2025 SEASON PREVIEW: Fueled by seasoned returners and new faces, women's soccer is ready to make its mark
DEFIANCE, Ohio - Defiance College women's soccer enters their second season at the NAIA level and third under head coach Isabelle Danner. The Yellow Jackets endured a winless 2024 but are bringing back several key components with experience to take the next step.
Click to view the 2025 DC Women's Soccer Media Guide
Last year's team reeled from trying to replace nine seniors and have undergone six more departures after last season. Junior forward Haley Hughes is the only player remaining from Danner's first season in 2023. However, she is surrounded by several hungry players looking to make a difference in 2025. Senior defender Chloe Kern scored the team's sole goal last year and comes back as the lone senior on this year's squad. Kern will be flanked by junior forward Reagan Camp who provides strength and tenacity to the Yellow Jackets' offensive attack after leading the team in shots last season. Taylor Osborne has the most goalkeeping experience among the returners and spent the last five games of the year as the team's starter. Over that stretch, Osborne kept Defiance in a narrow 3-1 loss and a pair of 1-0 defeats.
Joining the purple and gold this season are seven freshmen, including two crucial pieces Danner believes will bring a boost to the team. Tatum Oberhauser, out of Liberty Center, is aggressive on the offensive front and has proven to be a strong scorer over the course of her career. In addition to Oberhauser is Audree Johnson, a newcomer out of Columbia City, Ind., who forewent her senior season to join the Yellow Jackets on the pitch. Danner described her as a "small player, but very technical."
Defiance will have ample opportunity to snap its drought at home with six of seven non-conference matches occurring on its home field – Winsper Knobel Memorial. Despite the familiar setting early in the year, DC will be on the road for five of its last eight games to close the season.
In the WHAC, Aquinas looks to continue its run of success in spite of recent challenges from UNOH. The Saints swept last year's championship and have now won the last five regular season titles and three of four WHAC Tournament championships. They bring back four all-conference performers while fellow national tournament qualifiers and conference runner-up UNOH returns three. Though Aquinas topped the conference in 2024, it has fallen to second in the Racers in the 2024 WHAC Preseason Coaches Poll, which was released on Aug. 4. Both teams are followed by Siena Heights, which received one first-place nod to begin the season. The Yellow Jackets hold the 12th spot with hopes of making waves in the league.
"Whenever you're rebuilding, there's always challenges that come with that and so when you get that group of girls of returners who are bought in and they're ready to go and then you add the energy of the freshman, it gets exciting as a coach," Danner said. "I'm excited to practice, I'm excited to see them scrimmage and now I'm just ready for a game."
Defiance's season opener will take place Aug. 21 at home against the St. Francis Cougars. Its conference slate is set to kick off nearly a month later at Siena Heights on Sept. 20. Click here to view the full schedule.
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