OTTAWA – The Lady Titans soccer program is well versed on the nearly two hour trip from their high school to Lower.Com Field and are looking to navigate a third consecutive journey there come November.
“The Lady Titans have a good core of returning players and a large senior class back from last year’s long
tournament run. We have some big shoes to fill left by players graduating last year, but the team is motivated to raise the bar” said head coach Michelle Maag.
Entering her third year at the helm the Ottawa Glandorf graduate sports a 41-4-2 mark that includes a 17-1 Western Buckeye League record and last seasons conference crown.
Gone from last season are multiple year starters Clara Beach, Lily Haselman, Maggie Verhoff and goaltender Emma Brinkman who were each key pieces of the run to Columbus.
OG returns six players who earned All-WBL honors last year and a quartet who were each rewarded with first team selections.
Senior Myka Aldrich returns for her final campaign that was rewarded with 1st team WBL and 2nd team All-Ohio honors after a 13 goal, 9 assist season in 2022. Alongside Aldrich is classmate Bri Douglass who finished with a team high tying 21 goals and 14 helpers and a top award in the league. First team pick Mackenzie Recker has notched 13 goals in each of the last two seasons and helps the elder Titans pack a formidable punch to opposing keepers.
Junior Makenna Siefker heads into her third season with a team high tying 46 markers (Aldrich), and is coming off a 21 goal campaign that saw her draw 1st team WBL and All-American recognition.
Rounding out the Titans All-League honors from a year ago are senior defender Madelyn Hovest (2 goals), and 3rd team pick Carlie Brinkman, a defender with a big leg who helped OG keep their opponents in check if they crossed midfield.
Fourteen letter winners from last seasons 20-2-2 squad return for Maag including multiple year recipients Emberleigh Cutlip (Sr, D), Lauren Siefker (Sr, D), Marissa Brown (Sr, MF), Kaelyn Grothause (Jr, MF), and
Megan Horstman (Jr, D).
First year returning letter winners Maya Heringhaus (Jr, F), Savannah Recker (Soph, D), return and will join sophomore Karsyn Erford who will be looked upon to take over in goal for the blue and gold after making just one save a season ago and playing mostly in the field.
“We know Karsyn is a heck of an athlete and competitor and will do a great job for us in goal” stated Maag on the transition to the sophomore keeper.
Maag tabbed senior Kylee Lehman, sophomores Delaney Duling, and Alivia Grothause, and freshman Emma Heringhaus as newcomers to watch this season.
Though the Titans outscored Western Buckeye League opponents 57-0 on their way to a 9-0 record and a state record 20 shutouts and 16 consecutive clean sheets, Maag knows this year will have the bullseye squarely on her teams back.
“It looks like it will be another incredibly competitive year in the always tough WBL. We are excited for great competition within the league, and we know we have to bring out best effort every game to get results” opined the Titan boss on her view of the conference this season.
Ottawa Glandorf kicks off their season on Wednesday, August 16th at the Titan Sports Complex in Glandorf as they play host to Division 1 power Anthony Wayne with a 5pm JV start.
All Lady Titan games this season can be heard live on https://christiannetcast.com/listen/player.asp?station=zsportslive2