A trip to the 2022 Heartland Conference tournament has the Bluffton University women's soccer team excited to get back on the pitch this fall. Head Coach Zach Hammon led the Beavers to just their second-ever HCAC tournament berth in his first season at the helm. Bluffton went 5-11-1 overall with a 4-5 mark in Heartland Conference action.

The Beavers return four of their top five scoring threats, including fifth-year senior Nina McGinn (Marion/Harding) who led Bluffton with six goals and five assists for a team-best 17 points which are 14th all-time for a single season. Her seven career assists have McGinn 10th on the all-time list. She placed 27 of her team-high 54 shots on frame and gave the opposition fits with her speed on the outside.

Kelsie Gladieux (Northwood/Lake) gave the Beavers a second viable scoring threat in her first season of collegiate soccer. She netted five tallies on just 16 shots for an efficient .312 shooting percentage. Katelyn Burden (Sidney) showed her versatility by scoring twice and adding two assists while helping anchor Bluffton's backfield. The 2023 senior has been a leader on and off the field for the Beavers, starting 31 of her 33 matches with five goals, two assists and two game-winners.

A fixture between the pipes since she stepped on campus in 2022, Brielle Collier (Anna) has started all 32 of her matches for the Beavers. She is already second on the career goalkeepers victories list with a 10-21-1 mark and her five shutouts are also tied for 2nd all-time. Collier racked up 103 saves as a sophomore, giving her 194 career stops.

Evie Masters (Arcadia/Van Buren) and Brittney Ramirez (Archbold) have both played integral roles in Bluffton limiting goal scoring chances by the opposition. They have combined for nearly 60 starts through their first two seasons with the Beavers. Ramirez checked in with two assists, while Masters chipped in with a goal.

Alyssa Kester (Centerville) scored twice as a sophomore, while Clara Matthews (Bluffton), Madison Ellerbrock (Leipsic/Miller City) and Rilynn Kaufman (Goshen, Ind./Bethany Christian) all hit paydirt once in 2022.

Following the season opener at Otterbein on Friday, Sept. 1, Bluffton will make itself at home with four straight matches at the Sears Complex, including Berea College on Sunday, Sept. 3. The Beavers head to Lexington for the HCAC kickoff on Wednesday, Sept. 27. Bluffton plays at long-time rival Defiance College on Wednesday, Oct. 18, before wrapping up the regular season with a home matchup against Manchester a week later.

-BEAVERS-