*Story by Wilmington Athletic Communications Intern Ellen Nilback
WILMINGTON, Ohio - The Wilmington College women's soccer team looks to advance to the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Tournament final as it heads to Otterbein University for a semifinal at 7 p.m on Thursday.
The Teams: Wilmington and Otterbein. The Fightin' Quakers are 5-3-2 overall after a 1-0 victory over Baldwin Wallace in the OAC Tournament quarterfinal on Tuesday. The Cardinals earned a number one seed in the OACs and the regular season title with an 8-0-1 record.
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). Brandon Koons has been Otterbein's head women's soccer coach for 22 seasons. The Cardinals have claimed 10 OAC regular season titles under his guidance.
The Players: Both Taylor Huffman is the leader for Wilmington's offense with 11 points, four goals and three assists, while Heidi Edens has netted three goals for the Quakers. Lauren Galloway, the Quakers' goalkeeper, has made 66 saves and a goals-against-average of 1.19. Bella Shivley, Otterbein's program leader in career goals and assists, has scored eight goals and dished out ten assists while Delaney Earl has found the back of the net seven times this season.
Series History: Wilmington is 12-20-0 against Otterbein since becoming a member of NCAA Division III in the early 1990s. The Cardinals are currently on a nine-game winning streak and one the regular season meeting 4-0. More information on the series history can be viewed by visiting the link above.
OAC Tournament History: Wilmington will be making its 15th appearance in the OAC Tournament since joining the league prior to the 2000 season. The Quakers, who have an 9-11-2 all-time record in the postseason tournament, are a top four seed for the first time since 2009. More information on Wilmington's history in the OAC Tournament can be viewed by visiting the link above.
OAC Player of the Week: Taylor Huffman is this week's OAC Women's Socer Offensive Player of the Week.
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: A win means advancement to the OAC Tournament finals where the Fightin' Quakers would be up against the winner of Ohio Northern University and Capital University.
