Fall sports are coming to a close at Ohio Northern University. The Polar Bears faced a range of tough competitors these past few months and persevered to climb the Ohio Athletic Conference’s (OAC) rankings. Each team concluded their postseason campaign strong as the holiday season approached.
Check out the past month’s most memorable sports moments on campus.
Men’s Soccer
The men’s soccer team remained undefeated in the regular season for the first time in ONU history with a streak of 19 matches. The regular season’s success carried through to the OAC playoffs, and the team worked its way up to the championship round.
Otterbein University proved to be a formidable opponent in the OAC Championship. The two teams were evenly matched and put each other’s skills to the test. The game remained scoreless, and both competitors fought to gain the advantage through two overtime periods. Ultimately, the game advanced to penalty kicks, where the Polar Bears lost 5-4.
Football
The football team’s last home game was one of the most thrilling matchups of the season. The Polar Bears faced a challenge as they prepared to play No. 22 Baldwin Wallace University (BWU). A transformative season and packed stadium was all the team needed to keep up with its opponent. A BWU pass was intercepted by defensive back Jacob Hershberger with less than five minutes in the game, and linebacker Kolten Berner recovered a fumble with 1:46 remaining. The team ran out the clock to finish the game 30-28, prompting roars of cheer from the crowd.
The 2025 season was not over yet for the Polar Bears. Ohio Northern defeated Otterbein the following week and secured a spot at the ForeverLawn Bowl—the team’s first postseason appearance in ten years. The Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, OH, hosted the game against Wabash College. The game was close, but ended with a 32-31 loss on a two-point conversion. The season is complete for the Polar Bears, but it marks the beginning of a new era for the football program.
Volleyball
The volleyball team only hosted one opponent on their home court this past month: Wittenberg. Their players came into the ONU Sports Center ready to fight and dominated the Polar Bears 25-14 in the first set. Fueled by the previous loss, Ohio Northern’s team came back to earn a 25-13 win in the next set. The victory demonstrated the Polar Bears’ determination to overcome challenges despite falling in the following two sets.
Wittenberg’s victory did not prevent the Polar Bears from entering the OAC Tournament. The team qualified as the No. 5 seed and advanced to the semifinals where it fell 3-1 to Marietta.
Takeaways
It is impossible to predict how a sports season is going to end. What can be controlled is the way a team evolves and improves throughout the season to face each challenge with resilience. The Thanksgiving holiday reminds student-athletes to celebrate the victories they earned and express gratitude towards the team who supported them.
The Polar Bears fought hard against Otterbein at the OAC Championship, ending the game 0-0 and ultimately losing to penalty kicks (ONU Sports Information Photo/Evelyn Megery) 
Summer Hoying (11) tips the ball above Wittenberg’s defenders in a difficult match (ONU Sports Information Photo/Evelyn Megery) 
The winter elements make an appearance at the OAC Championship as the Polar Bears face Otterbein on their home field (ONU Sports Information Photo/Evelyn Megery) 
The Polar Bears recover a Baldwin Wallace fumble with 1:46 left in the game (ONU Sports Information Photo/Evelyn Megery) 
Setter Madelyn Banks prepares the ball for her teammates in a challenging match against Wittenberg (ONU Sports Information Photo/Evelyn Megery) 
Ohio Northern ends the OAC Championship 0-0 with Otterbein, and the game moves on to penalty kicks to determine the winner (ONU Sports Information Photo/Evelyn Megery) 
Assistant Coach Von Thomas voices tough words of encouragement and readdresses expectations to the football team on the sidelines (ONU Sports Information Photo/Evelyn Megery) 
Middle blocker Julian Gaier prepares to send the ball over the net as Wittenberg anticipates the play (ONU Sports Information Photo/Evelyn Megery) 
Senior Cody Dykes (98) played a tremendous kicking game which, according to Coach Fries, “That was the difference” (ONU Sports Information Photo/Evelyn Megery) 
The Polar Bears push the ball upfield in an attempt to score against Otterbein in the OAC Championship (ONU Sports Information Photo/Evelyn Megery) 
Olivia Baumann hits the ball over the net in a tough battle against Wittenberg (ONU Sports Information Photo/Evelyn Megery) 
Luke Zebell (44) and Matt McKeown (3) embrace after a well-earned victory against No. 22 Baldwin Wallace (ONU Sports Information Photo/Evelyn Megery)