BEREA, OHIO -- The Baldwin Wallace University women's soccer team and Head Coach Reid Ayers look to compete for the 2016 Ohio Athletic Conference title after a heartbreaking overtime loss in the OAC semifinals in 2015.

Ayers returns 16 letterwinners and eight starters from a team that posted an 11-6-5 overall and a 4-2-3 conference records.

"The core of our team returns this season, but we will still need younger players to step in and contribute," said Ayers. "The culture of the group is strong and we have good balance with a strong defense and an offense that can score goals."

Look for All-OAC defender Kelly Gough (Hudson) to lead BW on defense this season. The two-time All-OAC selection scored four goals and added one assist for nine points a year ago. Gough, junior Lauren Haynam (Minerva), Kori Miller (North Olmsted / Holy Name) will try to match last seasons defensive success that only allowed 0.86 goals per game in 2015.  

At the forward position All-OAC sophomore Rachel Bender (Massillon / Jackson) and junior Courtney Schutz (Mentor) will look to build on a strong 2015 campaign. Bender scored a team-high 11 goals and added four assists for a team-high 25 points and Schutz scored four goals and added a team-high eight assists for 16 points.

Juniors Anna Poptic (Dublin / Jerome) and Alex Elliott (Blacklick / IMG Academy) are the two returners at the midfield position. Last season, Poptic was a second-team All-OAC selection, scored three goals and added four assists for 10 points. Elliott scored seven goals and added three assists for 17 points.

Junior Julianna Rubin (Fort Pierce, Fla. / Jensen Beach), freshmen Sophia Weidner (Medina) and Emma Bruno (Bethel Park, Pa.) are competing for the starting goalkeeper position.

The Yellow Jackets open the season on Thursday, September 1 when they travel to Delaware, Ohio to square off against Ohio Wesleyan University at 7 p.m. BW begins OAC play on Saturday, October 1 when it hosts Marietta College.