On Saturday, November 10th, the women’s soccer team claimed victory in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Championship against John Carroll University, winning 3-2. After a long season of facing challenging opponents, the Polar Bears persevered and will be moving on to the NCAA Division III Tournament — the seventh time in program history.
Winning the championship this season meant more to the team than simply adding another trophy to add to the shelf. For many of the players, this game was a shot at redemption for the disappointing loss they faced at the OAC Championship last season, where they lost 2-1 against John Carroll.
“Victory holds a deeper meaning for me now, shaped by the journey it took to get here,” wrote senior midfielder Alyssa Beckett in a comment to Northern Review. “The countless hours of practice, early mornings, and hard lessons from defeat have made me cherish these moments more than ever.”
The team will start the NCAA tournament facing the The University of the South (13-1-4) on Saturday November 16th in Lexington, VA. Polar Bear fans are eager to cheer on the team and watch the highly anticipated game this weekend.
The Women’s Soccer Team gathering for a photo with the “OAC Champions” sign and their two OAC trophies (Northern Review Photo/Evelyn Megery) 
The Women’s Soccer Team celebrating their OAC Championship victory (Northern Review Photo/Evelyn Megery) 
The soccer team celebrating as they are officially announced the 2024 OAC Champions (Northern Review Photo/Evelyn Megery) 
The seniors celebrating their OAC Championship victory (Northern Review Photo/Evelyn Megery) 
Macy Hawkins giving a celebratory hug to her teammate (Northern Review Photo/Evelyn Megery) 
Emma Gramke with a celebratory cake provided by her family (Northern Review Photo/Evelyn Megery) 
Mya Veeneman and Emma Wingerter celebrating their OAC victory (Northern Review Photo/Evelyn Megery) 
Emma Bowman, Elizabeth Johnson, and Jess Gast posing with one of their new OAC trophies (Northern Review Photo/Evelyn Megery) 
The soccer team celebrating their new title as OAC Champions at the conclusion of the game (Northern Review Photo/Evelyn Megery) 
Brianna Gervers (#22) hugging Elizabeth Pierce (#3) at the end of the soccer game (Northern Review Photo/Evelyn Megery) 
The Women’s Soccer Team on the bench supporting their teammates (Northern Review Photo/Evelyn Megery) 
The team celebrating Haley Cannon’s (#15) score that gave them the leading point (Northern Review Photo/Evelyn Megery) 
Kylie Cabana (#30) kicking the ball down the field, away from ONU’s territory (Northern Review Photo/Evelyn Megery) 
Haley Cannon (#15) fighting John Carroll for control of the soccer ball (Northern Review Photo/Evelyn Megery) 
Alyssa Beckett (#10) attempting to assist Emma Bowman on a corner kick (Northern Review Photo/Evelyn Megery) 
Elizabeth Pierce (#3) getting the ball close to John Carroll’s goal (Northern Review Photo/Evelyn Megery) 
Haley Cannon (#15) making her way down the field, close to John Carroll’s goal (Northern Review Photo/Evelyn Megery) 
Emma Bowman (#6) making a corner kick (Northern Review Photo/Evelyn Megery) 
Chandler Clark (#24) gaining control of the soccer ball (Northern Review Photo/Evelyn Megery) 
Jess Gast (#27) and Emma Bowman (#6) rejoicing in a goal they scored together (Northern Review Photo/Evelyn Megery)