COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio Dominican women's soccer team was selected as a finalist for the NAIA-CTSA "All That's Right in Sports" award.  The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced their decision to award the NAIA-Citizenship Through Sports Alliance (CTSA) "All That's Right in Sport" award to University of Saint Francis ( Ind. ) quarterback Jeff Wedding. The award is the first of its kind for the NAIA and recognizes a college student-athlete or team that competes at the highest competitive level while also demonstrating the spirit of sportsmanship.

The NAIA Character Committee selected Wedding from an outstanding pool of finalists. The other finalists for the NAIA-CTSA "All That's Right in Sport" award included Thomas Leinenbach (University of the Cumberlands), Mills College Women's Soccer Team, Ohio Dominican University Women's Soccer Team and William Woods University Softball Team.  more

"Even to be considered for this type of award is a nice surprise," said head coach Paul Habrecht.   "As a team we strive to always play hard but play fair, and it is encouraging to me as a coach that the NAIA recognizes that competitiveness and sportsmanship can coexist at the highest levels."

Ohio Dominican finished the 2007 season 14-3-1 en route to their second consecutive American Mideast Conference South Division title.   The Panthers ended the season ranked #1 in the NAIA Region IX and #20 nationally while also receiving their second straight AMC South Division Fair Play Award and third consecutive Gold Star from the National Soccer Coaches Association of American, which recognizes a team for completing an entire season without a single card.

COLUMBUS , Ohio – The Ohio Dominican women's soccer program has announced their recruiting class for the 2008 season, and the Panther coaching staff is excited to welcome nine incoming freshmen to the two-time defending American Mideast Conference Champions.   "The members of the 2008 class have represented some of the top high school and club programs in the state of Ohio, and we are all excited to have them join our program," said Head Coach Paul Habrecht.   "This class is among the most talented in the program's history, and they will add to what has become an extremely competitive environment."      

        The nine incoming freshman include:
       
        Jaime Bockelman 5'4 – Defender
        Bishop Fenwick High School - Franklin, Ohio
        Southside Rockers - Dayton, Ohio
                           As a team captain for the Falcons, Bockelman was named to the All-Girls Greater 
                           Cincinnati League Second Team in 2007 and received an honorable mention for the team
                           in 2006...She was also named to the 2007 All-Miami Valley Second Team...Chose ODU over Baldwin
                           Wallace College , Kenyon College , and Marietta College .  more

        "Jaime is a great competitor who has the versatility to play at several positions along the back line."

·       Jill Davis  5'3 – Midfielder/Forward
        Bishop Fenwick High School - Franklin, Ohio
        Ohio Elite Soccer Academy - Cincinnati, Ohio      
                           Davis was a four year letter winner for the Falcons...Named to the All-Girls Greater
                           Cincinnati League First Team her sophomore season...Received an honorable mention
                           for the team her senior year...Also won the State Cup with her Ohio Elite squad in 2007...Active in her
                           community Davis was a three year school representative on the Middletown Youth Council and
                           volunteered at the McKnight Terrace assisted living community...Davis selected ODU ahead of 
                           Georgetown College and Tiffin University.

        "Jill is a creative attacking personality who also has the edge it takes to score goals at the college level."

        Slone Fleak   5'10 – Defender 
        Big Walnut High School - Sunbury, Ohio
        BLAST FC - Columbus , Ohio    

                           Fleak was tabbed as a starter each of her four years with the Golden Eagles...Led the team in scoring twice
                           during her career...Named to the All-Ohio Capital Conference First Team twice and to the Second Team
                           once during her career...Also named to the All-Central District Second Team her senior season...Fleak joins
                           that Panthers after considering University of Findlay, Wright State University, and Tiffin University.

        "Slone's hard working mentality and strong physical tools will make her a great presence in the back."

        Kaylin Hunsaker   5'4 – Defender
        Springboro High School - Springboro, Ohio
        Southside Rockers - Dayton, Ohio

                           As a team captain her senior season, Hunsaker was named the Panthers' Defensive
                           Most Valuable Player...Also named to the All-Greater Western Ohio Conference First
                           Team and the All-Miami Valley Third Team that season...Garnered all-conference awards in sprint and
                           middle distance events for the Panther track team...Active in SABB and Young Life...ODU edged Tiffin
                           University, Wittenberg University, and Capital University in Kaylin's college search.

        "Kaylin has the kind of hard nosed personality that coaches love, and she excels in 1 v 1 battles."

·       Lauren May   5'8 – Forward/Midfielder
        Carroll High School - Dayton, Ohio
        Metro FC Rapids - Dayton, Ohio

                          May helped lead the Patriots to a third place finish in the Girls Greater Cincinnati League
                          Her senior season...Also played for the Metro FC Rapids club team under head coach
                          Matt Barnes and was selected to the ODP Region II team in 2003...Plans to major in business at Ohio
                          Dominican...May considered Ball State University, University of Cincinnati, and Hiram College before
                          committing to ODU.

        "Lauren has great athleticism and physical tools.   I am excited to see just how good she can be."

·       Sierra Patterson   5'7 – Forward
        Brecksville-Broadview Hts H.S. - Broadview Hts, Ohio
        Cleveland Whitecaps

                         A captain of her high school and club teams Patterson was named to the All-Southwestern Conference
                         Second Team her senior season...Also received an honorable mention for the All-Greater Cleveland Team...A
                         three time regional qualifier in track...Active in Student Council and volunteering at BBHS...Named the MVP
                         three straight years for her Cleveland Whitecaps club team...Sierra chose ODU over Indiana Purdue Ft.
                         Wayne, Ohio University, University of Findlay, and the University of Toledo.

        "Sierra is a classic take-on artist.   She has the flair and skill to be dangerous and loves scoring goals."

·       Lacey Stowe  5'1 – Defense/Midfield
        Northmont High School - Clayton, Ohio
        Ohio Galaxies/Southside Rockers - Dayton, Ohio

                          Stowe was named to the All-Greater Western Ohio Conference Second Team her
                          senior season...Also named to the All-Miami Valley Third Team that season...Extremely active off the field
                          Stowe serves as the school newspaper's editor-in-chief, the Vice President of Student Government, a
                          student ambassador, and is a member of the National Honor Society...selected ODU over BGSU, University
                          of Dayton, and Wilmington College.

        "Lacey always brings exceptional effort and attitude to the field, and I see her becoming a strong team leader."

·       Kelli Warden   5'5 – Midfield/Forward
        Kings High School - Kings Mills, Ohio
        Ohio Elite Soccer Academy - Cincinnati, Ohio

                         Warden was named to the All-Fort Ancient Valley Conference First Team her junior
                         and senior seasons...Was a four year starter and a team captain her final season in a
                         Knights uniform...Played basketball at Kings three years and also competed in softball for a season before
                         focusing on soccer year round...Completed 85 hours of community service at KHS...Comes to ODU after
                         considering Georgetown College, Bellarmine University, and Wittenberg University.

        "Kelli has a great mix of technique and savvy, which is going to make her a versatile and valuable player."  

·       Rebecca Williams   5'8 – Goalkeeper
        Holy Name High School - Parma Heights, Ohio
        Cleveland Whitecaps

                         Williams was a four year starter and two time captain for the Green Wave...Named MVP of the North Coast
                         League in 2007...She was named First Team All-Greater Cleveland in 2006 and 2007...2007 First Team All
                         Sun...Cleveland Plain Dealer "Best of the Best" as a Senior...Second Team All-Ohio in 2007...Named a 2007
                         NSCAA Scholar All-American...OSSCA Academic Excellence Award recipient in 2007...four year performer in
                         both basketball and track...Participated in campus ministry and student government at Holy Name...Becky
                         comes to ODU after considering the College of Wooster and Cleveland State University.

        "Becky has an exceptional mix of talent, work ethic, and leadership that are going to make a big impact at ODU."

COLUMBUS , Ohio – The Ohio Dominican women's soccer team entered the 2007 season defending their first conference title in school history and made it two in a row as they notched their second consecutive American Mideast Conference South Division Crown.   The Panthers finished in a tie with Mount Vernon Nazarene University for first place in the conference with a record of 5-1.

ODU turned in the best overall record in the program's history at 14-3-1 , which matched the accomplishment of the 2000 squad and the highest winning percentage in the program's eight seasons at .806.   The Panthers also received the AMC Fair Play Team Award for the second consecutive season after not collecting a single yellow card during the course of the year.   It is the third straight season without a card for ODU.  Panther Head Coach Paul Habrecht was named as the AMC South Division Coach of the Year for the third consecutive season as the team used a balance of inspired play and sportsmanship to advance to the NAIA Region IX Tournament.  more

The Panther defense established numerous school records, allowing just eleven goals during the season while collecting a total of thirteen shutouts. At one point during the season, the Panthers shut out five consecutive opponents as part of a school-record eight-game winning streak. Helping to anchor the defense was senior Carli Leonhardt ( Reynoldsburg , OH ) who was named to the All-AMC South Division First Team and the NAIA All-Region IX Second Team for her efforts.  Freshman Stephanie Moyer ( Sylvania , OH ) was also named to the All-AMC South First Team and the All-Region IX Second Team in her first season for the Black and Gold.   "The defense was the foundation of our success this season," commented Coach Habrecht.   "The shutouts, goals against, and victories are the result of hard work, organization, and a total team effort to defend.   Defending is about effort more then it is ability, so our team can take great pride in the discipline, commitment, and effort that went into that side of the ball this season."

As part of the defensive effort, the Panthers received stellar play in goal throughout the season. Senior Krissie Sparks ( Loveland , OH ) collected sixty saves while allowing just eleven goals through the season. Her goals against average of 0.65 established a new school record while her total of eight shutouts matched her school record for shutouts in a season in 2005. With those shutouts, Sparks became the ODU career leader in shutouts as she finished her career with 19. Sparks was named as the AMC South Division Player of the Year. She also was named to the All-NAIA Region IX First Team and received honorable mention NAIA All-American.   "It has been an amazing ride with Krissie," reminisces Coach Habrecht.   "She has grown so much off the field, and it has shown up in her game.   She went out with one amazing season, and she will be greatly missed in the future."

Offensively, ODU was led by junior Jen Burgei ( Ottoville , OH ). Burgei became the school's all-time leading goal scorer early in the season as she topped the old record of 26 held by Theresa Fox. Burgei finished the season with a team-high nine goals for a career total of 33 tallies. For her efforts, Burgei was named to the All-AMC South Second Team and the All-NAIA Region IX Second Team. Fellow junior Nikki Bresser ( Cincinnati , OH ) also provided the Panthers with a solid season, tallying five goals and five assists. Bresser was named to the All-AMC South First Team, the All-NAIA Region IX First Team and she received an honorable mention for the NAIA All-American Team. Freshman Anna Cameron ( Calgary , Alberta ) turned in a spectacular rookie campaign, tallying one goal and three assists. Cameron was named to the All-AMC South First Team, the All-NAIA Region IX First Team, and she also received and honorable mention for the NAIA All-American Team.   "The 2007 season has set a new standard for our program," believes Coach Habrecht.   "In terms of talent it has been far and away our strongest team, and the future is very exciting.   This season was a great reward for our senior class who laid the foundation for our success with a great deal of hard work and commitment over the past four years.   I thank them for all their efforts.   They have transformed our program into something truly special."

COLUMBUS , Ohio – The NAIA recently announced the list of 2007 Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes for women's soccer. The award is given to players of junior or senior status who maintain a grade point average of 3.0 or better. Ohio Dominican had a program high three player's make the list.

Headlining the list with her second consecutive award was senior Cory Righter ( Hilliard , OH ). The midfielder wrapped up her Panther soccer career as the consummate leader of the ODU squad. Righter is pursuing a degree in cross-disciplinary studies and carries an exceptional 3.932 grade point average.  more

Joining Righter on the list of NAIA Scholar-Athletes were two juniors: Jen Burgei ( Ottoville , OH ) and Briana Coddington (Lewis Center, OH). Burgei led the Panthers with nine goals during the recent campaign. As a biology major at Ohio Dominican Burgei has posted a 3.672 cumulative grade point average.  Coddington finished behind Burgei with six goals on the season for the Panthers. She is pursuing a degree in business finance and currently maintains a 3.501 grade point average.

"When I see these three women recognized for their accomplishments in the classroom I feel a special pride," said head coach Paul Habrecht.   "All of them exemplify the commitment to education that is at the heart of our program and the university itself.   It takes brains but also great discipline to reach this level of success academically, and this award reveals as much about Cory, Jen, and Bri's character as it does their intellect."