Season Review: Women’s Lacrosse continues to make strides, wins program-best 8 games in 2023

By Wes Mayberry

ADA — The Ohio Northern women's lacrosse team continues to improve as a program. After reaching the seven-win mark four times over the previous seven seasons, the Polar Bears won a program-best eight games and qualified for the Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament for the third straight year in 2023 under eighth-year head coach Beth Bonnell.

"We witnessed remarkable growth in every aspect of the game this season," Bonnell said. "Our returning players displayed exceptional performance, and our younger players grasped the opportunity to make a significant impact. We are proud of our group of hard-working and competitive players, and their efforts were evident throughout the year."

Northern opened its 2023 season with four straight victories, defeating Kalamazoo (Mich.), Trine (Ind.), West Virginia Wesleyan and Adrian (Mich.) by a combined score of 65-33 for its best start in program history.

A 2-5 record in OAC play qualified ONU for the OAC Tournament as the No. 6 seed. The Polar Bears' season came to a close with a 13-6 loss at No. 3 seed John Carroll in the tournament quarterfinals, putting them at 8-9 overall on the year.

Senior Meredith Miller (Noblesville, Ind.) led the way for the Polar Bears this season as a Second Team All-OAC selection.

Now a three-time All-Conference honoree, Miller started all 17 games in 2023 and tallied 10 hat tricks en route to finishing with a team-high 48 goals and 26 caused turnovers from her midfield position. She ranked seventh in the OAC in goals and added three assists while finishing second on the team in points (51), ground balls (34) and draw controls (40).

Miller closed the season as ONU's all-time career leader in goals (115) and points (122). In 56 career games, she also ranks second all-time in hat tricks (18), third in caused turnovers (80) and fourth in ground balls (117) and draw controls (102).

"It's been amazing to witness Meredith's growth and development over her four years. She has been a remarkable competitor and played exceptionally well," Bonnell said. "From being a low defender at the beginning of her career to becoming one of the best two-way midfielders in the conference, it shows her versatility as an athlete. Her senior season was impressive, and she has left a strong legacy that she can be proud of and others can follow."

Junior Gabby Monastra (Wooster) also earned All-OAC accolades this season as an Honorable Mention selection on defense. She started all 17 games and tallied 24 ground balls and 11 caused turnovers. In 44 career games at ONU, Monastra has 11 points on nine goals and two assists to go with 39 ground balls, 12 caused turnovers and eight draw controls.

"Gabby really came into her own this year. She was so consistent on the defensive end and really embraced her role as a starter," Bonnell said. "She is someone who, over the last two seasons, has really put in the work outside of the regular season, and it shows. For most of the season, she was given the task of marking some of the best players in the conference because of the trust we have in her. She is always up for the challenge, and I love that competitive mentality."

Other standouts for the Polar Bears this season included seniors Elizabeth Graham (Dayton/Carroll) and Amanda Wells (Mason), junior Noel Orioli (Westerville/North), sophomores Keaghan Burden (Brunswick) and Grace Wilson (Midland, Mich./Dow) and freshmen Rylie Kocik (Cicero, N.Y./Cicero-North Syracuse), Elena Martin (Canfield) and Emma Hoersten (Hilliard/Davidson), all of whom tallied double-digit points on the year.

Burden headlined that group after posting 54 points on 25 goals and 29 assists in 17 starts in 2023. Her 29 assists matched her single-season program record from 2022 and ranked fourth in the OAC, helping the team break its single-season assists record with 98 on the year.

In just 34 games through two seasons, Burden is ONU's all-time leader in career assists with 58, and she ranks sixth all-time with 104 points. She also has 46 goals, 40 ground balls, 44 draw controls and 16 caused turnovers to her credit.

"Keaghan has another solid season, showcasing strong leadership skills on the offensive end. She is an unselfish player who puts the team's success first," Bonnell said. "Although she poses a significant offensive threat, her contributions to the ride this year were valuable. I anticipate her having another solid campaign next year."

Kocik, Martin and Hoersten all made significant contributions as freshmen in 2023.

"Those three made such an impact this year, and I look forward to seeing them continue to push this program forward," Bonnell said.

Kocik got out to a hot start with hat tricks in each of the team's first five games, including a six-goal outing against Trine, and was named OAC Offensive Player of the Week on March 6 and 13. She finished second on the team in goals with 30 and added five assists for 35 points to go with 16 ground balls and seven caused turnovers while recording seven hat tricks in 11 games.

"There is an undeniable intensity that Rylie has, yet she exudes it silently," Bonnell said. "Whenever she had possession of the ball, it was clear that something good was about to happen, whether it was setting up a teammate or finishing the play herself. She played a vital role in our defensive efforts too. As a freshman, she had such a strong presence on the field."

Martin had six hat tricks in 2023 and finished with 34 points on 25 goals and nine assists to go with 28 ground balls, 35 draw controls and 14 caused turnovers in starting all 17 games.

"Elena displayed a silent intensity about her," Bonnell said. "Her speed elevated our offense, and her presence between the 30-yard lines was remarkable."

Hoersten added 32 points on 24 goals and eight assists to go with 15 ground balls, 28 draw controls and 14 caused turnovers in 17 games.

"Emma was the key player in our midfield," Bonnell said. "Her clutch plays helped us win crucial matches. She brought a tenacious and scrappy energy to our team, making our midfield stronger."

Wells played in all 17 games and tallied 20 points on 14 goals and six assists and tied the program's single-season record for draw controls with 76 while adding 23 ground balls and 10 caused turnovers. She ranked fourth in the OAC in draw controls in 2023 and holds the school record for single-game draw controls with 16 against Muskingum in 2022.

Now the program's all-time leader in career draw controls with 220, Wells has 62 points on 45 goals and 17 assists to go with 102 ground balls and 39 caused turnovers in 55 games at ONU.

"Amanda has been our workhorse between the 30-yard lines for the past four years. It's amazing to see how she shines in so many aspects of the game," Bonnell said. "Her speed and quickness made her a huge force on the circle for us, and her shiftiness with the ball made her difficult to stop on the offensive end. She truly deserves more acknowledgement for all the hard work she puts in. It's going to be a challenge to find someone who can fill her shoes."

Wilson ranked second on the team in assists with 20 and added eight goals for 28 points to go with 15 ground balls in 17 games. In 26 games at ONU, she has 37 points on nine goals and 28 assists along with 18 ground balls.

In her second season at ONU after transferring from Anderson (Ind.), Graham recorded 24 points on 10 goals and 14 assists and had 11 ground balls in starting all 17 games. In 34 career games as a Polar Bear, Graham has 79 points on 45 goals and 34 assists to go with 32 ground balls and 14 draw controls.

Orioli rounded out ONU's list of double-digit point-scorers on the year, recording 12 points on 10 goals and two assists in 17 games. In 51 games at ONU, she has 61 points on 47 goals and 14 assists to go with 18 ground balls.

Defensively, senior Lacey Wernoch (Brick, N.J./Brick Township), juniors Taylor Hannam-Zatz (Reston, Va./Chantilly) and Emma LoGiudice (Wooster) and sophomore Rebecca Weinel (Dayton/Chaminade Julienne) joined Monastra in making an impact on that end of the field.

Wernoch played all 17 games, starting 16 of them, and tallied 35 ground balls and 19 caused turnovers. In four seasons, she has 102 ground balls and 70 caused turnovers, which rank seventh and third, respectively, all-time at ONU.

"Lacey proved to be a huge presence once again," Bonnell said. "I loved her aggressive style of play, which effectively disrupted our opponents this year. She fully embraced her role as a leader and played a significant part in our team's transition. She is another player whose absence will be deeply felt next year."

Hannam-Zatz ranked second on the team in ground balls (32) and caused turnovers (19) in 16 games.

"Taylor was one of our most reliable players on defense. She has taken on a leadership role and is trusted by her teammates. She always kept her emotions in check and was often tasked with guarding our opponents' best players," Bonnell said. "She rarely allowed them to score within 8 meters, and she did an excellent job of anticipating what opponents were searching for, enabling her to intercept passes or deflect them. That demonstrated her exceptional patience and discipline as a defender."

LoGiudice finished with 20 ground balls and 15 caused turnovers in 17 games, and Weinel added 17 ground balls and seven caused turnovers in 17 games.

"Becca has been a starter since her freshman year and has truly proven herself this season. Despite flying under the radar, she has made significant contributions by retrieving key loose balls within the 8 and serving as a reliable one-on-one defender for our team this year," Bonnell said. "Emma truly blossomed this year. She displayed great confidence, and her quickness and spirited style of play brought a new aspect to our defense this season."

Hannam-Zatz, LoGiudice and Weinel have combined for 142 ground balls and 70 caused turnovers in 118 career games.

Juniors Chloe Millican (Fishers, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) and Molly Dixson (Cannonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) split time in goal for the Polar Bears in 2023.

Millican started 14 games and recorded an 8-6 record with 98 saves and a 12.59 GAA. She ranks second all-time at ONU with 11 career wins and third all-time with 182 saves and has a career GAA of 12.46 in 32 games.

Dixson started three games in goal in 2023 and tallied 25 saves and a 15.81 GAA. She ranks third all-time at ONU with nine career wins and has a 13.30 GAA in 40 games.

The Polar Bears also saw a new level of success in the classroom in 2023, as a program-record nine players earned Academic All-OAC honors. That group included Monastra, Wells, Wilson, Graham, Burden, Miller and Hannam-Zatz as well as senior Emmily Moses (Wooster) and sophomore Emily Miller (Trenton/Edgewood).

Monastra, Wells and Meredith Miller were also named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District At-Large Team this season.

Looking ahead, Bonnell is excited to build on the success her team had in 2023.

"This season was a success with noticeable improvements in all areas of the game. The seniors played exceptionally well and should be proud of their achievements throughout the past few seasons. Their legacy will serve as an inspiration for the younger players to follow and build upon," Bonnell said. "Although we will miss our graduating seniors, the future looks promising. I think we have seen only a small portion of what our younger players can do, and I am confident that they are prepared to step up and make their own mark on the ONU lacrosse program. I am excited to witness their growth and progress as they continue to elevate the program to new heights."