Ohio Wesleyan University | Battling Bishop Athletics

2008 Season Preview

Ohio Wesleyan won 10 games last year, the Bishops' highest season win total during Redmond's 8-year tenure at the Bishop helm. The season ended on a bittersweet note, however, when Ohio Wesleyan finished in a deadlock for fourth place in the NCAC standings and lost a tiebreaker for the final spot in the conference tournament.

This year, with 7 returning starters and a second consecutive deep, talented incoming class, Redmond hopes that the Bishops can not only make their first-ever appearance in the NCAC tournament, but win Ohio Wesleyan's first conference championship since 1995.

[ Christa Cocumelli ] "This is one of the strongest teams since I've been here," Redmond said, "in that we have depth we've never had before. We have 22 players vying for a starting spot and not a whole lot of difference between who starts and who's going in as a sub."

Ohio Wesleyan increased to 26 goals in 2007 from 14 during the 2006 season, and the Bishops return their top 2 scorers from last season in sophomores Christa Cocumelli (Dublin/Bishop Watterson) and Lilly Jianas (Shawnee Mission, Kan./Pembroke Hill). Cocumelli contributed 4 goals and 2 assists on the way to first-team All-NCAC laurels, while Jianas led the Bishops and ranked in the top 10 in the NCAC in scoring with 8 goals and an assist, receiving second-team all-conference honors.

Sophomores Meredith Dargusch (Columbus/Bexley) and Erin Fleck (Columbus/Bishop Watterson) also return.

Newcomers who seek to contribute include freshman Christine Gerard (Port Washington, N.Y./Schreiber), a 2-time all-conference selection in high school; freshman Mimi Anthony (Millbrook, N.Y./Millbrook School), freshman Abigail Walsh (Millville, Mass./Blackstone-Millville) and freshman Kathleen Ziminsky (Mt. Kisco, N.Y./Sacred Heart), all of whom won all-star honors in high school; freshman Katie Carlin (Westwood, Mass.), who led her high school team in scoring; freshman Lex Kondas (Powell/Olentangy Liberty) and freshman Kathleen Lewis (Madison, N.J.).

[ Jessica Wright ] Sophomore Jessica Wright (Lancaster) leads the returnees in the midfield. Wright scored 2 goals last year and was an honorable mention All-NCAC selection.

Sophomore Caiti Goodman (Washington, D.C./Bethesda-Chevy Chase (Md.)) moves back from the attack line to further bolster the Bishop midfield, while freshman Alyse Marotta (Dublin/Jerome), a 2-time All-Ohio selection, and freshman Macie Miller (Kettering/Fairmont) will look to earn starting roles, along with freshman Jen Doud (Collingswood, N.J.).

Sophomore Hannah Coughlin (Dublin/Scioto) and sophomore Melissa Martin (Poway, Calif.) are returning starters who will anchor the Bishop defense. Sophomore Sarah Ingles (Powell/Olentangy Liberty) looks to bounce back from an injury-plagued 2007 season, and freshman Kelsey Morrison (Hudson/Western Reserve) and classmate Cara Foley (Owings Mills, Md./Garrison Forest) also should be heard from.

Junior Krista Murray (Rochester Hills, Mich./University Liggett) inherits the starting goalkeeper position. Freshman Liz Searfos (Powell/Olentangy Liberty) adds additional depth.

Heading into a season with only 1 upperclassman may seem daunting, but for Redmond, the sky is the limit. "We still have room to step it up. We don't have any real stars — I can't say that any particular player is better than anyone else on the team. When we improve, we do it as a group."

The Bishops open the season against Sewanee on Aug. 30, then host DePauw before the NCAC schedule begins at Wittenberg on Sept. 10. A date with traditional rival Denison follows before a road trip to Bridgewater (Va.) and Roanoke (Va.) in late September. The non-conference portion of the schedule also includes games against Rochester (N.Y.) and Transylvania (Ky.) before the Bishops hit the home stretch, finishing the regular season with 5 straight games against the cream of the NCAC, facing Kenyon twice, Denison, Oberlin and Wooster.