did three other schools come to Westerville to compete in the tournament, but mother nature also made an appearance. In addition to battling Altoona, the Cards dealt with heavy rain, harsh winds, and cold temperatures on the opening day of action.
“It was very difficult to play good soccer on a day like Saturday,” said Head Coach Brandon Koons. “I wish we could play Altoona on a good surface on a good day just to see how different it would be.”
The two players who faced the biggest challenges during Saturday’s match may have been both goalkeepers.
“The elements were horrible,” explained sophomore goalie Tara Carter. “The wind and rain began to pick up in the second half and there were times where I had to close my eyes because they were hurting from the rain. There was a lot of pressure to stay in the game mentally because if anyone were to get through on our half of the field I am the last line of defense and expected to make a save.”
After battling in a scoreless tie for basically the entire game on Saturday, Otterbein found themselves up 2-0 against Denison at the break on Sunday. For a team that has successfully made adjustments during intermission this season, the weekend presented them with two very different outlooks heading into the second half.
“We felt we had the better of the chances in the first half Saturday, so we told the team to keep doing what they were doing,” Koons said. “Being up 2-0 at the half against Denison, we changed our formation and style of play drastically because we knew the strong wind was going to be a factor in the second half.”
The team will leave Friday morning and make the seven hour bus trip to New York to try and take the next step in the tournament.
“Going on the road will definitely be a challenge,” Carter said. “However, once we’re together as a group, playing as a team and even eating as an entire team it starts to feel like home. I think we will just take that mindset with us to get comfortable and win games."
General admission tickets for the game are $6. Students and
senior citizens will be admitted for $3 while tickets for children ages 3-12 are
$2.
WESTERVILLE, OHIO - #16 Otterbein (18-1-2) defeated #19 Denison (15-5-1) by a score of 2-0 on Sunday afternoon at Clements Field in the second round of the NCAA Division III women’s soccer tournament.
The Cardinals grabbed an early 1-0 lead when sophomore midfielder Rachel Degen buried a shot from 30 yards out in the 13th minute.
Freshman forward Adrienne Novak then extended the Otterbein lead to 2-0 when she maneuvered her way through Denison defenders and scored at the 30:50 mark. This marked Novak’s second goal in as many contests, as she recorded the game winner in Otterbein’s 1-0 first round victory over Penn State Altoona.
Neither team scored the remainder of the half as the Cards went into the break holding a 2-0 advantage.
Denison did their best to climb back into the match in the second half, but the Otterbein defense proved too strong as the Big Red were unable to slip a shot past Cardinal goalkeeper Tara Carter.
Denison held a 10-6 shot advantage while both teams attempted five corner kicks.
Carter turned in solid performance between the posts by tallying six saves, while Denison goalie Courtney Cobb did not have any.
With the victory, Otterbein advances to play in the Round
of 16 against Amherst College (MA), who defeated Springfield (MA) by a score of
3-0 in their second round contest. The match is scheduled for Saturday with the
site to be determined.
WESTERVILLE, OHIO – #16 Otterbein (17-1-2) defeated Penn State Altoona (17-1-2) by a score of 1-0 on Saturday afternoon in the first round of the NCAA Division III Tournament at Clements Field.
Strong defensive play and mother nature played roles in the first half as neither team was able to find the back of the net. The Cards out-shot Altoona 8-1 in the half but were unable to convert any chances. Otterbein’s best scoring opportunity came at the 26:12 mark of the period when sophomore midfielder Rachel Degen saw her shot bounce off the top crossbar.
With the rain coming down heavier and the winds gusting faster, both teams fought and scrapped for a chance to put the ball in the back of the net in the second half. The game appeared to be heading to overtime until sophomore midfielder Tara Smith found freshman forward Adrienne Novak amongst a cluster of players in the box. Novak turned and fired a shot past the Altoona goalkeeper for the game-winning score with just 51 seconds left.
The Cardinals held a 14-4 shot advantage as well as a 5-4 edge on corner kicks.
Otterbein sophomore keeper Tara Carter tallied one save while Lindsey Raspanti stopped three shots between the pipes for the Lions.
With the victory, Otterbein advances to tomorrow’s second round match against Denison University, who claimed a 1-0 victory over Centre (KY) in the second match of the day. Game time is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Earlier this season, the Cards defeated the Big Red 3-1 in
Westerville.
We know
that the Otterbein women’s soccer team ranks among the elite in the country. We
know opposing teams have struggled to score on them this season. We are aware
they haven’t lost in over a month and it is quite obvious they have built a
solid reputation for themselves over the years.
However, success hasn’t always just flown naturally for the program. Any team at
any level, no matter how good they may be, has hit road blocks and suffered
setbacks. A group of players and coaches must work hard and overcome adversity
to achieve high levels of excellence.
The same is true for the Cardinals, who did not live up to their expectations in 2007. Since the turn of the millennium, Otterbein had not lost more than five games in a season, but last season saw seven losses. The team failed to advance to the conference tournament championship game for the first time since 2002, and missed out on the NCAA Tournament after being included in the field in each of the last three years.
One objective heading into this season was to improve team chemistry, which many within the program felt was a factor that led them to underachieve last year. The players and coaches wanted to make sure there were no problems with the togetherness of the team, and to stick together when times get rough. If you’ve seen the squad perform on the field in 2008, it’s pretty obvious that they have molded well with each other.
“Last year we saw each other at soccer and that was pretty much it,” explained sophomore Rachel Degen. “We just had individuals who hung out together outside of soccer. This year, we’re together a lot more as a group, which I think has benefited us on the field.”
Bonding together as a collective unit has allowed the team to develop a somewhat playful and goofy persona that has given them many memories.
“We have a lot of outgoing personalities that mesh well together in different ways,” said senior captain Julie Kathman. “We also have players that are quiet, but when they do break out of their shell and speak it’s very funny.”
One instance that is sure to be remembered happened this past weekend while the team was gearing up to host Ohio Northern in the OAC championship game. As a result of breaking her nose in the semifinals, midfielder Cristen Herold was forced to wear a protective mask in order to play in the title game. After noticing Herold was uncomfortable wearing the mask, the entire team decided to wear bright turquoise SpongeBob SquarePants band-aids over their noses as moral support.
“Cristen is such an essential part of our midfield and we knew we needed her,” Degen said. “If that’s what we had to do to get her on the field then we were going to do it.”
The team’s coaching staff could not have been more pleased with what they saw.
“I can’t think of too many teams who would go into such an important game wearing SpongeBob band-aids on their noses,” said Head Coach Brandon Koons. “When everyone on the team can take such a big game and be willing to do something that people might laugh at you about, all to support one girl, I think that shows a ton of chemistry and it was something I was really happy about.”
It is times like those that have allowed this now cohesive unit to develop a sense of trust amongst them, and it has shown with how well-rounded the team is. This season, 11 different players have scored a goal, with at least six players recording four goals or more. 19 of 24 position players have tallied a point this fall, and it appears that almost anyone should be considered a threat to score. A prime example came in Saturday’s championship game when Degen, who had only scored one other goal the entire season, nailed a shot from 25 yards out that put the Cards ahead for good.
“I told coach before the game that I was going to get out of my sophomore slump, and I had a good feeling going into the match,” said Degen. “I couldn’t ask for anything more than to put away the game-winning goal for this group of girls.”
While many Cardinals have gotten into the scoring column this year, the same cannot be said for the opposition. Kathman and sophomore Jenny Knox have formed a defensive tandem that not many opponents have been able to conquer.
“Jenny and I have learned a lot from each other this year,” explained Kathman. “We both have leadership at different levels and we also possess different abilities, so we just combine those together to provide a strong defense.”
Koons was also quick to point out the contributions Knox has made that have combined with Kathman’s already strong leadership.
“Jenny came into this season very ready and in good shape,” he said. “She quickly made the position her own and it has allowed her to communicate when there is some question regarding different assignments on the field. She is very organized and very smart, and her judgment has just been tremendous.”
While multiple underclassmen have been steady contributors this season, the fact still remains that only eight of the 26 players on the roster have played in an NCAA Tournament game.
“I think everyone will be a little more excited, but we’ll treat it as any other game,” Degen said. “That’s how coach has had us treat every big game all year.”
It’s moments in the spotlight like these where senior leadership can play a crucial role.
“I’ve been there before and the crowd will be much bigger and the intensity will be much higher,” Kathman said. “But I’ll let the younger players know it’s important just to stay focused one game at a time.”
The pressure of a single elimination scenario has not worried Kathman, who is playing her final season in a Cardinal uniform.
“My outlook hasn’t changed much because I’ve never really felt threatened at any point this season, even with the loss at Wilmington or the tie against John Carroll,” she said. “I have confidence in our team so I haven’t really thought about my career ending. I think we will do really well in this tournament, so I’ll take it one game at a time and enjoy it. I’ve never taken it for granted because I know I’m going to miss it.”
Fans can
expect nothing less than 100% from Kathman and her teammates come Saturday.
WESTERVILLE, OHIO – Head Coach Brandon Koons has been named the Ohio Athletic Conference Coach of the Year for the fourth time, the conference office announced Wednesday.
Koons recently led the 16th ranked Cardinals to their fourth conference regular-season title and third tournament title. His team finished with a 7-1-1 conference record this season and earned the #1 seed in the tournament where they beat Ohio Northern in the championship game to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The program will be competing in the national tournament for the fourth time in the last five years.
Since taking over as head coach in 1999, Koons has led the
program to a mark of 135-42-16 and has surpassed his own single-season record
for wins four times after breaking the previous record in his first season at
the helm.
WESTERVILLE, OHIO – Otterbein had two players named First Team All-OAC and eight total players earn conference accolades, announced the conference office Wednesday.
The eight Cardinals that were selected to the all-conference team were the most by any school. Wilmington received six selections while conference tournament runner-up Ohio Northern had five players recognized.
Sophomore defender Jenny Knox and sophomore forward Lindsey Rudibaugh headlined the Otterbein selections by being named to the first team.
Sophomore midfielders Rachel Degen, Cristen Herold, and Tara Smith, and freshman forward Sarah Sharbaugh were all selected to the conference second team.
Sophomore goalkeeper Tara Carter and senior defender Julie Kathman rounded out the Otterbein award recipients by earning spots on the honorable mention team.
Knox (Gahanna/Bishop Hartley) and Kathman (Greenville) have both started all 19 games this year and have teamed together to lead a defense that was the best in the OAC, allowing only nine goals. Otterbein has posted 12 shutouts this season and their goals against average (0.46) currently ranks them 13th in the nation. The Otterbein defense also ranks 13th in the country in shutout percentage (.630), after holding opponents scoreless in 12 of 19 contests this year.
Knox has recorded ten points (four goals, two assists) on the season while Kathman has one assist. Kathman appeared on the All-OAC second team last season.
Rudibaugh (Dublin/Coffman) leads the Cards in points with 22 (ten goals, two assists). She finished fourth in the league in points and tied for second in goals scored. The sophomore has scored a goal in four straight games and has recorded a point in each of the last seven.
Degen (Dublin/Scioto) has scored nine points (two goals, five assists) this season, including the game-winner in the OAC tournament championship. Her five assists put her in a tie for fourth in the league.
Herold (Dublin/Coffman) has posted ten points (two goals, six assists) this season. She finished the season tied for second in the OAC in assists.
Smith (Westerville/South) also has ten points (four goals, two assists) this season. Earlier this fall, Smith scored the game’s first two goals in a 3-0 win over Allegheny.
Sharbaugh (Pittsburgh, PA/Lebanon) ranks second on the team and tied for 7th in the conference in points with 18 (six goals, six assists). She finished tied for second in the league with Herold in assists and ranks tied for third in the OAC with three game winning goals on the season.
Carter (Pickerington/North) has started all 19 games between the posts for the Cardinals this season and finished first in the conference in shutouts (10) and second in save percentage (.850). Her goals against average of 0.46 ranked her first in the OAC and 15th in the country.
Overall, the team’s 16-1-2 overall record ranked them 11th in the nation in win-loss-tie percentage (.895).
Click
here to view all women's soccer awards
for the Ohio Athletic Conference.
Otterbein (16-1-2), ranked #16 in the country by the NSCAA, will host Penn State Altoona (17-0-2) in the opening round of the NCAA Division III Women’s Soccer Tournament on Saturday at 11 a.m. at Clements Field.
The Cardinals received an automatic bid to compete in the 61 team national tournament by defeating Ohio Northern 2-0 in the conference tournament championship game on Saturday. Sophomore midfielder Rachel Degen nailed a shot from 25 yards out in the first half that ended up being the game winner.
On Saturday, Otterbein will be hosting an opponent that it is somewhat unfamiliar with.
“I don’t believe Otterbein has ever played Penn State Altoona in anything,” said Head Coach Brandon Koons. “I know they have a good team and good results, but I don’t know much more than that.”
The Cards enter this NCAA Tournament having not lost in over a month. They have posted a 9-0-1 record since losing their only game of the season at Wilmington on October 4.
“There has been a huge discussion lately on whether this is the best team we’ve ever had, and I think that will be determined here within the next couple of weeks,” said Koons. “I think how well you do in the NCAA Tournament is the best way to argue that topic. Obviously we equaled winning the regular season and OAC Tournament like the 2005 team did, but the 2005 team was still playing two weeks from now, so time will tell.”
Otterbein will be competing in the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time while Penn State Altoona will be making their first ever tournament appearance. The Cardinals last trip to the tournament came in 2006 when they lost 2-1 to Wittenberg in the first round.
Also in the Otterbein/Penn State Altoona pod are 19th ranked Denison (14-4-1) and Centre (KY) (12-5-1), who will play the other first-round game at Otterbein's Clements Field. The winners will face each other on Sunday at 1 p.m.
If Otterbein does advance, playing in back-to-back games is not something that will be new.
“At the beginning of the season we always play a couple weekend games back-to-back so we can get an idea of who can do it,” Koons explained. “One of the attributes of our team that has made us successful this season has been our depth. We’ve had numerous games where players have been unavailable and we were just fine. It’s tough to play two days in a row, but as of right now we don’t have any kids who can’t do it.”
While the two schools have never met, Altoona did defeat Ohio Athletic Conference school Marietta by a score of 3-2 in overtime earlier this season. Otterbein claimed a 4-0 victory over the Pioneers back on October 7.
The Lions are led by freshman forward Emily Reimold (Shrewsbury, PA/Susquehannock), who has tallied 45 total points on the season (19 goals, seven assists). The Altoona defense has been stingy this year, carrying a goals against average of 0.30 and recording 14 shutouts.
The Cardinals are paced by sophomore forward Lindsey Rudibaugh, who has totaled 22 points (ten goals, two assists) for the season. The Cardinal defense has allowed only nine goals on the year, a mark that ranked them first in the OAC. They have posted 12 shutouts and hold a goals against average of 0.46
General admission to the match is $6. Student and senior
citizen admission will be $3 while children ages 3-12 will be admitted for $2.
WESTERVILLE, OHIO – #1 seed Otterbein (16-1-2) defeated Ohio Northern (14-6-1), the second seed, by a score of 2-0 on Saturday afternoon at Clements Field to win the OAC Tournament championship.
Sophomore midfielder Rachel Degen scored the game’s first goal at the 19:32 mark of the opening half when she drilled a shot into the back of the net from 25 yards out, giving the Cardinals a 1-0 lead. The goal was assisted by sophomore defender Jenny Knox.
Neither team was able to score the remainder of the first half as Otterbein took a 1-0 lead into the break.
Cardinal sophomore forward Lindsey Rudibaugh then extended the Otterbein lead to 2-0 when she took a pass from teammate Sarah Sharbaugh and shot it past the Ohio Northern goalie in the 60th minute. The score marked Rudibaugh’s fourth consecutive game with a goal.
The Polar Bears were unable to find a way past the Otterbein defense the remainder of the way as the Cards earned a 2-0 victory to claim the tournament championship for the third time in the last five years.
Otterbein held a 10-6 shot advantage while attempting four corner kicks to the Polar Bear’s three.
Sophomore goalkeeper Tara Carter tallied one save for Otterbein while Ohio Northern goalie Kristen DeWees stopped four Cardinal shots.
With the victory, the 16th
ranked Cardinals receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament
slated to begin next week.
WESTERVILLE, OHIO – #1 seed Otterbein (15-1-2) defeated Capital (11-7-2), the fourth seed, by a score of 2-1 Thursday afternoon at Clements Field in the semifinals of the OAC Tournament.
The Cardinals, ranked #16 in the country by the NSCAA, wasted no time getting on the scoreboard as junior forward Megan Cooper took a Sarah Sharbaugh shot that had deflected off the Capital goalie and put it into the back of the next just 34 seconds into the contest.
An aggressive first half of play ended with Otterbein taking a 1-0 lead into intermission.
The Crusaders responded in the second half when Chelsea Caldwell took a cross from teammate Tara Zimmer at the 66:12 mark and headed it past Otterbein sophomore goalkeeper Tara Carter to even the score at 1-1.
Nearly five minutes later, Otterbein was awarded a free kick after a Capital player had touched the ball illegally with her hands just outside of the box. Cardinal sophomore forward Lindsey Rudibaugh, the reigning OAC Player of the Week, wrapped the kick around a wall of Capital defenders and saw her shot sail over the Crusader goalies head into the top left corner of the goal for the game-winner.
Capital held a 13-8 shot advantage and also held a slim 3-2 edge on corner kicks.
Carter turned in a solid effort between the pipes with five saves while Crusader keeper Sherry Lyle recorded one.
With the victory, Otterbein moves on to host Ohio Northern
in the tournament championship. The second seeded Polar Bears advanced after
defeating Wilmington, the third seed, by a score of 4-0 in Ada on Tuesday. Game
time from Clements field is scheduled for 2 p.m.
WESTERVILLE, OHIO – #1 seed Otterbein will be hosting cross-town rival Capital, the #4 seed, on Thursday at 2 p.m. in the semi-final round of the Ohio Athletic Conference women’s soccer tournament.
Since the Cardinals lone loss of the season at Wilmington, a 1-0 defeat back on October 4, the team has gone 7-0-1 on their way to an OAC regular season championship. With crucial victories over Ohio Northern and Capital in the last eight days of the regular season, the Cards appear to be hitting their stride heading into post-season play.
“We’ve enjoyed the momentum of having won a few big games in a row,” said Head Coach Brandon Koons. “Last year we felt we underachieved. We now have concrete evidence that shows we can succeed, which is important. I think we can relax and play our game from now on.”
Many of the players seem to have stepped their game up a notch, which has the coaching staff optimistic.
“Players go in and out of form for periods during every season and we are excited that so many of our players are “in form” right now”, explained Koons. “Lindsey (Rudibaugh) is scoring goals, Sarah Sharbaugh looks to be in good form, our midfielders are creating chances and our defense is holding strong. Tara (Carter) was called upon to make a couple big saves over the weekend and she was great. It seems we are peaking at the right time.”
Otterbein, ranked #16 in the country and second in the
Great Lakes Region, will try to defeat Capital for the second time in six days,
with the winner earning the right to play in the championship game on Saturday.
WESTERVILLE, OHIO – Otterbein sophomore forward Lindsey Rudibaugh (Dublin/Coffman) has been named the Ohio Athletic Conference Player of the Week, the conference office announced Monday.
With the Cardinals needing two wins this past week to win the OAC regular season championship, Rudibaugh helped the team do just that.
On Wednesday, she scored two second half goals in a 2-0 victory over Muskingum as Otterbein took over the top spot in the conference.
On Saturday, Rudibaugh scored the game’s only goal in a 1-0 victory over rival Capital. The win clinched the regular season title and gave the Cards the #1 seed in this week’s conference tournament.
Rudibaugh has started all 17 games this season and ranks in
the top ten in the conference in points (18), goals scored (8), and shots (57).
COLUMBUS, OHIO—The Otterbein women's soccer team (14-1-2, 7-1-1 OAC) defeated Capital (10-6, 5-4 OAC) by a score of 1-0 on Saturday afternoon at Columbus Crew Stadium to earn the OAC regular-season championship.
Sophomore forward Lindsey Rudibaugh put Otterbein ahead for good when she converted a header off a cross from freshman Sarah Sharbaugh in the game's sixth minute, giving the 19th-ranked Cardinals a 1-0 lead.
The Cardinal defense proved to be too strong the remainder of the game as Capital was unable to find a way to maneuver a shot past sophomore goalkeeper Tara Carter.
The Crusaders held a 10-8 shot advantage and also held a 5-3 edge on corner kicks. There were 27 total fouls called in the contest.
Carter stopped four shots between the posts for Otterbein while Capital goalie Sherry Lyle recorded three saves.
The victory gives Otterbein their third OAC regular-season title in the last seven years.
The Cards will be the #1 seed in the upcoming OAC Tournament, slated to begin on Tuesday. Otterbein will have a first-round bye before hosting a semifinal match on Thursday.
The team will be looking to win the conference tournament for the first time since back-to-back tournament titles in 2004 and 2005.WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Julie Kathman, a senior from Greenville (Greenville High School), Tara Carter, a sophomore from Pickerington (Pickerington North High School), and Jenny Knox, a sophomore from Gahanna (Bishop Hartley High School) were named to the 2008 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV second team as selected by the College Sports Information Director’s of America (CoSIDA), released today by CoSIDA.
Carly Dent, a junior from Pataskala (Watkins Memorial High School), was named to the 2008 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV third team.
Kathman, a three-year starter, has one assist on the season and has led a defensive unit that has totaled ten shutouts. She is majoring in Organizational Communications and has appeared on the Otterbein Dean’s List all nine quarters.
Carter, a two-year starter at goalkeeper, has posted ten shutouts on the season and has saved 41 shots. She currently boasts a 0.49 goals against average as well as an .837 save percentage. A double major in art and art history, she has made the Dean’s List three times.
Knox, a two-year starter at defender, has totaled four goals and one assist on the season and teams with Kathman to spearhead a defensive unit ranking first in the conference. An Allied Health major, she has made the Dean’s List all three quarters.
Dent, a three-year starter at midfielder, has one goal and two assists on the season. A Life Science major, she has made the Otterbein Dean’s List six times.
Academic All-District IV team members are selected through voting by CoSIDA, a 2,000-member organization consisting of sports public relations professionals for colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. District IV encompasses the states of Alabama, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee.
To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.20 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director.
The Cardinals are currently 13-1-2 overall and 6-1-1 in OAC
play. They are ranked #19 in the nation and play cross-town rival Capital on
Saturday at Columbus Crew stadium. Game time is set for noon.
Cardinals Ride Rudibaugh in Win
Over Muskingum
Written Oct. 29, 2008 by Adam Prescott
WESTERVILLE, OHIO – Otterbein women’s soccer team (13-1-2, 6-1-1 OAC) defeated Muskingum (7-8-2, 2-5-1 OAC) by a score of 2-0 on Wednesday afternoon at Clements Field in Westerville.
Neither team found a way to score in the opening half as the game went into halftime locked at 0-0.
Sophomore/forward Lindsey Rudibaugh put the Cardinals on the board when she scored at the 54:11 mark, giving Otterbein a 1-0 lead. Rudibaugh then added her second goal of the contest in the 71st minute to extend the Cardinal lead to 2-0.
Neither team scored the rest of the way as Otterbein earned a 2-0 conference victory.
Otterbein held a 16-3 shot advantage while taking seven corner kicks. The Muskies did not attempt any corners.
Otterbein sophomore/goalkeeper Tara Carter had one save while Muskingum goalie Princess Tarrance stopped six Cardinal shots.
The Cardinals next travel to
play cross-town rival Capital on Saturday. Game time from Columbus Crew stadium
is set for noon.
Sharbaugh Leads #24 Otterbein in
Victory Over Ohio Northern
Written Oct. 25, 2008 by Adam Prescott
WESTERVILLE, OHIO – Otterbein women’s soccer team (12-1-2, 5-1-1 OAC) defeated Ohio Northern (11-5, 5-2 OAC) by a score of 3-1 on Saturday afternoon at Clements Field.
The Cardinals struck first when junior/forward Megan Cooper found a loose ball in the box at the 4:16 mark and put it into the back of the net for a 1-0 lead.
Ohio Northern then responded when Chelsea Albert scored off a corner kick to even the game at 1-1 in the 13th minute.
Freshman/forward Sarah Sharbaugh then put Otterbein back on top at 2-1 when she rebounded a shot off of the Ohio Northern goalie and scored at the 23:18 mark. The game would head to halftime with the host Cardinals holding a 2-1 edge.
Sharbaugh then extended her team’s lead to 3-1 after taking a pass from teammate Rachel Degen and lofting the ball over the goalie’s head in the 64th minute. The goal would be the only score of the second half as Otterbein earned a 3-1 victory.
The Cards held a 10-5 shot advantage while both teams took six corner kicks.
Sophomore/goalkeeper Tara Carter and Ohio Northern goalie Kristen DeWees each recorded three saves.
Otterbein next hosts Muskingum on Wednesday. Game time is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
#24 Otterbein Fights John Carroll
to Tie
Written Oct. 21, 2008 by Adam Prescott
UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, OHIO – Otterbein women’s soccer team (11-1-2, 4-1-1 OAC) tied John Carroll (9-3-4, 2-2-2 OAC) by a score of 1-1 on Tuesday afternoon.
John Carroll’s Aleks Quenneville put the Blue Streaks up 1-0 when she scored in the 28th minute off an assist from Caitlin Walton.
Neither team was able to score the rest of the first half as the game headed into intermission with John Carroll holding a 1-0 lead.
Otterbein sophomore/forward Lindsey Rudibaugh then tied the game at 1-1 when she found a way to put a shot past the John Carroll goalie at the 82:20 mark. The goal was assisted by freshman/forward Sarah Sharbaugh and junior/forward Becky Bowser. The Cardinals out-shot the Blue Streaks 10-4 in the second half.
Otterbein held a 6-1 shot advantage throughout both overtimes, but were unable to capitalize on any scoring chances and settled for a 1-1 tie.
Overall, the Cards held a 21-8 edge on shots and attempted five corner kicks compared to only one for John Carroll.
Sophomore/goalkeeper Tara Carter stopped three shots while Blue Streak goalies Michelle Zrebiec and Molly Gradowski combined for nine saves.
Otterbein next returns home to host Ohio Northern on
Saturday. Game time is scheduled for 2 p.m.
Harper Scores Twice as #25
Otterbein Topples Heidelberg
Written Oct. 18, 2008 by Adam Prescott
WESTERVILLE, OHIO – Otterbein (11-1-1, 4-1 OAC) defeats Heidelberg (4-8-3, 0-4-1 OAC) by a score of 4-0 on Saturday afternoon in Westerville.
Otterbein got on the board first when freshman/forward Sarah Sharbaugh converted a cross from teammate Cristen Herold in the fifth minute to give the Cardinals a 1-0 lead.
Senior/Midfielder Natalie Harper then headed in two consecutive goals, at the 26:03 mark of the first half and 71:50 mark of the second half, that extended the Otterbein lead to 3-0. Both goals were assisted by freshman/midfielder Alyssa Hale.
Herold then added a late goal by taking advantage of a loose ball that deflected off of the Heidelberg goalie in the 84th minute. The goal capped the scoring for the day as Otterbein earned a 4-0 victory.
The Cardinals held a 20-2 shot advantage while attempting 17 corner kicks compared to only one for the Student Princes.
Sophomore/goalie Tara Carter and freshman/keeper Kristen Hughes combined for the Otterbein shutout, with Carter recording two saves. Heidelberg goalie Lauren Sweeney had eight saves between the posts.
Otterbein returns to action when they travel to play John
Carroll on Tuesday, October 21. Starting time is set for 4 p.m.
Novak's Second Career Goal Pushes
#25 Otterbein Past Mount Union
Written Oct. 15, 2008 by Adam Prescott
ALLIANCE, OHIO – Otterbein women’s soccer team (10-1-1, 3-1 OAC) defeated Mount Union (4-8-1, 1-3 OAC ) by a score of 1-0 on Wednesday evening in Alliance.
The game appeared to be heading into intermission with a scoreless 0-0 tie until freshman/forward Adrienne Novak found the back of the net by beating the Mount Union goalkeeper near the post just seconds before the opening half of play concluded. The goal would give the Cardinals a 1-0 halftime lead.
Otterbein’s strong defensive play continued in the second half as they were able to preserve a 1-0 conference victory.
The Cards attempted 16 shots while their defense prevented the Raiders from attempting a shot the entire game. Otterbein also held a 11-2 edge in corner kicks.
Cardinal sophomore/goalkeeper Tara Carter did not face any shots, while Mount Union goalie Kaitlyn Mallernee had eight saves.
Otterbein next returns home to host Heidelberg on Saturday. Game time from Clements field is scheduled for 2 p.m.
Cardinals Score Three Times in
Victory Over Baldwin-Wallace
Written Oct. 11, 2008 by Adam Prescott
WESTERVILLE, OHIO – Otterbein (9-1-1, 2-1 OAc) defeated Baldwin-Wallace (5-4-3, 2-1 OAC) by a score of 3-0 on Saturday afternoon in Westerville.
Otterbein junior/midfielder Carly Dent put the Cardinals ahea 1-0 when she nailed a shot from the left sideline off a pass from teammate Cristen Herold at the 14:55 mark of the opening half.
Junior/forward Megan Cooper then extended the Cardinal lead to 2-0 when she gathered a ball that deflected off of the Baldwin-Wallace goalie and put it in the back of the net in the 26th minute.
The game would head to intermission with the host Cardinals holding a 2-0 advantage.
Sophomore/forward Lindsey Rudibaugh added a late goal for Otterbein when she connected on a shot at the 86:57 mark of the second half. The goal would cap the scoring for the day as Otterbein earned a 3-0 conference victory.
The Cards out-shot the Yellow Jackets 20-4 while also holding an 11-0 edge on corner kicks.
Otterbein sophomore/keeper Tara Carter recorded two saves while Baldwin-Wallace goalie Becky Miner stopped six shots.
The Cardinals next travel to Alliance, Ohio to play Mount
Union College on Wednesday, October 15. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Cards Get Two Goals from Knox in
Victory Over Marietta
Written Oct. 7, 2008 by Adam Prescott
WESTERVILLE, OHIO – Otterbein women’s soccer team (8-1-1, 1-1 OAC) defeated Marietta (3-8-1, 0-1-1 OAC) by a score of 4-0 on Tuesday afternoon at Clements Field in Westerville.
The Cardinals grabbed a quick 1-0 lead when freshman/forward Sarah Sharbaugh found the back of the net after taking a long pass from teammate Cristen Herold in the 15th minute.
Sophomore/defender Jenny Knox then converted a penalty kick at the 21:32 mark to extend the Cardinal lead to 2-0. Neither team scored the remainder of the half as the game went to halftime with Otterbein leading 2-0.
Knox then headed in a cross from Herold in the 78th minute to put the Cardinals up 3-0, while sophomore/midfielder Tara Smith added a late goal by nailing a shot from 30 yards out to give the hosts a 4-0 victory.
Otterbein held a 26-4 shot advantage and attempted thirteen corner kicks compared to only two for the Pioneers.
Otterbein sophomore/goalkeeper Tara Carter stopped two shots while Marietta goalie Helen Hetzel recorded ten saves.
The Cardinals next host
Baldwin-Wallace on Saturday. Game time from Clements Field is set for 1 p.m.
#15 Otterbein Upset at Wilmington
Written Oct. 4, 2008 by Adam Prescott
WILMINGTON, OHIO – # 15 Otterbein (7-1-1, 0-1 OAC) falls to Wilmington by a score of 1-0 on Saturday evening in Wilmington.
The Quakers took an early 1-0 lead when Erica Sayler found the back of the net just eight minutes into the contest.
Neither team was able to score the remainder of the half as the game went into halftime with Wilmington leading 1-0.
The Cardinals were not able to capitalize on any scoring opportunities in the second half as host Wilmington preserved a 1-0 upset.
Otterbein held an 11-9 shot advantage while both teams took two corner kicks.
Cardinal sophomore/goalkeeper Tara Carter had five saves while Wilmington keeper Casey McKinney recorded one save.
Otterbein next returns home to host Marietta on Tuesday.
Game time is set for 4 p.m.
Capelle Earns Second OAC Player
of the Week Award
Written Sep. 29, 2008 by Adam Prescott
WESTERVILLE,
OHIO – Otterbein senior/forward Lauren Capelle (Fairfield/Fairfield H.S) was
named the Ohio Athletic Conference Player of the Week for the second time this
season, the conference office announced Monday.
Last week, Capelle scored three goals to help lead Otterbein to a 5-3 victory
over Ohio Wesleyan on Tuesday. She also added an assist to total seven points
for the contest. Capelle did not play in Otterbein’s 2-0 victory over Earlham on
Saturday due to injury.
Otterbein next travels to play Wilmington on Saturday. Game time is set for 7
p.m.
#17 Otterbein Uses Two First Half
Scores to Defeat Earlham
Written Sep. 27, 2008 by Adam Prescott
WESTERVILLE, OHIO – Otterbein women’s soccer team (7-0-1) defeated Earlham (IN) (8-2) by a score of 2-0 on Saturday afternoon at Clements Field in Westerville.
Otterbein sophomore/defender Jenny Knox gave the Cardinals an early 1-0 lead when she found the back of the net off an assist from teammate Megan Cooper at the 36:54 mark of the opening half. The score came off a corner kick that was taken by Cara Gale.
Senior/midfielder Natalie Harper then scored her first goal of the season by nailing a shot from 20 yards out in the 42nd minute to extend the Cardinal lead to 2-0. The game would go into intermission with Otterbein leading 2-0.
Neither team was able to score in the second half as the Cardinals earned a 2-0 victory.
Otterbein held a 19-5 shot advantage while attempting nine corner kicks to only two for the Quakers.
Otterbein sophomore/goalkeeper Tara Carter stopped three shots while Earlham goalie Megan Holthaus recorded eight saves.
The Cardinals next travel to play Wilmington on Saturday, October 4. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Women's Soccer Uses Combination
of Youth and Experience to Excel
Written Sep. 25, 2008 by Adam Prescott
 |
| Lauren Capelle leads the Cardinals in scoring with 11 points. |
WESTERVILLE, OHIO – It is no secret that head coach Brandon Koons has built a reputable women’s soccer program at Otterbein College throughout the last decade. It is also no secret that in order to achieve a high level of success over a period of time, a program must have quality players. The young 2008 season has held true to that philosophy thus far, as the Cardinals have gotten off to a quick 6-0-1 start this fall and have earned a #17 national ranking.
Just as many other successful teams have done in the past, this season’s squad walks with their own unique swagger, and according to their coach, they were well prepared before becoming collegiate athletes.
“We have more players now that have had very high levels of success in club and high school soccer in the past” said Koons. “Now that our large sophomore class has more invested, they are combining will with talent and experience. It’s like we have three years of seniors on the field right now.”
In addition, the incoming freshman class has been able to make a smooth transition to the college game and become an extra asset to an already strong core group of returning players.
“The freshmen have contributed in so many ways,” explained Koons. “Alyssa (Hale) got a chance in the first game that we didn’t necessarily anticipate, but she stepped up and made the position her own. Sarah Sharbaugh showed over the course of a number of games that she could be consistent, while Ashleh Baumann and Adrienne Novak have shown they can play a number of different roles.”
On top of those four newcomers, Koons is also quick to recognize the impact the other freshman have had on the team.
“We have other freshmen that would play or even start on other teams in the conference,” Koons said. “They are so valuable because they make the team so competitive in training and practices. Overall, we have 26 players that we are very happy with right now.”
However, while this team may have its fair share of youngsters, it seems to be the upperclassmen that have put this team in position to be considered special.
“The leadership of our seniors is a large part of our success this year, said Koons. “Julie (Kathman) is on the field the most, but Cara Gale, Kate Weale, Lauren Capelle, and Natalie Harper are leaders as well. Whether it’s been during games, during practices, pre-season or even before that, our seniors have been like coaches. They all know our system and style so well. Our young players have learned so much because the five seniors seem to be on top of it all.”
The experience that the team possesses has allowed them to channel their emotions and persevere when faced with adversity. Throughout the past week and a half, the team has either been tied or trailing at halftime in three games. However, they managed to out-score their opponents 8-1 in the second half of those contests.
“At halftime against Denison, we took our frustration and turned it into an appreciation for being challenged,” explained Koons. “We knew we were learning something and it made it easier to calm down in the second half. Against Ohio Wesleyan, our coaching staff convinced our players to stop allowing them to change our style and just focus on doing what we do best.”
Whatever the reason is for the quick start, one constant characteristic of the team will be their unity.
“This year the team has put a big emphasis on building chemistry,” Koons said. “They are very close off the field, and it is starting to become obvious on the field as well.”
You can next catch the Cardinals in action when they host Earlham (IN) on Saturday. The Quakers come to Westerville with a record of 8-1 and boast two of the top eight scorers in the nation. Game time from Clements Field is set for 2 pm.
#17 Otterbein Defeats Ohio
Wesleyan Behind Capelle's Hat Trick
Written Sep. 23, 2008 by Adam Prescott
WESTERVILLE, OHIO – Otterbein women’s soccer team (6-0-1)
was victorious over Ohio Wesleyan (4-4-1) by a score of 5-3 on Tuesday afternoon
at Clements Field in Westerville.
The Cardinals, who are ranked #17 in the country by the NSCAA, opened the
scoring when senior/forward Lauren Capelle took a pass from teammate Carly Dent
and found the back of the net just seven minutes into the game to make the score
1-0.
Ohio Wesleyan’s Michelle Corbett then gathered a loose ball that came into the
box and shot it past Otterbein goalie Tara Carter to even the score at 1-1 at
the 17:43 mark of the opening half. Otterbein countered when Capelle converted a
cross from Cara Gale less than one minute later to put the host Cardinals back
on top at 2-1.
The Bishops then used a free kick from 20 yards out by Allie Cozzone at the
24:44 mark to tie the game at 2-2. Minutes later, Ohio Wesleyan took their first
lead when Corbett scored her second goal of the contest off of a corner kick
from Cozzone.
Ohio Wesleyan would take a 3-2 lead into intermission.
Faced with adversity, the Cardinals came out aggressive in the second half and
used a goal from sophomore/forward Lindsey Rudibaugh at the 51:33 mark to draw
even at 3-3. Sophomore/midfielder Tara Smith then put the Cardinals ahead 4-3
after receiving a pass from Capelle in the 61st minute.
Moments later, Capelle took a cross from teammate Rachel Degen and put the ball
over the goalies head for her third goal of the contest, giving Otterbein a 5-3
lead.
Neither team was able to score in the final 27 minutes of action as Otterbein
earned a 5-3 victory.
The Cardinals held a 22-5 shot advantage while attempting 13 corner kicks
compared to only one for the Bishops.
Carter stopped two shots for Otterbein while Ohio Wesleyan keeper Laura VanHoey
recorded ten saves.
Otterbein next hosts Earlham (IN) on Saturday. Game time is scheduled for 2 p.m.
Smith Scores Two Goals as Cards
Defeat Allegheny
Written Sep. 20, 2008 by Adam Prescott
WESTERVILLE, OHIO –
Otterbein women’s soccer team (5-0-1) defeated Allegheny (1-5-1) by a score of
3-0 on Saturday afternoon at Clements Field in Westerville.
Otterbein sophomore/midfielder Tara Smith gave the Cardinals an early 1-0 lead
when she converted a header off a free kick from teammate Rachel Degen at the
11:24 mark of the opening half.
Aggressive play from both sides prohibited any scoring throughout the remainder
of the first half as the Cardinals took a 1-0 lead into intermission. There were
16 total fouls in the first half of action.
Smith then retrieved a loose ball in the box at the 67:15 mark of the second
half and found the back of the net to extend the Cardinal lead to 2-0.
Freshman/midfielder Adrienne Novak then nailed a shot from 30 yards out to push
the Otterbein lead to 3-0 in the 86th minute of play.
Neither team scored the rest of the way as Otterbein earned a 3-0 victory.
Otterbein held a 17-3 shot advantage while attempting nine corner kicks to only
two for the Gators.
Otterbein sophomore/goalkeeper Tara Carter stopped three shots while Allegheny
goalies Emily Karr and Becca O’Shurak combined for two.
The Cardinals next host Ohio Wesleyan on Tuesday. First kick from Clements Field
is set for 4:30 p.m.
Cardinals Score Three Goals in
Second Half to Defeat #21 Denison
Written Sep. 17, 2008 by Adam Prescott
WESTERVILLE, OHIO –
Otterbein women’s soccer team (4-0-1) defeated #21 Denison (4-2) by a score of
3-1 on Wednesday evening at Clements Field in Westerville, Ohio.
Neither team was able to score in the first half as the game went into
intermission tied at 0-0.
Otterbein sophomore/midfielder Rachel Degen broke the tie by slipping past a
defender and knocking in a shot from 30 yards out in the 55th minute
to put the Cardinals ahead 1-0. Two minutes later, Otterbein freshman/forward
Sarah Sharbaugh took a long pass from a teammate who was at midfield and found
the back of the net to extend the Cardinal lead to 2-0 at the 56:51 mark.
The Big Red, ranked # 21 in the country by the NSCAA, responded when Anna Rusch
took a pass from Laura Kuehn and scored in the 65th minute to cut the
Otterbein lead in half at 2-1. This was only the second goal allowed by the
Cardinals all season.
Sophomore/forward Lindsey Rudibaugh added another Otterbein goal at the 68:46
mark when she took a header from Sharbaugh and lofted the ball over the goalies
head, giving her team a 3-1 lead. This was Rudibaugh’s second goal in as many
games.
Neither team scored the rest of the way as the Cardinals earned a 3-1 victory.
Denison held an 8-7 shot advantage while both teams attempted two corner kicks.
Otterbein sophomore/goalkeeper Tara Carter tallied one save while Denison
goalies Courtney Cobb and Kerrigan Dopp combined for two.
The Cardinals next host Allegheny (PA) this Saturday in game one of a
men’s/women’s double-header. Game time is set for 1:00 p.m.
Cards Victorious over Hornets in
Home Season Opener
Written Sep. 13, 2008 by Adam Prescott
WESTERVILLE, OHIO –
Otterbein women’s soccer team (3-0-1) defeated Kalamazoo College (MI) (3-3) by a
score of 2-0 on Saturday afternoon at Clements Field in Westerville, Ohio.
Neither team was able to score in the first half as the game went into
intermission locked at 0-0.
Otterbein sophomore/defender Jenny Knox broke the tie by knocking in a loose
ball in the box off a corner kick at the 67:03 mark of the second half to put
the Cardinals ahead 1-0.
Sophomore/forward Lindsey Rudibaugh then found the back off the net less than a
minute later off an assist from teammate Carley Dent to put the host Cardinals
ahead 2-0. Neither team scored the rest of the way as Otterbein preserved a 2-0
victory in their first game in Westerville this fall.
The Cardinals held a 31-3 shot advantage, and also had 18 shots on goal compared
to only two for Kalamazoo. Otterbein attempted nine corner kicks while the
Hornets did not attempt any.
Otterbein sophomore/goalkeeper Tara Carter recorded three saves while Kalamazoo
keeper Taylor Comiskey had a season best 16.
The Cardinals next travel to Granville, Ohio to play Denison on Wednesday,
September 17. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Capelle Earns Player of the Week
Honors
Written Sep. 8, 2008 by Adam Prescott
WESTERVILLE, OHIO – Otterbein senior/forward Lauren Capelle
(Fairfield/Fairfield High School) was named the Ohio Athletic Conference Player
of the Week, announced by the conference office on Monday.
This past weekend, Capelle scored the game-winning goal against Haverford (PA)
Saturday in the Cardinals' opening game of the Carnegie Mellon tournament. The
goal was scored at the 16:41 mark of the opening half when she beat a defender
and slipped the ball past the goalie.
Capelle then turned around on Sunday and scored the game-tying goal against
Elizabethtown, who came into the game ranked #18 in the country. The contest
ended in a 1-1 tie.
Otterbein next hosts Kalamazoo (MI) on Saturday. First kick is set for noon.
Otterbein Battles #18
Elizabethtown To Tie
Written Sep. 7, 2008 by Adam Prescott
WESTERVILLE, OHIO – The Otterbein women’s soccer team
(2-0-1) played #18 Elizabethtown (2-1-2) to a 1-1 tie on Sunday, September 7 at
the Carnegie Mellon tournament in Pittsburgh, PA.
Elizabethtown, ranked #18 nationally, struck first when Brooke Dotterer had a
shot deflect off an Otterbein defender and find the back of the net in the
game’s fourth minute, making the score 1-0.
Otterbein senior/forward Lauren Capelle then scored less than two minutes later
at the 5:02 mark when she took a rebounded shot off the goal post and shot it
past the goalkeeper to even the score at 1-1.
The game would head into intermission locked at one goal a piece.
Neither team was able to find a way to score in the second half or either
overtime period as the game would end in a 1-1 tie.
The Cards out-shot the Blue Jays 8-4 and also attempted six corner kicks
compared to only three for their opponent.
Both Otterbein sophomore/goalkeeper Tara Carter and Elizabethtown goalie Angela
Freeland stopped two shots.
The Cardinals next return home to host Kalamazoo (MI) on Saturday, September.
Game time is scheduled for noon.
Otterbein Defeats Haverford (PA)
In Opening Game Of Carnegie Mellon Tournament
Written Sep. 6, 2008 by Adam Prescott
WESTERVILLE, OHIO – The Otterbein women’s soccer team (2-0)
defeated Haverford (1-2) by a score of 3-0 in the opening game of the Carnegie
Mellon (PA) tournament on Saturday, September 6 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The
shutout marked the 100th in the history of the Otterbein women's soccer program.
The Cardinals took control early as senior/forward Lauren Capelle slipped past a
defender after taking a pass from junior/forward Rebecca Bowser and scored to
grab an early 1-0 lead at the 16:41 mark.
Freshman/forward Sarah Sharbaugh then found the back of the net at the 38:19 off
an assist from freshman/midfielder Ashleh Baumann to give Otterbein a 2-0 lead
heading into halftime.
The second half saw sophomore/midfielder Cristen Herold nail a shot from the top
of the box in the 83rd minute to extend the Cardinal lead to 3-0.
Haverford was never able to take advantage of any opportunities the rest of the
way as Otterbein earned a 3-0 victory.
The Cards out-shot the Fords 12-2 while also holding a 9-1 corner kick
advantage.
Haverford goalie Lindsey Festa tallied four saves while Otterbein keeper Tara
Carter had one.
The Cardinals next take on Elizabethtown (PA) tomorrow at noon.
Cards Defeat Lords in Season Opener
Written Aug. 30, 2008 by Adam Prescott
WESTERVILLE, OHIO – Otterbein College’s women’s soccer team (1-0) defeated Kenyon College (0-1) by a score of 1-0 on Saturday, August 30 in Gambier, Ohio.
Otterbein struck first in the opening half when junior/forward Megan Cooper beat a defender and scored at the 35:20 mark, giving her team a 1-0 lead. Neither team was able to score the remainder of the half as the Cardinals took a 1-0 lead into intermission.
Neither team managed to convert any scoring opportunities in the second half as Otterbein preserved a 1-0 victory.
The Cardinals held a 17-14 shot advantage and attempted ten corner kicks compared to only one for the Lords.
Otterbein sophomore/goalkeeper Tara Carter recorded ten saves in goal while Kenyon goalies Kate Powers and Megan Lahr combined to tally six saves.
The Cardinals next travel to take part in the Carnegie Melon (PA) Tournament. They will play their opening match against Haverford (PA) at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 6.
Four Earn Academic All-OAC Honors
Written Nov. 20, 2007 by Ed Syguda
WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Four members of the 2007 Otterbein women’s soccer team
were selected to Academic All-Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) teams, the OAC
released today.
Chanel Smith, a senior from Westerville (Dublin Scioto High School), was the only Cardinal selected to the first team. The midfielder/forward, a public relations major, is a three-time Academic All-OAC selection. Smith, for the second straight year, was also a first team All-OAC selection this season.
Midfielder Carly Dent, a sophomore from Pataskala (Watkins Memorial), defender Julie Kathman, a junior from Greenville, and forward Sara Vasbinder, a senior from Westerville (St. Francis DeSales), were named to the Academic All-OAC honorable mention team.
Dent, majoring in life sciences, has made the Otterbein Dean’s List all three quarters. She was also a second team All-OAC selection this year.
Kathman, a speech communications major, has appeared on the dean’s list all six quarters. The defender also earned second team All-OAC honors in 2007.
Vasbinder, a three-time Academic All-OAC pick, is majoring in public relations. She was named first team All-OAC this season, an honor she earned in 2006 as well.
Dent Earns Academic All-Region Honors
Written Nov. 1, 2007 by Ed Syguda
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Carly Dent in action at the OAC Semifinals. |
WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Carly Dent, a sophomore from Pataskala (Watkins Memorial High School), was named to the 2007 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV third team as selected by the College Sports Information Director’s of America (CoSIDA), released today by CoSIDA.
Dent, who switched from defender to midfielder over the last half of the season, tallied eight points on one goal and six assists for the Cardinals, who finished third in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) with a 6-2-1 record.
The two-year starter is majoring in Life Science, with a minor in Spanish. Dent has made the Otterbein Dean’s List all three quarters.
Academic All-District IV team members are selected through voting by CoSIDA, a 2,000-member organization consisting of sports public relations professionals for colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. District IV encompasses the states of Alabama, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee.
To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.20 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director.
Otterbein, 10-5-2 overall, advanced to the semifinals of the OAC Tournament.
Cards Advance in OAC Tournament
Written Oct. 30, 2007 by Don Middleton
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Rachel Degen fights off a John Carroll defender in the first round of the OAC Tournament. |
WESTERVILLE, OHIO―The Otterbein women’s soccer team defeated John Carroll 5-1
Tuesday at Clements Field to advance to the semifinals of the OAC Tournament.
The outcome was never in doubt as OC jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first
half.
The Cardinals once again employed a balanced attack, using five different
goal scorers and holding the Blue Streaks to only two shots on goal.
Forward Rebecca Bowser, a sophomore from Pickerington (North), put Otterbein
on the scoreboard first, hitting a header past John Carroll goalkeeper Michelle
Zrebiec in the 18th minute. The
Cards scored five minutes later as senior forward Sarah Vasbinder
(Westerville/St. Francis DeSales) scooped up a loose ball and put it in the net.
Junior forward Lauren Capelle (Fairfield) continued the Cardinal
onslaught with a goal in the 42nd minute to give OC a 3-0 lead, which was the
score at the half.
In the second half, Otterbein continued where they left off, with a goal by
freshman midfielder Ashley Payne (Worthington) in the 54th minute to put the
Cards up 4-0.
Otterbein freshman goalkeeper Tara Carter’s (Pickerington/North) hopes of a
shutout were spoiled as JC got on the board with a goal in the 73rd minute.
The Cardinals quickly responded though as freshman midfielder Cristen
Herold (Dublin/Coffman) scored in the 74th minute to give Otterbein a 5-1 lead
and the eventual win.
The Cards have outscored their opponents 16-2 over the last three games and
the team’s confidence seems to be gelling.
“I think the last couple of games were against teams toward the bottom of the
conference and we were able to get some goals and confidence,” said Otterbein
head coach Brandon Koons. “That
helped us today because John Carroll is a good team, but we had players come out
with a lot of confidence.”
Otterbein out-shot John Carroll 19-3.
With the win, the Cardinals have defeated the Blue Streaks seven consecutive
times, outscoring them by a score of 25-4.
The Cards will travel to Capital Thursday to take on the Crusaders.
“It’s not a soccer game anymore,” said Koons.
“It’s us and Capital. It’s
become more of a rivalry over the last couple of years.”
Smith Named OAC Player of the Week
Written Oct. 30, 2007 by Ed Syguda
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Chanel Smith |
WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Chanel Smith, a senior from Westerville (Dublin Scioto High School), was named Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) “player of the week” in women’s soccer, the OAC released Monday.
The midfielder helped lead Otterbein to a pair of OAC victories at Heidelberg, 6-1, and at Muskingum, 5-0, last week, notching three goals and an assist. Smith tallied two goals, including the game-winner, and an assist in the win over Heidelberg.
Smith now has 12 game-winning goals in her career, which is an Otterbein school record.
The Cardinals, 9-6-2 overall, finished regular-season play in third place in the OAC at 6-2-1 and earned the third seed in the OAC Tournament, which gets underway today.Third-seeded Otterbein hosts 6th-seeded John Carroll, 2 p.m., Tuesday with
the winner advancing to play at 2nd-seeded Capital, 2 p.m., Thursday in the OAC
semifinals.
The Cardinals, 9-6-2 overall, rolled over Heidelberg, 6-1, and Muskingum,
5-0, in the final week of the regular season to finish third in the OAC at 6-2-1
and earn the third seed in the OAC Tournament. John Carroll, 6-9-3 overall,
finished in a three-way tie for sixth place with a 2-4-3 conference mark.
“Things are going well,” said Otterbein head coach Brandon Koons, who is in his
ninth season at his alma mater.
“All season we've created chances but struggled to finish,” Koons continued.
“Now, not only are we finishing, we're getting goals from everywhere. We’re
scoring from the run of play and from set pieces; and from in close and from
distance. I think we can go into tournament play with a lot of
confidence.”
Four different Otterbein players scored goals at Heidelberg, and five
different players tallied a goal each at Muskingum. Midfielder Chanel Smith, a
senior from Westerville (Dublin/Scioto), and midfielder Rachel Degen, a freshman
from Dublin (Scioto), each scored a pair of goals against Heidelberg, finishing
the week with three goals and an assist apiece.
Cards Close Out the Regular Season at Muskingum
Written Oct. 25, 2007 by Ed Syguda
WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein, coming off a 6-1 win at Heidelberg, closes
out regular-season play Saturday at Muskingum.
The Cardinals, 8-6-2 overall, hold down fourth place in the Ohio Athletic
Conference (OAC) with a 5-2-1 record and are in line to host a first-round game
of the OAC Tournament, which is scheduled to begin Tuesday. The tournament was
expanded from four to six teams this season, with the top two seeds receiving
first-round byes.
Midfielder Chanel Smith, a senior from Dublin (Scioto High School), scored
two goals at Heidelberg, leading a group of five Cardinals, who scored a goal in
the win. Smith hit what proved to be the game-winner in the 30th minute for her
12th game-winning goal of her career, a new school mark.
“Heidelberg is improving,” said Otterbein head coach Brandon Koons, “but we
were able to finish a few chances and set the tone of the game. It was a good
win. Hopefully, we can add a win this weekend and take care of ourselves.”
Both teams came into the game sharing first place, each 3-0 in the OAC. The
Cardinals shut out Wilmington, 1-0, last Wednesday at home and Mount Union, 2-0,
Saturday in Alliance to remain unbeaten in league play.
Defender Jenny Knox, a freshman from Gahanna (Bishop Hartley High School),
put Otterbein on the scoreboard first, hitting a penalty kick in the eighth
minute. The Polar Bears countered eight minutes later to tie the score at 1-1,
which held at the half.
Ohio Northern made it 2-1 in the 61st minute and the Cardinals responded
quickly, scoring in the 66th minute on a goal from forward Lindsey Rudibaugh, a
freshman from Dublin (Coffman), off a pass from midfielder Tara Smith, a
freshman from Westerville (South). It was Rudibaugh’s fifth goal of the season.
Last Saturday in Alliance, midfielder Chanel Smith, a senior from Dublin
(Scioto), made program history, hitting the game-winner at Mount Union for the
11th game-winning goal of her career, which is a school record.
“I thought we played very well,” said
Otterbein head coach Brandon Koons about the game at Mount Union. “It's
difficult to play on turf especially in 90-degree heat.”
The Cardinals used a balanced attack and had five different goal scorers –
including four freshman.
The team opened up the scoring in the seventh minute with a goal from freshman
Cristen Herold (Dublin/Coffman).
Freshman Lindsey Rudibaugh (Dublin/Coffman) scored the team’s second goal,
dribbling past a defender and scoring from eight yards out in the 22nd minute. Freshman Rachel Degen (Dublin/Scioto) scored from six yards
out in the 40th minute to put Otterbein up 3-0, which was the score at the half.
Senior Chanel Smith (Dublin/Dublin
Scioto) scored her team-leading third goal of the season in the 47th
minute and now has six points on the season.
Freshman Jacque Heuer (Venetia, Pa./Peters Township) scored in the 88th
minute, putting the ball past the
goalkeeper after a receiving a header from sophomore Megan Cooper (London/Jonathan
Alder).
The Cardinals out-shot the Pioneers 26-5 and with the win have now won six
consecutive meetings against Marietta dating back to 2001 when the two teams
played to a scoreless tie.
“We have played a very tough non-conference schedule and were competitive
with everyone we played,” said head coach Brandon Koons, who is in his ninth
season at his alma mater. “I’m very much looking forward to conference play.”
Otterbein comes into the match 3-4-1 overall, earning a 4-0 win at Allegheny
last Saturday and losing 2-0 at Ohio Wesleyan Wednesday.
“I think we are playing very well,” Koons said. “We look good. Statistically,
we’re outplaying our opponents, but have struggled to finish. We just need to
score more goals.”
Over the first eight games of the season, the Cardinals have out-shot their
opponents, 129-60, but have scored only nine goals while giving up nine.
Forward Sara Vasbinder, a senior from Westerville (St. Francis DeSales), leads
Otterbein in scoring, with two goals and one assist, despite missing the last
two games due to injury. Midfielder Chanel Smith, a senior from Dublin (Scioto),
has scored two goals this season.
Marietta, 5-2-1 overall, played Walsh to a 0-0 tie Tuesday in Canton, which
snapped a four-game winning streak. The Pioneers finished fifth in the OAC last
season with a 4-2-3 conference record.
Cards Creating Goal-Scoring Opportunities
Written Sept. 10, 2007 by Ed Syguda
WESTERVILLE, OHIO—Otterbein came away with mixed results from the
weekend’s tournament held at Kenyon.
The Cardinals (1-2-1) played Manchester to a scoreless tie Saturday, and fell
to Carnegie Mellon, 3-1, on Sunday.
“As a team, we are a little frustrated that we are playing well, but not
getting results,” said ninth-year head coach Brandon Koons. “We’re creating
scoring opportunities, but not finishing them as often as we’d like.
“It’s the creating that matters most at this point in the season,” Koons added.
“Once we get everyone on the same page, the goals will come.”
The Cardinals out-shot Manchester, 29-4 overall, and 8-0 in the overtime
periods, in Saturday’s 0-0 tie.
Women's Soccer Distributes Team Awards
Written Jan. 31, 2007 by Jason Miller
WESTERVILLE, OHIO--The Otterbein women’s soccer team handed out its team honors at an awards ceremony held last Sunday on the campus of Otterbein College.
The Cardinals recorded a school and Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) record 14 shutouts and earned their third-consecutive appearance into the NCAA Tournament. After capturing their second-straight OAC regular-season title and losing via penalty kicks to Capital in the OAC Tournament finals, Otterbein earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament where it fell, 2-1, to Wittenberg in the opening round of the Tournament in Springfield.
Eight Cardinal players were selected to All-OAC teams, and senior Lauren Thompson earned OAC Defender of the Year, Great Lakes All-Region and All-America honors. Four players were named to the Academic All-OAC teams, and senior Annelise Erpenbeck was named Academic All-Region and Academic All-America.
A list of special award winners follows:
Junior forward Sara Vasbinder (Westerville/St. Francis DeSales High School) was named the team’s most valuable offensive player for the second-straight year. Vasbinder finished the season second on the team with 13 points on five goals and three assists, and was OAC player of the week. She also garnered first team All-OAC honors while earning Academic All-OAC honorable mention.
Senior defender Lauren Thompson (Pickerington) was named the most valuable defensive player. A first team All-OAC selection, Thompson started all 21 games and led the team with 14 points on five goals and four assists while helping Otterbein post a record 14 shutouts.
Sophomore defender Julie Kathman (Greenville) was named the team’s most improved player. Kathman played in 20 games, registered three shots, one on goal, and helped Otterbein post a record 14 shutouts.
Senior goalkeeper Annelise Erpenbeck (Lewis Center/Olentangy) received the coaches’ award, an award specifically handed out by the coaches for a player’s accomplishments and efforts reflecting the spirit of the team.
Erpenbeck, named All-OAC honorable mention, also set the school record for most goalkeeper minutes played in a season (1957). She finished the season leading the league in goals-against average (0.37), save percentage (.900) and shutouts (14).
Sophomore midfielder Cara Gale (Westerville/Worthington Christian) earned the team’s goal of the year award for her game-winning shot at Wilmington in Otterbein’s 2-1 win. Gale scored a corner kick goal with 10 seconds left in regulation to lift the Cards to victory. Gale finished the season with 4 points on one goal and two assists.
Senior forward Karen Beers (Bellbrook) finished her career as Otterbein’s all-time leader in points (98) and goals (42). She was named first team All-OAC, while also earning Academic All-OAC first team honors.
Nineteen Otterbein players were awarded letters at the ceremony. The complete list follows:
Four-year letterwinners: Senior forward Hilary Atha (Granville),
Beers, Erpenbeck, senior midfielder Ashley Service (Westfield
Center/Cloverleaf), and Thompson.
Three-year letterwinners: Junior midfielder Chanel Smith (Dublin/Dublin
Scioto) and Vasbinder
Two-year letterwinners: Sophomore forward Lauren Capelle (Fairfield), Gale, sophomore defender Alison Wallace (Sylvania/Northview), sophomore defender Kate Weale (Worthington/Kilbourne).
First-year letterwinners: Freshman midfielder Becky Bowser (Pickerington/North), freshman forward Megan Cooper (London/Jonathan Alder), freshman defender Carly Dent (Pataskala/Watkins Memorial), sophomore midfielder Natalie Harper (Ft. Leavenworth, KS/Leavenworth), Kathman, freshman forward Jessica Toth (Poland/Poland Seminary), and sophomore defender Michelle Weingarth (Zanesville/West Muskingum).
Participation Awards: Sophomore defender Beth Downs (Doylestown, PA/Central Bucks West), sophomore forwards Tiffany Harrison (Worthington/Kilbourne), sophomore forward Molly Koppel (Minneapolis, MN/South), freshman goalkeeper Emily Lindsey (Coshocton/River View), senior midfielder Kelly Patterson (Zanesville/Bishop Rosecrans), sophomore midfielder Stefanie Szarka (Westlake), and freshman defender Sarah Warner (North Canton/Hoover).
Senior midfielder Jenna Brader (Westerville/St. Francis DeSales), sophomore midfielder Rachel Kucharski (Westerville/St. Francis DeSales), senior forwards Kelli Peirano (Gahanna/Lincoln), and senior defender Rachel Reitter (Worthington/Thomas Worthington) received a medical redshirt.
Thompson Earns All-America Honors
Written Dec. 8,
2006 by Ed Syguda
WESTERVILLE,
OHIO—Defender Lauren Thompson, a senior from Pickerington, was named to the 2006
NSCAA/adidas All-America first team in women’s soccer, released today by the
National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).
Thompson, a two-time “defender of the year” in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC), helped lead Otterbein to its second-straight OAC regular-season title and into the NCAA Division III Tournament for the third straight year in 2006. She was also named to the NCAA Division III All-Great Lakes Region first team.
“With
14 different starting line-ups this season—with players coming in and out of
injuries—a couple of players were counted on to get us through some tough
times,” said Otterbein head coach Brandon Koons. “Lauren helped us tie an OAC
record for shutouts and also led the team in scoring, all the while organizing a
relatively inexperienced defensive group that constantly changed.”
The defender helped orchestrate 14 shutouts
while allowing just 0.36 goals a game. In addition, Thompson scored five goals
and assisted four other goals to lead the team with 14 points.
“I honestly don’t know if I’ve seen a more consistent performance over
such a long period of time,” Koons added. “She was absolutely brilliant and we
needed her to be.”
Erpenbeck Garners Academic All-America Honors
Written Nov. 21,
2006 by Ed Syguda
WESTERVILLE, OHIO— Goalkeeper Annelise Erpenbeck, a senior from Lewis
Center (Olentangy High School), was named to the 2006 ESPN The Magazine Academic
All-America first team, released today by the College Sports Information
Director’s of America (CoSIDA).
Erpenbeck, who is majoring in athletic training, helped lead Otterbein to the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) regular-season title and into the NCAA Division III Tournament for the third straight year. The goalkeeper allowed just eight goals in 21 games, and led the OAC with a 0.37 goals-against average. She has made the Otterbein Dean’s List all nine quarters.
Academic All-Americas are selected through voting by CoSIDA, a 2,000-member organization consisting of sports public relations professionals for colleges and universities in the United States and Canada.
To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.20 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director.
