Season Review: Women's Lacrosse takes step forward in 2018
By Caleb Scott
ADA — In its third year as a program at Ohio Northern, the Polar Bear women's lacrosse team took a step forward in 2018 under the guidance of third year head coach Beth Hemminger.
The Polar Bears finished the season 6-10 overall and 3-5 in the Ohio Athletic Conference, recording three more victories in 2018 than in 2017.
For their efforts, Northern saw two athletes garner All-OAC honors in 2018 as senior Shannen Larsen Van Alstine (Neenah, Wis.) and junior Emily Hershberger (Jackson Township/Jackson) were each named Honorable Mention All-OAC in 2018.
Larsen Van Alstine was a three-year starter in goal for the Polar Bears and made her first appearance on the All-Conference squad.
This season, she posted six victories, 97 saves and a 16.46 GAA.
She ends her career at ONU as the school's all-time leader with 15 victories, 345 saves and 1,854 minutes played.
Hershberger is now a two-time All-OAC honoree, as she was also named Honorable Mention All-Conference as a sophomore in 2017.
She is also a three-year starter and has started all 48 games in ONU history on defense. This season, she was fourth in the OAC with 32 caused turnovers and was 10th in the OAC with 46 ground balls.
Hershberger will enter her senior season as ONU's all-time leader with 115 gound balls and 76 caused turnovers.
Senior Chelsea Cousins (Lewis Center/Olentangy), and sophomores Eli Carter (Lebanon), Ann McArn (Bay Village/Western Reserve Academy), and Rachel Shipman (Noblesville, Ind.) also joined Larsen Van Alstine as they were all named Academic All-OAC.
ONU opened its season with back-to-back victories in February, winning the first two games in a season for the first time in program history.
After falling in its next two contests, the Polar Bears defeated Cleary (Mich.) at Dial-Roberson Stadium, claiming their third victory of the season.
Northern posted a 3-game winning streak to open up the month of April, defeating Wilmington and Heidelberg at home and picking up a victory on the road at Muskingum.
The Polar Bears continued to establish their history book as multiple records fell in 2018.
Freshman Sabra Woodruff (Beavercreek) set the single-game school record for caused turnovers with nine caused turnovers in a victory over Heidelberg.
Larsen Van Alstine also set a single-game record this season, posting 22 saves in Northern's contest at Albion (Mich.).
Shipman and Hershberger set single-season marks for the Polar Bears as Shipman recorded a season-best 15 assists and Hershberger caused a school-record 32 turnovers in 2018.