By Caleb Scott
The Ohio Northern women's soccer team saw three members earn National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-Great Lakes Region honors for the 2016 season.
Seniors Shelby Stephens (Cypress, Tex./Woods), Michaela Gutierrez (Moon Township, Pa./Moon Area), and Missy Ward (Columbus/Westerville North) each earned All-Region honors.
Stephens was named First Team All-Great Lakes Region as a forward for the first time in her career and earned All-Region honors for the second time as a Polar Bears. The First Team All-OAC selection led the team with nine goals and three game winning shots and ranked second on the team with six assists. Stephens was also tied for fourth in the Ohio Athletic Conference with 24 points.
Gutierrez was named Second Team All-Great Lakes Region as a defender for the second time in her career and earned All-Region honors for the third time. She made starts in all 19 games this season for Northern and was also named First Team All-OAC.
Ward earned her first career Great Lakes Region accolade as she was named NSCAA Second Team All-Great Lakes Region as a midfielder. She was tied for third on the team with five goals and had a team-best .654 shots on goal percentage among those with 10 or more shots on goal. Ward was also named First Team All-OAC.
Northern concluded the 2016 campaign 15-4-0 overall under 13th-year head coach Mark Batman and won the OAC Regular Season Title.
