Posted: Aug 17, 2015
By: Andrew Sismour '16
BEREA, Ohio -- For the past three years, Baldwin Wallace University senior All-Ohio Athletic Conference and Academic All-OAC goalkeeper Emily Tallmadge (Fairview, Pa.) has been one of the top netminders in Ohio. This fall, she hopes to take her game to the next level and lead the Yellow Jackets to both an OAC title and into the NCAA Division III Playoffs.
"Emily has been one of the best goalies in the OAC during the past three years and we are hoping she has another great year in 2015," said veteran Head Coach Reid Ayers. "She is a team leader in the classroom and on the soccer field."
During the past three seasons, Tallmadge has played in all 61 matches and allowed just 1.00 goals per game with 21 shutouts, which ranks second in school history. A year ago, she helped the Yellow Jackets reach the OAC Championship Game and was BW's Co-Most Valuable Player along with junior Kelly Gough (Hudson). Overall, Tallmadge has helped her team post a 37-17-8 record, including a 16-8-3 slate in the OAC.
As a freshman, Tallmadge started all 19 games, allowed just 12 goals for an OAC-leading 0.61 goals-per-game average and an OAC-leading eight shutouts. She was an OAC Player of the Week and earned second-team All-OAC honors. BW posted a 12-3-4 overall and 6-2-1 OAC mark
As a sophomore, the chemistry major who carries a 3.7 grade point average, is a Dean's List student and received the Freshman Chemistry Honors Award in 2013, led BW to a 14-5-1 record to tie the school-record for victories in a single season. She again second-team All-OAC and Academic All-OAC honors.
The Yellow Jackets open the season on Tuesday, September 2 when they travel to Bluffton, Ohio for a women's and men's doubleheader at Bluffton University. The women kickoff at 3 p.m. and the men at 5 p.m.
Eight Questions with Baldwin Wallace Senior Goal Keeper Emily Tallamadge
1. What brought you to BW from Fairview, Pennsylvania? Originally, when I was looking at schools, I wanted to go to Rochester Institute of Technology in New York, but I didn't have the financial means to go there. At first I didn't really think much of BW, but after my second visit, I decided I would attend BW. Apparently, God's plan was for me to be at BW.
2. You had an outstanding career at BW. What goals do you have for 2015? My individual goal is always to glorify God to the best of my abilities. I aim to play for the glory of God. Colossians 3:23 says, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for humans."
3. You are in range of setting a school record for Career Shutouts and Goal-Against-Average. How does that make you feel? I feel extremely blessed by God. Truly, I can't take any credit for it. He is the one who gave me legs that can move and run and arms and fingers that can catch. He is the one who has made me able to play soccer. Truly, I haven't done anything. Praise God.
4. You are also an outstanding student-athlete. Tell us about your time management skills. The only way I have gotten through it is by finding my rest in God. Truly, He is my rock.
5. Talk about the leadership role that you play for the younger student-athletes in the program? I love my teammates. I couldn't ask for a better team to be apart of. In all of my relationships, I aim to push people towards Jesus.
6. Along the same lines, you are a chemistry major. Tell us about any internships you've had so far? Tell us about your responsibilities and what you learned? God has blessed me with two summers at a company called LORD Corporation where I worked as an analytical chemist. My responsibility is always to serve God wherever I go. It doesn't matter what I do. I think that is probably one of the things I learned throughout the summer. Wherever I go or whatever I do, I am able to do it all for the glory of God.
7. What do you plan to do after you graduate? I feel like God is calling me to be a nurse. After I am done with my chemistry degree, I plan on attending an accelerated nursing program.
8. Have you enjoyed your experience at BW and why? I have really enjoyed being at BW for the past few years, primarily because this is where I started following Jesus. My sophomore year, someone told me the gospel, that the great and awesome Creator of the heavens and the earth became a man and lived without sin, a life we could never live, and nailed to a cross, He bore the punishment of wrath that we are due and was crushed under the weight off that wrath. After being buried for three days, Jesus rose from the grave and becoming alive, He conquered sin and death. "God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God," 2 Corinthians 5:21.
