Ohio State then-freshman forward Emma Sears (19) completes a throw-in during the Ohio State-Penn State game on Oct. 6, 2019. Ohio State lost 2-3. Credit: Gretchen Rudolph | For The Lantern
She may only be in her second year of college soccer, but forward Emma Sears has already made a name for herself within Ohio State athletics.
Sears, who was named best female athlete by Lantern readers this year, has started every game for the Buckeyes this season. The Dublin, Ohio, native ignited the Buckeye offense this season by scoring their first four goals. Sears, junior forward Kayla Fischer and freshman midfielder Peyton McNamara lead the Ohio State attack, combining for 10 goals.
“I think we all work really well together because Peyton’s really good on the ball, and then combining with us, me and Emma have similar qualities that we can run at the backline,” Fischer said. “I think that’s why it works really well because she can check back to our midfielders and then Emma and I have the ability to run in behind.”
In their season opener against Michigan, Sears scored her first collegiate goal in the second half off an assist from Fischer. In the next game, a home bout with Wisconsin, Sears proved she was a force to be reckoned with, clinching a win by scoring a hat-trick against the Badger defense.
“I relied a lot on my teammate’s balls to score those three goals,” Sears said. “I got a lot of through balls which helped me and then after that, I just tried it out towards the goal and was able to finish them.”
After her explosive play against Wisconsin, Sears was named the Big Ten’s Co-Offensive Player of the Week March 2, earning the title alongside Indiana senior midfielder Melanie Forbes. This was Sears’ first career conference award, becoming the first Buckeye to achieve the honor since senior defender Izzy Rodriguez in 2018.
“Quite frankly, Emma just made a commitment to her own body in the offseason, and she’s a player who has a very deep fitness base,” head coach Lori Walker-Hock said. “But she also coupled out with strength training, and so the power she’s gained in her legs right now is the difference; it makes her more explosive.”
Walker-Hock credits Sears’s talent to her commitment to getting a little bit better every day. Even with the uncertainty of a season, she said Sears never once slacked off, putting in work even in the lonely days of quarantine.
“It’s really just a credit to her willingness to do the work during COVID by herself and during that time, so I applaud her for doing that work and her commitment to just taking her body to the next level,” Walker-Hock said.
Although she never found the net in her freshman season, Sears saw the field 17 times last year, attempting 15 shots and starting twice. She came to Ohio State as a four-year letter winner and three-year starter at Dublin Jerome High School.
At the club level, Sears played for former professional soccer player Chris King at Ohio Premier. Some of her accolades include being named to the first-team All-Ohio twice, a three-time first-team Ohio Capital Conference player and the 2018 OCC Player of the Year.
Sears and the Buckeyes (3-1-3) have three more regular-season matchups to compete for the Big Ten title. Although the season was pushed back a semester, Sears’s dedication and determination have motivated the team during a season unlike any other.
