TIFFIN –  The 2026 season for the Heidelberg University Women's Soccer team features an intriguing blend of new and old, both on the pitch and on the bench. Head Coach Maddie McLaughlin hopes the mix will help her squad return to the OAC Tournament. 

THE COACHES:
Leading the charge, McLaughlin returns for her sixth season as head coach and seventh overall season with Heidelberg. Alongside McLaughlin, Kade Mitchell joins the staff as Assistant Coach after three years coaching at the high school level, and two at Hesston College. Recent alum Brigid Enright also joins the staff as an Assistant Coach for goalkeeping. During her time at Heidelberg, she was named OAC Goalkeeper of the Year and had a save percentage of .839, adding value and experience to the staff. 

THE ROSTER: 
The team's four captains are seniors Maddie Brillhart and Livi Matthews, junior Ella Jacobs, and sophomore Ella Perry.  

Seniors Alayna Hahn and Maddie Brillhart will return to the midfield in their final season. Hahn played in all 17 games last fall and tallied one goal and one assist. Brillhart appeared in 15 matches for the Student Princes. 

After recording 1,404 minutes her junior season, forward Mallory Zavatchen looks to use her experience to lead the Berg for the 2026 season. Senior defender Livi Matthews also hopes to build off her minutes from last year. 

Now a junior, Brianna Braatz was named the 2025 OAC Forward of the Year -- one year after being named OAC Freshman of the Year -- after an impressive sophomore season. Braatz led the team with 10 goals and one assist, and started all 17 games last year. 

Junior midfielder Ella Jacobs also returns, after ending the 2025 season with one goal, two assists, and 1,355 minutes.

The Student Princes look forward to returning sophomore Ella Perry, who appeared in 17 games as a freshman, logging 705 minutes. 

The team roster consists of 31 women: 11 freshmen, nine sophomores, six juniors, and five seniors. 

THE SCHEDULE: 
The Student Princes will open up their season at Hoernemann Stadium on Tuesday, Sept. 1st and 5 p.m. against Adrian. Conference play will begin on Oct. 3rd at 4 p.m., where the girls will face off at Wilmington College. Featured in their schedule are two USC Top 20 ranked teams in the nation. 

QUOTES FROM McLAUGHLIN: 
"There's a lot of potential in this group … The exciting part is that we haven't seen what we're capable of yet. I am confident in the leadership structure we have within the team, and I look forward to the younger players to step up, too."

HOW TO WATCH
The Ohio Athletic Conference is now partnered with FloSports. The OAC's 23 sports will stream live exclusively on the FloCollege platform. 

FloCollege is available on the web and for download on mobile devices (iOS and Android) as well as smart TVs and streaming devices, including Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV. FloSports offers both yearly and monthly subscription options, with discounts available to users with an .edu email address. For more information and to subscribe, please visit https://www.bergathletics.com/flo

HOW TO FOLLOW
BergAthletics.com will have up-to-the-minute information on schedule cancellations and alterations all season long.  

Additionally, links for live stats and live video (when available) will be published as they become available. 
Follow @BergAthletics on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Facebook
Follow the team on Instagram @heidelbergwsoccer