Season Ends in NCAA's

The Ohio Northern University women's soccer season came to an end this past Friday in the first round of the NCAA National Tournament. This is the first time in the history of the program that the Polar Bears were invited to participate in post season play. ONU was beat by Wittenberg University, who then lost in the next round to NCAA host Calvin College. ONU finished the season with an overall record of 15-5-1, a regional ranking of #2, and a national ranking of #19.
"It was a fantastic season", said head coach Mark Batman. "Our seniors are the ones who got us here. I want to thank the entire team for an outstanding season and one to remember. They have set the standard and now know what it takes to get here, so that has now become the expectation for future teams. I'm so proud of this team and what we've accomplished this past season. It makes me excited for the future."

Polar Bears Advance to the OAC Finals

ONU outshot John Carrol by 20 yesterday afternoon in Ada in the OAC Semi Final Tournament. Even though only 1 shot found the back of the net, that's all the Polar Bears needed to advance to the OAC Tournament finals for the third consecutive season. ONU created some very dangerous chances in the first half, but a stubborn defense and good goal keeping kept the score at 0-0. The Polar Bears came out strong in the 2nd half where their hard work and the desire to make the finals paid off. Jamie Eiben flicked a ball to a streaking Kaitlin Sanders just a 1:30 into the half. Sanders beat 2 players and smacked a ball past the JCU goal keeper making the score 1-0. The lone goal was all the Polar Bears needed to win the match and advance to the OAC Tournament Finals. Sophmore GK Kristen Dewees and her defense recorded their 10th shutout on the season, only facing a few shots for 90 minutes.
"What a fantastic team performance today", said ONU Head Coach Mark Batman. "The girls were determined, they didn't get frustrated after creating so many good scoring chances, and they defended extremely well. We are playing very well right now and with a ton of confidence. I think we have a great shot to finally bring home the tournament championship this coming Saturday."
ONU will face Otterbein College on Saturday at 2p in Westerville. Thanks to all who made the trip on Wednesday. We hope to see you all for an exciting rematch with the Cardinals.

ONU Finishes Regular Season With A Win

The Ohio Northern women's soccer team finished their last regular season game this past Friday in Marietta, OH. ONU came out ready to play in the first 15 minutes, getting two goals early to secure the victory against Marietta College. Both goals came from Junior Captain Chelsea Albert. The first came from a free kick taken by Senor Captain Stacy Barnhart just inside ONU's defensive half. Barnhart played a fantastic driven ball into the box where Albert headed the ball past the MC goal keeper. Albert's second goal came just minutes later off another great corner kick from Senior Captain Kaitlin Sanders. She found Albert in the box again unmarked for another header just inside the 6-yard box.
With the win, ONU improves to 14-3-2 overall and 8-1-0 in the OAC. ONU finished in 2nd place in conference play, only 1 point behind Otterbein who took first. ONU secured the 2nd seed in the OAC Tournament while John Carroll finished 3rd, Wilmington 4th, Capital 5th, and Heidelberg 6th. ONU will play the winner of JCU/Heidelberg in the OAC Tournament Semi Final match on Wednesday at 2p in Ada.
Thanks to all who made the long trip to Marietta on Friday. We hope to see you all Wednesday!

ONU Wins on the Road at Wilmington 2-1

The Polar Bears remained one point behind Otterbein College in the last week of OAC action as they beat a very determined Wilmington College soccer team Tuesday night in Wilmington, OH. The first half was a stalemate, with neither team creating any goals from their scoring opportunities. WC had their best chance off a free kick which was redirected at goal, but sophomore goal keeper Kristen Dewees pushed it over the crossbar keeping the game at 0-0. ONU had several good opportunities to take the lead in the first half, but WC's defense held strong and kept the game scoreless going into the half.

The second half started with ONU gaining a corner with just 2 minutes off the clock. Kaitlin Sanders played a great near post ball in towards the WC goal, it passed by a defender and found Lindsay Gilchrist who notched in the first goal of her Polar Bear career. ONU got a second goal as Dewees took a goal kick, which was flicked on by Angie Pisut. That flick found Kaitlin Sanders who then found Jamie Eiben across the midline. Eiben then wieghted a perfect pass to Natalie White splitting the WC defense. She accelerated past the defenders, the gk came out, and White placed the ball over the WC goal keeper making the game 2-0. WC started to apply more pressure, and with about 14 minutes to go in the game, they scored a goal of their own. From that point on, WC threw everything they had at ONU, creating some very good chances, but ONU hung on for the 2-1 win on the road.

"It was a great game for both teams", said head coach Mark Batman. "WC is a very strong opponent, and playing at their place on senior day, brought more emotion to the game for them. They always play a very tough, hard working style of soccer. I felt our players responded to the pressure they were applying and dealt with it extremely well. I am very proud of our players for sticking to our match plan and finding a way to win."

With the win, ONU improves to 13-3-2 overall and 7-1 in the OAC. ONU is currently ranked #3 in the Great Lakes Region and #24 nationally in the latest NSCAA poll. ONU is 1 point behind conference leading Otterbein who still has to play Capital on Saturday. If ONU wins their last game on Friday vs Marietta College and Otterbein ties or loses to Capital on Saturday, ONU will be the 2009 OAC Conference Champions for the 2nd time in 3 seasons.

Thanks to all who came to support us last night; it was a great game and we hope you enjoyed it. ONU is back in action for their last regular season game on Friday at 4p in Marietta, OH.

Hard Fought Game On Senior Day

The #25 nationally ranked Polar Bears lost a hard fought match to the #8 ranked Cardinals from Otterbein College Saturday afternoon on senior day. Both teams entered the match as two of the best teams in the Great Lakes Region (Otterbein at #1, ONU at #3 in the latest NCAA rankings poll). The match got started with ONU dominating most of the play in the first half, creating a few great scoring chances. ONU's best scoring chance came when Junior Natalie White found herself alone in the Otterbein box, but just couldn't convert the scoring opportunity after several attempts. ONU had another great scoring chance off their only corner of the match as Junior Chelsea Albert rose above everyone else, but her header just sailed past the far post. Otterbein's lone goal came in the 2nd half off a defensive breakdown, which found an Otterbein forward on a breakaway for the game winner.
"It was a tough game for the girls", said Head Coach Mark Batman. "Otterbein is a great team and it was a great match. Both teams had great chances to score and it came down to them converting their best chance. We will learn from this game and get better for next week as we have two of the most important games of our season ahead of us. I'm proud that the players realize they can play with the best teams in the country, it just wasn't our day."
For anyone in attendance, they got to witness two great soccer teams play a fantastic 90 minutes. Both teams have a very good chance of getting far into post season play in the NCAA National Tournament. A special thanks to our seniors who played with so much emotion yesterday and for everything you have given to our program in the previous seasons. We are so blessed to have you in our program.
ONU next travels to Wilmington College on Tuesday night for a 7p kickoff. Wilmington sits in 3rd place just behind the Polar Bears, who are now 12-3-2 overall and 6-1 in the OAC. The Quakers are coming off a loss to John Carroll on Saturday night; a team that ONU beat 1-0 earlier in the season. It looks to be a very exciting match on Tuesday for both teams. Thank you to all who showed your support for our program on Saturday. We hope you will make the trip on Tuesday to Wilmington to cheer on your Polar Bears!

A Happy Halloween From The Players

A few of the players got together and created this e-card for the ONU Men's and Women's Soccer Coaching Staffs to wish them a Happy Halloween...Enjoy!

http://sendables.jibjab.com/view/YgfylOCfHLIPD6ee

ONU 3 Heidelberg 0

The Polar Bears of Ohio Northern University claimed sole possession of first place in the OAC with their latest win over Heidelberg 3-0 yesterday afternoon in Ada, OH. Contributing to the scoring were Seniors Angie Pisut, Kaitlin Sanders, and Sophomore Alyssa Merrick. Chelsea Albert and Kaitlin Sanders notched an assist a piece for 2 of the 3 goals. The Polar Bears are now 12-2-2 overall and 6-0-0 in the OAC. Otterbein College is just behind ONU with a conference record of 5-0-1. The Cardinals will be traveling to Ada this Saturday for a 2p kickoff. ONU is #25 in the latest NSCAA Coaches Poll and Otterbein is ranked at #8. Both teams will be playing with something to prove, as the game is just as important for regional play as it is for the conference.
"Heidelberg is a tough team, physical, and play hard. They challenged us offensively, making things difficult for us", said Head Coach Mark Batman. "It was a great game to prepare us for a very tough and talented team on Saturday. The girls have been talking about this game (Otterbein) for months it seems like, and I've trying all I could do to be sure they were taking things one game at a time. I can tell they are anxious to redeem themselves from last season. It's going to be a great game between two very talented teams. Saturday's game is also Senior Day, so there will be some added emotion to an already very big rivalry. I can't wait to watch!"
Thank you to all who came to support us Wednesday. We look forward to seeing you all on Saturday for a great game!