Here are 12 Columbus-area high school girls soccer players to watch this fall
Olentangy Orange girls soccer coach Tim Lawrence admits it took him a few weeks to re-watch his team’s Division I state semifinal loss to Cincinnati Seton last season.
The Pioneers lost 2-1 in double overtime. Seton went on to win the championship, beating Strongsville 1-0.
“We learned from that and we’ve moved on,” Lawrence said. “We’ll give it our best shot again this year.”
The central Ohio talent pool remains deep, but so Orange isn't taking anything for granted.
“It’s always tough to (repeat) as regional champions,” said Lawrence, who is in his seventh season. “Fortunately, we are in a good position with our team. The core group is coming back. We lost some critical kids. We have some new faces, but we have a good core group that we think can challenge the teams in the area.”
Senior midfielder Lauryn Barringer is a key returnee for Orange, which figures to have plenty of competition for the area's berth to state.
“(The) Central District is going to be a bear again,” Lawrence said. “I just look at our division of the OCC. ... (We face) Dublin Coffman, Upper Arlington, Olentangy Liberty and two of the three Hilliards (in Bradley and Davidson). It’s brutal. It’s probably tougher to win (the OCC-Central) than it is the district.”
New Albany, which should be led by senior midfielder Allie Metcalf, won a district title last season before losing to Dublin Jerome 1-0 in a regional semifinal. The Eagles, however, have lost juniors Sydney Bering (forward) and Noelle Miriello (forward/midfielder) to season-ending knee injuries.
Miriello also missed her sophomore season with a knee injury.
“Noelle started for us as a freshman and she tore her ACL last year in club and tore her other ACL this club season,” said coach Jared Dombroski, who is in his seventh season. “Hopefully I’ll get Noelle and Sydney back as seniors because those two are incredible players that add so much to our program. They’re definitely going to be missed.”
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In Division II, Fairfield Union and Granville each won district titles a season ago but lost in regional semifinals.
In Division III, Grandview Heights advanced to a regional final before losing to Lynchburg-Clay 1-0. The Bobcats should be led by senior midfielder Natalie Smith.
Here are 12 central Ohio girls soccer players to watch this fall:
Lauryn Barringer, Olentangy Orange
The midfielder is coming off a junior season in which she collected 10 goals and 13 assists to help lead the Pioneers to a Division I state semifinal, losing to eventual champion Cincinnati Seton 2-1 in double overtime to finish 19-2-3. A Coastal Carolina commit, Barringer was second-team all-OCC-Central.
Taylor Duff, Dublin Coffman
The senior midfielder finished with seven goals and five assists a season ago, helping the Shamrocks reach a Division I district final, losing to New Albany 3-2 in overtime to finish 13-3-4. Duff was first-team all-district and all-OCC-Central and second-team all-state.
Fina Davy, Olentangy Berlin
The senior forward recorded 26 goals and seven assists with four hat tricks last season as the Bears advanced to a Division I regional semifinal, losing to Orange 1-0 to finish 18-2-1. Davy was second-team all-OCC-Cardinal.
Imani Kissi, Dublin Jerome
The senior midfielder finished with five goals and 15 assists as she helped the Celtics reach a Division I regional final, losing to Orange 1-0 to finish 17-2-1. Kissi was first-team all-district and all-OCC-Cardinal.
Sofia Divine, Worthington Christian
A senior midfielder, Divine finished last season with eight goals and seven assists as the Warriors advanced to a Division III district final, losing to Berlin Hiland 2-1 on penalty kicks to finish 14-4-2. Divine was first-team all-state, all-district and all-MSL-Ohio.
Ava Labocki, Granville
A senior forward, Labocki registered 24 goals and 12 assists last season, helping Granville reach a Division II regional semifinal, losing to Waynesville 5-1. She was first-team all-state and Player of the Year in the district and Licking County League.
Kylie Lewis, Gahanna Lincoln
After a three-win season in 2021, the senior defender helped lead the Lions to 10 wins and a share of the OCC-Ohio title with New Albany and Pickerington North last fall. Lewis, whom coach David Merrick calls the anchor of the team, was first-team all-league and second-team all-district.
Allie Metcalf, New Albany
The senior midfielder led the Eagles a season ago, finishing with 22 goals and nine assists before missing most of the postseason with a knee injury. Metcalf, a North Carolina-Charlotte commit, was first-team all-state and all-district and OCC-Ohio co-Player of the Year as New Albany went 14-6, losing to Jerome 2-1 in a Division I regional semifinal.
Isabel Niermeyer, Bexley
The senior forward collected 23 goals and nine assists a season ago, with six game-winning goals and three hat tricks. Niermeyer was first-team all-district and second-team all-state in Division II as well as Player of the Year in the MSL-Ohio. The Lions finished 11-5-3, losing to Licking Valley 3-2 in overtime in the second round of the district tournament.
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Reagan Ross, Olentangy
The senior forward finished last season with 15 goals and 12 assists as the Braves went 13-4-4, falling to Orange 2-1 in a district final. Ross, a Belmont commit, was first-team all-state, all-district and all-OCC-Cardinal.
Peyton Sifrit, Jonathan Alder
The junior controls the Pioneers’ defense at center back, according to coach Jim Daugherty. Last season, Sifrit was first-team all-district in Division II and first-team all-CBC-Kenton Trail. She was named the team’s defensive MVP.
Natalie Smith, Grandview Heights
The senior midfielder had 20 goals and nine assists a season ago, helping Grandview advance to a Division III regional final, losing to Lynchburg-Clay 1-0 to finish 15-4-2. Smith was district Player of the Year and first-team all-state and all-MSL-Ohio.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 12 central Ohio girls soccer players to watch this fall
