No. 14 Women's Soccer concludes regular season with 5-0 shutout over Marietta

By Caleb Scott

ADA — The No. 14-ranked Ohio Northern women's soccer team concluded regular season play on Friday afternoon as it defeated Ohio Athletic Conference-foe Marietta 5-0 at Marietta Field.

The Polar Bears improve to 16-1-1 overall and finish with a perfect 9-0-0 record in the Ohio Athletic Conference, while the Pioneers drop to 6-10-2, 2-7-0.

Northern saw four athletes score goals as senior Hailey Martin (Cincinnati/Princeton), sophomores Rose Nienaber (Cincinnatti/Oak Hills) and Haley Moses (Mason) and freshman Sydney Leshnak (Liberty Township/Mount Notre Dame) each scored goals to lead the Polar Bears.

Sophomore Meagan Grierson (Miamisburg) earned the victory in the goal and posted her league-leading 10th shutout of the season.

Northern got on the board early as Nienaber played a cross from the left side of the 18-yard box and found Moses who capitalized open the scoring in the 13th minute.

A Marietta miscue in the 18th minute led to an own goal and allowed Northern to take a 2-0 lead.

Leshnak would close the first half scoring barrage out in the 26th minute as she fired a shot from the left wing and found the back of the net to push the lead to 3-0 at the intermission.

In the 63rd minute, freshman Courtney Favazzo (Mayfield Heights/Mayfield) found Nienaber, who went 1-on-1 with the Marietta keeper and capitalized the push the lead to 4-0.

Martin scored her second goal in the last two games and sealed the victory in the 80th minute after freshman Jenna Fuller (Countryside, Ill./Lyons Township) played a cross into the penalty box and Martin finished the play to complete the 5-0 shutout.

Grierson recorded three saves in the contest, while Northern won the shot battle 23-3 and shutout the Pioneers in the corner kick battle, 12-0.

Northern owns the No. 1 seed in next week's OAC Tournament and earned a first-round bye.

The Polar Bears will return to action as they play host to the winner of the No. 4 and No. 5 seed quarterfinal matchup on Wednesday, Nov. 1 at 4 pm.