WESTERVILLE, Ohio – The Marietta College women's soccer team saw its historic 2026 season come to a close Tuesday evening with a hard-fought 1-0 loss to Otterbein University in the Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament quarterfinals.
"I encourage everyone to look at where Marietta college women's soccer was 4 or 5 years ago," said Marietta head coach
Zack Votra. "The competitive level instilled in this team is a testament to the seniors and teams before us that laid the ground work. Two historic seasons in a row is an incredible place to build from. I'm so grateful for these 29 young ladies."
The host Cardinals netted the game's lone goal just 2:25 into the match when Elaina Seif finished a scoring chance off an assist from Olivia Brooks. Despite conceding early, the Pioneers settled in and battled throughout the remainder of the contest, keeping themselves within striking distance for the full 90 minutes.
Marietta generated five shots in the match and put two on target.
Jailynn Woodruff (Wooster, Ohio/Northwestern) tested Otterbein goalkeeper Isabella Neal in the 11th minute with a shot headed for the lower center of the goal, while
Jaylyn Thornton (Pataskala, Ohio/Watkins Memorial) nearly found the equalizer in the second half. Thornton's shot in the 73rd minute forced Neal to extend and punch the shot over the crossbar.
The Pioneers ratcheted up the offensive pressure after halftime, recording four of their five shots in the second period and earning five of their seven corner kicks over the final 45 minutes. Marietta's best stretch came midway through the second half when the team earned three corner kicks in a span of 12 minutes and fired off three shots between the 72nd and 73rd minutes.
Otterbein held a 12-5 advantage in total shots and a 4-2 edge in shots on goal. Marietta goalkeeper
Francesca Agliolo (San Gabriel, Calif./Mayfield Senior) kept the Pioneers within one goal, making three saves, including a pair during the opening half.
The Pioneers finish the season with a 6-10-3 overall record after qualifying for the OAC Tournament and making their first postseason appearance since 2003. Otterbein advances to the conference semifinals with a 9-7-1 record.
Fans can follow all the Pioneer teams all year long at
pioneers.marietta.edu. You can also follow the Pioneers on Facebook at
facebook.com/MariettaCollege and @MariettaPioneer on X and Instagram.
