Season Review: Women’s Soccer continues run of success in 2022

By Wes Mayberry

ADA — The success just keeps coming for the Ohio Northern women's soccer team.

Under 19th-year head coach Mark Batman, the Polar Bears finished 7-0-2 in conference play and 14-2-5 overall in 2022, winning Ohio Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament championships en route to advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

"It's hard to think we didn't have a good season. The girls broke several records, and we had lots of girls recognized for their achievements in the classroom as well as on the field. Our senior leadership and mentorship was phenomenal," Batman said. "We are at a place that if we don't win the last game, it feels like a failure, and we keep telling ourselves that that's a good thing. We have a lot to be proud of from the season — hardware, accolades, memories, unbelievable road wins and tough, competitive losses. We are in a great place."

After falling 2-1 at eventual national runner-up Case Western Reserve on Sept. 17, the Polar Bears put together a 14-game unbeaten streak that extended into the postseason. That streak is tied for the third-longest in program history and included 12 shutouts. Northern closed the regular season with six consecutive victories by a combined score of 21-0 and was named OAC co-champion with Capital.

That success carried over into the OAC Tournament. After defeating Otterbein on penalty kicks in the semifinals, ONU claimed its second straight OAC Tournament championship with a 1-0 victory at Capital on the strength of a second-half goal from junior Jill Roberts (Bellbrook/Carroll). That marked the Polar Bears' fourth OAC Tournament championship in the past six seasons and was the first time in program history that they won titles in back-to-back seasons.

As the OAC champion, Northern earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament and proceeded to get a 1-0 win over Rose-Hulman (Ind.) in the first round at site host Loras (Iowa). Making an appearance in the second round for the second straight season, the Polar Bears fell 1-0 to Loras after the Duhawks scored what proved to be the game-winning goal in the 73rd minute.

Northern, which made its seventh all-time appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 2022, has now won seven games in the event dating back to 2017.

"Our goal is always to advance as far as we can in the NCAA Tournament," Batman said. "We are getting closer to reaching that final weekend."

The Polar Bears received votes in both the United Soccer Coaches and D3soccer.com polls throughout the season, closing the year at No. 27 and No. 25, respectively, in those national rankings.

The defense led the way all season long, limiting opponents to just 5.6 shots, including 2.6 on goal, per game and nine total goals while posting 15 shutouts, including a stretch of nine straight from Oct. 12 to Nov. 12. The nine goals allowed marked a new program record for a non-shortened season, and the 15 total shutouts and nine consecutive shutouts are both just one shy of all-time records.

"We were great all year defensively," Batman said. "It starts with our forwards. If they defend well, the midfielders' and defenders' jobs are easier. When it did get broken down, the backs were fantastic. I felt we were really tough to break down all season, and the stats showed that."

The defensive effort was led by junior Kylie Cabana (Dexter, Mich.) and senior Becky Moss (Lebanon/Mount Notre Dame), who were named the OAC's Co-Defender of the Year and Goalkeeper of the Year, respectively, as members of the All-OAC First Team.

Cabana was Northern's most decorated player in 2022, as she was also named a Third Team All-American by United Soccer Coaches and a First Team Academic All-American by College Sports Communicators. She was also a United Soccer Coaches All-Region VII First Team, Scholar All-American Second Team, Scholar All-Region First Team and CSC Academic All-District Team selection and earned All-Ohio First Team and Academic All-Ohio First Team honors. She was named OAC Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 6.

Cabana started all 21 games this year, tallying six goals and six assists. Her assist total tied for fourth-best in the OAC, and her 18 points tied for the team lead and was tied for ninth in the conference. She has started 42 of her 44 career games at ONU and will enter her senior season with 29 points on nine goals and 11 assists.

"Kylie's individual growth from her freshman year to this year has been fantastic," Batman said. "She was hurt for over half of her sophomore season, which people forget about, and she came back this season stronger than ever, more confident and a much bigger presence vocally for us both in the locker room and on the field. I can't wait to see how she continues to grow going into her senior season."

Moss also put together an outstanding season in 2022, earning All-Region VII First Team, All-Ohio First Team, Academic All-Ohio First Team and United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-American Second Team and Scholar All-Region First Team honors. She played all 1,910 minutes of ONU's 21 games, recording a program single-season record 15 shutouts. A member of the OAC All-Tournament Team and a CSC Academic All-District honoree, Moss finished the season with 48 saves, a 0.42 GAA and .842 save percentage. She led the OAC in GAA and ranked second in save percentage. Moss' 15 career shutouts rank ninth all-time at ONU, and her 0.42 GAA is second-lowest for a single season in program history.

"I am so happy and proud of Becky. She has been waiting for her opportunity, and she crushed it this season," Batman said. "Her leadership as a first-time starter and growth was so much fun to watch. She is so deserving of everything she received this past fall, and most importantly, she was a massive voice for us in the locker room and on the field, and the girls gravitated to her."

Sophomore Alyssa Beckett (Monroe) joined Cabana and Moss on the All-OAC First Team and was named the conference's Midfielder of the Year. Beckett also earned recognition on the All-Region VII First Team and All-Ohio First Team, and she was named OAC Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 6. She started 17 games this season, finishing with a team-high eight goals and matching Cabana with 18 points to go with two assists. The point total ranked tied for ninth in the OAC, and she was tied for eighth in the conference in goals. Through two seasons, Beckett has 28 points on 12 goals and four assists in 40 games, including 39 starts.

"Alyssa has grown into a field presence," Batman said. "We asked her to grow into that role from her freshman year, and she did just that this year. That is not an easy thing for a younger player to do, and she killed it. I'm very excited to see how she continues to grow from here."

Roberts rounded out the list of four Polar Bears who were named All-Region in 2022, earning a spot on the Second Team. She was also an All-OAC First Team, OAC All-Tournament Team, CSC Academic All-District Team, All-Ohio First Team, Academic All-Ohio First Team and United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-Region Second Team selection. The forward tallied 15 points on six goals and three assists this season. Roberts has started in all 54 games in her ONU career and has 31 points on 12 goals and seven assists to her credit.

"Jill is a go-to player. Never question her grit, effort or passion for winning. If you asked her to run through a wall, she would ask which one," Batman said. "She's been fantastic for three seasons, and I'm looking forward to her growth as a senior."

The recognition didn't stop there, however. Junior Bri Straus (Fishers, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) and sophomore Emma Bowman (Novi, Mich./Northville) were both named to the All-OAC Second Team and CSC Academic All-District Team. Sophomore Elizabeth Pierce (Liberty Township/Mount Notre Dame) joined that pair on the CSC Academic All-District Team.

Like Cabana, Straus was a key member of the stingy ONU defense. Offensively, she recorded five points on two goals and one assist this year. Those goals came in a 2-0 win over Baldwin Wallace on Oct. 26 and helped earn her an OAC Defensive Player of the Week accolade on Oct. 31. She also earned Academic All-Ohio Second Team honors this season.

Bowman recorded a conference-best nine assists to go with one goal in 2022. Her assist total is tied for 10th in program history for a single season and ranks third-best all-time on the single-season list among sophomores. The midfielder has started in all 41 games in her ONU career and has 17 points on two goals and 13 assists.

Pierce tallied eight points on three goals and two assists in starting 20 of her 21 games in 2022. The forward has started 40 of her 43 games in her ONU career and will enter her junior season with 16 points on six goals and four assists.

Senior defender Jane Reiring (Cincinnati/Country Day) earned multiple accolades, as she was named to the OAC All-Tournament Team and was selected as the OAC Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 17.

Senior midfielder Kylie Brown (Jamestown, N.Y./Southwestern Central) was also an OAC All-Tournament Team selection and earned Academic All-Ohio Second Team recognition. She finished the season with nine points on three goals and three assists.

Other top contributors for ONU this season included sophomore forward Alexa Clampitt (Sterling Heights, Mich./Utica Academy for International Studies), sophomore forward Chandler Clark (Lima/Bath) and freshman midfielder Alli Macbeth (Fishers, Ind.). Clampitt tallied nine points on three goals and three assists, Clark posted seven points on three goals and one assist, and Macbeth added five points on two goals and one assist.

Other players who saw action in 15-plus games included senior Cienna Kuhn (Elida), junior Alaina Casey (Beavercreek/Carroll), sophomores Libby Johnson (Fairfield), Jess Gast (Perrysburg) and Annalise Jansen (Grand Rapids, Mich./Forest Hills Northern) and freshmen Kiera Kaeser (Ashland), Nora Metcalf (Herndon, Va.) and Lindsey Pawlawski (Baden, Pa./North Catholic).

Overall, the Polar Bears got goals from 16 different players, and 19 different players tallied at least one point.

The team also boasted 13 Academic All-OAC selections, as seniors Allison Contenza (Rocky River), Hailey McGuire (Lone Tree, Colo./Highlands Ranch) and Lauren Naso (Grosse Ile, Mich.), junior Madeline Hall (Lewis Center/Olentangy) and sophomore Julia Flanagan (Dublin/Watterson) joined Cabana, Roberts, Straus, Bowman, Pierce, Clampitt, Clark and Johnson on that list.

Contenza, McGuire and Naso are now three-time Academic All-OAC honorees, and Cabana, Hall, Roberts and Straus have each earned the accolade twice.

Looking ahead to 2023, the Polar Bears are primed to return eight of the nine players who started 18-plus games in 2022 but are currently in search of a new head coach, as Batman announced on Dec. 19 that he was stepping down from his position to become the head women's soccer coach at the University of Toledo.