*Story by Ellen Nilback
WILMINGTON, Ohio - The Wilmington College women's soccer team travels to Tiffin, Ohio, for the long-awaited season-opener of the 2020-21 academic year on Sunday. Kickoff for the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) matchup against Heidelberg University is slated for 2 p.m.
The Teams: Wilmington and Heidelberg. The Fightin' Quakers finished their 2019 season 9-8-1 overall and 4-5-0 in the OAC, earning them the final spot in the 2019 OAC Tournament. The Student Princes finished their 2019 season with a 7-10-1 overall and 3-6-0 mark in OAC competition.
The Coaches: Steve Spirk is in his 29th year leading Wilmington's women's soccer team. The 1981 alumnus is a four-time All-American and one of the best players in men's soccer history. Spirk is the men's soccer leader in career goals (74), career assists (43), career points (191), single-season points (57 and 54) and season goals (22 twice). Nick Spell, the Marietta College graduate, is starting his 15th season as the Heidelberg women's soccer head coach.
The Players: Returner Taylor Huffman led the Quakers in points last season with 15 to go along with six goals and three assists. Another consistent player for the Quakers last season, returning for another year, is senior defender Abigail Spirk. She scored three goals, had two assists and recorded a shooting percentage of .600 overall. Goalkeeper Lauren Galloway, an All-OAC honoree a season ago, is another key player returning for the 2021 season. Galloway recorded a .855 saving percentage overall, saving 106 shots with three shutouts. Audrey Kaufman is one of the Student Princes's leading scorers from last season scoring seven goals, two of which were against OAC competition.
OAC Fan Policy: The OAC President's Council has updated its spectator policy to allow two individuals per student-athlete to attend home contests.
Series History: Wilmington is 14-6-4 against Heidelberg since 1994. The Fightin' Quakers have won the last two game against the Student Princes.
Coverage: Live statistics and live video of the contest will be available – visit the links above.
Social Media: Follow Wilmington athletics on social media! The Fightin' Quakers have a presence on Facebook (Wilmington College Athletics) as well as Twitter and Instagram (@DubCQuakers).
Up Next: The Quakers will travel to Muskingum on Thursday, March 18 for a game starting at 7 p.m.
