Jake's List: Top 15 Richland County girls soccer players returning in 2022
The girls soccer talent in Richland County is off the charts.
So much so that there is so much coming back that I had to do a Top 15 returning players in 2022 and still left some very good players off the list. Let's dive in and see who are the best girls soccer players coming back for the 2022 season.
15. Brooklyn Gwirtz, Shelby
Gwirtz led the Whippets with nine goals and four assists, earning honorable mention all-district and second team All-Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference. The Whippets are in their fourth year of existence and it is because of players like Gwirtz that soccer is on the rise in Shelby.
14. Mary Wilkins, Shelby
Last season Wilkins scored four goals and added two assists for the Whippets on her way to being named second-team all-district and second team All-MOAC. Like Gwirtz, Wilkins has been with the program since the beginning and would love nothing more than to see her final year of soccer end with success.
13. Taylor Mullins, Ontario
A second-team all-district and second-team All-MOAC goalie for the Warriors, Mullins brings back a load of athleticism and experience to a team that lost an awful lot from last year's MOAC championship squad. She had 49 saves a year ago and is coming back from an ACL injury suffered during softball season. The hope is to have her back at some point in the year, and she will make a huge difference if she can return.
12. Renee Anders, Clear Fork
Speaking of great goalies, Anders earned second-team all-district and second-team All-MOAC for her efforts in goal, recording 63 saves to help the Colts finish second in the league. With Anders back, the Colts know they have a solid back line of defense right from game one Game 1.
11. Kendall Windsor, Clear Fork
Windsor scored 12 goals and added nine assists as she enjoyed a breakout season with the Colts. She earned second-team all-district and second-team All-MOAC honors as a sophomore, and comes back as one of the top scorers on the team. The Colts should be absolutely loaded this year.
10. Calah Rader, Mansfield Christian
Radar scored 10 goals and added five assists last season for the Flames as she was named second-team all-district and second-team All-Mid-Buckeye Conference. The Flames return the majority of their roster from last season and, with a leader like Rader, it should be a special year.
9. Taylor Tucker, Madison
One of the absolute best defenders in Richland County, Tucker will make it tough for anyone to score on Madison. She was a second-team all-district and second-team All-Ohio Cardinal Conference player last season and has the Rams looking for a sixth consecutive district championship.
8. Natalee Back, Madison
After scoring six goals and adding one assist, Back returns as the leading goal-scorer for the Rams. She has the defense behind her to keep teams from scoring, so watch for the second-team all-district and second-team All-OCC player to take some changes and play aggressively on offense.
7. Lilly Wortman, Clear Fork
With 16 goals and nine assists, Wortman is the leading point scorer returning for the Colts. She was a second-team all-district and first-team All-MOAC selection last season and has the Colts looking like the most talented team in a very strong district.
6. Mylah Davis, Madison
Davis was a huge reason why the Rams won a fourth consecutive district championship. Sure, she scored three goals and added two assists, but it was her ability to play multiple positions that made her stand out to the point she was named first-team all-district and first team All-OCC. She can play defense, facilitate from the middle of the field and finish at the net. She is the real deal.
5. Alyssa Carroll, St. Peter’s
Carroll earned first-team all-district and first-team All-MBC honors last season for the Spartans, who may have only won one game but Carroll was exceptionally talented for her squad.
4. Noelle Beare, Mansfield Christian
There may not be a more athletic girls soccer player in Richland County than Beare. A first-team all-district and first team All-MBC player last year, Beare scored four goals and added nine assists as she played all over the pitch. She is standout on defense and can play midfield when needed and don't be surprised if she takes someone one-on-one and scores on them with ease.
3. Annika Labaki, Clear Fork
There isn't a more unselfish player in Richland County. Labaki is a true facilitator, handing out 14 assists and scoring seven goals last season when she earned first-team all-district and first-team All-MOAC honors last season. With the weapons she has around her, don't be surprised if she ends the year with 20 or more assists.
2. Abby Little, Mansfield Christian
One of just two All-Ohioans coming back in 2022, Little has been as consistent as they come. Last season, she scored 22 goals and added five assists and was known as possibly the best finisher in Richland County as she never wasted many opportunities. She was a second-team All-Ohioan in Division III along with earning first-team all-district and first-team All-MBC honors as a junior. Now, it is her senior year and the Flames are absolutely loaded, and with Little back at the top a district title is the expectation.
Adi Turnbaugh, Ontario
Turnbaugh is undoubtedly the most athletic player coming back in 2022. She was named second team All-Ohio, first team all-district and first team All-MOAC last season, after scoring 11 goals and handing out 14 assists while playing basically every position on the pitch. When her team needed someone to be marked, she was asked to play defense. When it needed a goal, she could either go score it or create one with her passing ability. Turnbaugh is the reason why Ontario is fully expected to carry on a winning tradition this season.
jfurr@gannett.com
740-244-9934
Twitter: @JakeFurr11
This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Jake's List: Who are the Top 15 girls soccer players returning in 2022?
