Women’s Soccer Aims for Success in 2021 Spring Season

Posted: Mar 16, 2021

By: Athletic Communications Student Intern Jason Hughes '21

BEREA, Ohio – The Baldwin Wallace University women's soccer team, led by fourth-year head coach Jim Wojtkun, are aiming for success within the Ohio Athletic Conference during the 2021 spring season.

When it last took the field in 2019, BW finished with an overall record of 11-9-1, which included a 4-4-1 mark in the OAC. The Yellow Jackets advanced to the OAC Tournament for the sixth consecutive year before falling in the quarterfinals. Wojtkun returns 17 letterwinners, including a breakdown of seven seniors, nine juniors and six sophomores. The squad also welcomes 15 newcomers in 2021.

BW's offense will be led by junior All-OAC and Academic All-OAC midfielder Maddie Farrell (Macomb Mich./Dakota). In 2019, Farrell was the Yellow Jackets' leading scorer with five goals and 10 points and also took the most shots on goal for the team.

Also leading the offensive charge for the Yellow Jackets will be senior forward Julia Allen (Fairview Park), junior Academic All-OAC forward Michelina Rush (North Huntingdon, Pa./Norwin), junior forward Margaux Duvall (Avon Lake), sophomore forward Brandi Filippi (Pickerington/North) and sophomore forward Paige Phillips (Cuyahoga Falls).

The midfield will be laden with experience between senior midfielder Kenna Stones (Dresden/Tri-Valley), senior Academic All-OAC midfielder Kaitlin McGuire (Gibsonia, Pa./Pine-Richland), senior midfielder Alex Guido (Macomb, Mich./Eisenhower), junior Academic All-OAC midfielder Bella Reigle (Niles/McKinley), junior midfielder Olivia Kane (Hilliard/Darby) and sophomore midfielder Lizzy Stackhouse (Powell/Olentangy Liberty). The group combined for 10 goals, two assists and 22 points in 2019.

On the back line, BW will be guided by senior two-time All-OAC defender Morgan Gray (Dublin/Scioto). She started in all but one game and was a defensive anchor for the Yellow Jackets in 2019 en route being named the team's Defensive Player of the Year. Gray also contributed to the offense with a career-high tying three goals and six points.

The defense will also be strengthened by senior Academic All-OAC defender Kortney Marzenski (Parma/Valley Forge), senior defender Cheney Granneman (Avon, Ind.), junior defender Anna Wenzinger (Columbus/Bishop Watterson), junior Academic All-OAC defender Aundrea Scattino (Girard/Niles McKinley), junior Academic All-OAC defender Amanda Donahue (Morrow/Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy), sophomore defender Caley DeHass (Troy/Tippecanoe) and sophomore defender Grace Silvestro (Brunswick).

The only goalkeeper who saw action in 2019 is junior Lyndsey Valentine (Springboro). She appeared in four games and recorded five saves. Sophomore goalkeeper Maddie Hofmann (Olmsted Township/Olmsted Falls) will battle for time in the net as well.

BW is welcoming 14 freshmen and one transfer to the squad for the 2021 campaign. Junior midfielder/forward Lanie Welker (Columbia Station/Columbia) joins the team from NCAA Division II Tiffin University and looks to give an added boost to the offense. Among the other newcomers are forwards Bailey Hall (Lewis Center/Olentangy), Valerie Brown (Riverview, Mich./Riverview Community), Paige Ackerman (Sandusky/St. Mary Central Catholic), Hannah Bercsik (Uniontown), Jenna Eitel (Dellwood, Minn./Mahtomedi), Anna Wolfinger (Wadsworth) and Kasey Golaboff (Parma Heights/Valley Forge). New to the midfield will be Taylor Tomlinson (Girard/Youngstown Ursuline), Ruthie Curry (Westerville/South), Liv McIntyre (Pendleton, Ind.), Jillian Neal (Fairlawn/Copley) and Alissa Scattino (Girard/Warren John F. Kennedy). The back line will be adding defenders Gabby Lemon (Cambridge/John Glenn) and Ellie Pinar (Crestwood, Ky./South Oldham).