Some freshmen take time to mature and learn their roles in college but that has not been the case for Ohio, as this year’s true freshmen have entered the program and made an immediate impact on the pitch.
This may come as a surprise to some, as none of the eight true freshmen were recruited to Ohio by first-year head coach Aaron Rodgers.
The previous regime under coach Stacy Strauss recruited this key class for the Ohio soccer program.
“Stacy was talking to us about how our class was supposed to improve and help the team so that’s what I was looking forward to. We were going to be like an impact class,” forward Allison Cislo said.
Under Strauss, the freshmen could have had a chance to impact the program, but now under Rodgers, they have a chance to help redefine it.
“When we’re seniors I think we’ll know what’s expected and we’ll have a lot of experience with him,” said midfielder Mollie Whitacre.
After Strauss resigned to “pursue other professional opportunities,” according to a previous Post article, Rodgers was hired to replace her, and Strauss’ recruits were eligible to re-commit elsewhere.
However, all but one, Elise Jones, remained committed to Ohio University as the group displayed faith in Rodgers’ vision.
“I’m really proud that our ladies wanted to be Ohio Bobcats,” Rodgers said. “This soccer program is bigger than any one individual and the fact that they wanted to come play for OU and to become an Ohio Bobcat showed me a lot that they were committed to this university, this athletic department and soccer program.”
Despite their youth, the freshman class has already seen significant playing time on the field so far this season. Six of the eight true freshmen — Whitacre, Cislo, Alexis Milesky and Erin Wrubel — have all received playing time in each of the Bobcats’ 10 games.
“When you come in as a freshman you don’t know what to expect,” Rodgers said. “The pace of the game is so fast there’s no real way to compare unless you’ve played with the national teams. It’s very difficult to compare the pace of the game from youth soccer to college soccer. As the season has gone on they have grown and become more comfortable as players.”
The learning curve has been high for these young players, but the experience now will surely pay off later in their careers at Ohio. As for Rodgers, he wants to raise the level of completion in the team.
“I hope every year that we are able to have freshmen that are able to contribute,” Rodgers said. “That’s the way our program is going to get better is to continue to bring in better and better players. I talk about that all the time because I’m not doing them justice if I don’t bring in better and better players.
“It helps the returning players get better and it only raises the level of our team, which helps us become more successful and helps us win a championship.”
This class is key for Rodgers at the beginning of his tenure at OU, as the group of girls can form a pillar of success for the program.
“For them to be able to come and learn the way that I want to do things and the program culture that we’re creating now, it’s huge,” he said. “They are going to be a big part of it along with everybody, but they will be … laying the foundation and passing along to the next classes that come in the culture what we are defining now for Ohio soccer.”
AK840511@ohiou.edu
@Kovarandrew
