Fischer, Rodriguez and Sears Named B1G Players to Watch
8/16/2021 1:00:08 PM | Women's Soccer
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State’s Kayla Fischer, Izzy Rodriguez and Emma Sears were all named Big Ten Women’s Soccer Players to Watch this season. As a team, the Buckeyes were picked by the league’s head coaches to finish third in the preseason poll.
Fischer is coming off a first team All-Big Ten season this past spring where she scored five goals and had four assists. She also earned first team All-North Region honors by the United Soccer Coaches and should again be one of the top attacking forwards in the conference.
Sears led the Buckeyes as a sophomore last season with seven goals and 17 points. Her seven goals were third-most in the Big Ten while she finished fourth in points. She earned second team All-Big Ten honors as well as second team All-North Region honors.
Rodriguez was named last season’s Big Ten Defender of the Year as she was part of a defense that had a scoreless streak of over 315 minutes. Rodriguez earned third team All-America honors last year by the United Soccer Coaches and is now a two-time member of first team All-North Region and All-Big Ten teams. The four-time OSU Scholar-Athlete and two-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar will once again anchor a strong Buckeye back line.
The Buckeyes were picked to finish third in the conference this season behind Penn State and Rutgers. Last season, the Buckeyes were second in the conference with a 6-1-3 mark and earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament. They reached the second round of the tournament following a 5-1 win over Stony Brook in the first round.
Ohio State returns 10 of 11 starters from last year’s team, including six of it’s top-seven point scorers. Senior Bailey Kolinski returns for her fifth season in goal, giving the Buckeyes a veteran presence between the pipes. Senior defender Talani Barnett was a third team All-Big Ten honoree last season while sophomore Peyton McNamara was the Co-Big Ten Freshman of the Year following her six-goal, three-assist campaign last spring.
2021 BIG TEN WOMEN’S SOCCER PRESEASON POLL
1. Penn State
2. Rutgers
3. Ohio State
4. Michigan
5. Wisconsin
6. Indiana
7. (tie) Iowa
(tie) Northwestern
9. Illinois
10. Minnesota
11. Purdue
12. Nebraska
13. Michigan State
14. Maryland
#GoBuckeyes
