No. 12 Women's Soccer clinches OAC Regular Season title with 4-0 victory over Heidelberg
ADA — Senior Alyssa Merrick scored two goals and added two assists to lead the No. 12 Ohio Northern women's soccer team to a 4-0 win over Heidelberg Wednesday afternoon at the ONU Soccer Field.
The win gives the Polar Bears the outright OAC Regular Season championship as well as the top seed and home field advantage throughout the OAC Tournament.
Northern is now 14-1-2 overall and 8-0 in the OAC while the Student Princes fall to 6-10-1 and 3-5 in the OAC.
ONU scored four times in the first 28 minutes to end any suspense early.
The Polar Bears struck early notching their first goal in the third minute.
Sophomore Abbie Schauble took a throw in from senior Alyssa Merrick and rocketed a long shot from the right side and beat the keeper in the left corner.
The goal was Schauble's third of the year.
Merrick then scored in the sixth minute when she took a cross from sophomore Sami Atkinson and headed the ball into the goal.
In the 19th minute, Merrick sent a long cross to Atkinson who put the ball into the net for a 3-0 lead.
Merrick then finished the scoring in the 28th minute when she scored from the right side. Picking up assists on the play were junior Tara Tokar and sophomore Lauren Brown.
Merrick now has seven goals on the season and leads the OAC with 12.
"This is a fantastic accomplishment for this team," said ONU head coach Mark Batman. "We have worked hard to get here and will look to finish the month of October without a blemish on Saturday."
Ohio Northern's defense was tough all day allowing two shots while Northern fired 25.
Junior Erin Waehner and senior Kristen DeWees combined to post a shutout.
The Polar Bears will be in action on Saturday when they travel to Marietta for their OAC regular season finale at 1 pm.