Fifth-year midfielder Leanne Bough (1) tracks down a ball during Ohio State field hockey’s 1-0 loss to Rutgers at Buckeye Varsity Field Oct. 13.
Credit: Lance Haupricht | For The Lantern
After a 14-6 season, a step further in the Big Ten tournament and two National Field Hockey Coaches Association All-American recognitions, the Ohio State women’s field hockey team is letting go of eight impactful players.
These players include graduate midfielder Leanne Bough, goalkeeper Abby Danson, back Ali Gordon, back Sarah Richards, graduate back Delaney Lawler, graduate midfielder and back Julie Rodijk, forward Makenna Webster and midfielder Megan McKenna.
“The seniors and grad students have helped this program improve each year of their careers,” head coach Jarred Martin said. “We went from top 25 to top 10. From not making [the] Big Ten tournament to playing for Big Ten championships and being a mainstay in the top 10 all season long.”
This year’s graduating class scored this season’s first and last goals and has paved the way for future successful seasons.
Leanne Bough
From Whitney Point, New York, Bough has played over 68 career games as a Buckeye and had six goals this season. She received All-American nominations the past two years, All-Region recognition and NFHCA Third-Team All-American honors for 2023.
She plans to finish her master’s in business analytics in the Columbus or Cincinnati area and possibly coach local field hockey to keep in touch with her favorite sport of 17 years.
“I will forever treasure every person on this 2023 team and the outcomes we had were from the friendships we had off the field and the work we did,” Bough said. “If I had to name a season-high, it would definitely be between beating Michigan at home, of course, or beating Penn State in double overtime in Big Ten play. Both games showed our true potential and the love we have for the game and for each other.”
Ohio State defeated Michigan 5-1 Sept. 15 and Penn State 4-3 Nov. 2 after previously losing to them 2-1 Oct. 1.
Abby Danson
Danson is Ohio State’s leading goalkeeper and played in all 20 games this season. Her season-high comes from the match against Northwestern University Sept. 22. She has a 1.27 goals against average and 66 saves in total.
The Buckeyes lost to the Wildcats 4-3 Sept. 22, but Danson had eight impressive saves.
Ali Gordon
The senior back from Virginia Beach, Virginia, has been with the program since 2020. Gordon has played 688 minutes over her collegiate career.
Her all-time highs are from the 2021 season against Wake Forest with one shot on goal.
Sarah Richards
Richards is a key member of the Buckeyes’ defensive unit.
Having also played defense for her high school team in Mountain Top, Pennsylvania, Richards had a major role in shutting out opponents like in the 2022 season when Ohio State shut out a total of six teams including Northeastern University Aug. 26, 2022 (4-0), University of Albany Aug. 28, 2022 (3-0), Lehigh University Sept. 4, 2022 (4-0), Kent State (4-0), Iowa University (2-0) and Ball State University (4-0).
Delaney Lawler
The graduate student from Moorestown, New Jersey, scored the first goal of this season against Lehigh University. That goal contributed to the team’s 5-2 victory and built momentum for the rest of the season.
Lawler has played and started in 71 games over her Buckeye career. She claims 8 points from the 2022 season for a career-high.
Julie Rodijk
Originally from Huizen, Netherlands, Rodijk is credited to be one of the best midfielders and backs in the Big Ten. She is also one of Ohio State’s top scorers this season with 10 goals.
“I’m on a team with 33 girls. We’re super close and everyone is so supportive,” Rodijk said. “My teammates and coaches have always been so welcoming, so I would say they have supported me, and all of us.”
Rodijk received All-Region honors for her stellar performance this season and was put on the NFHCA’s watchlist to be an All-American recipient.
Makenna Webster
Coming to the program in 2022 after playing for the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Webster has made waves during her time as a Buckeye.
She is the team’s top scorer with 17 goals, played in all 20 games this season and is a Buckeye representative for the NFHCA Third-Team All-American team along with Bough.
In a previous interview, Martin even called her “an upfront game-changer” with her aggressive yet calculated playing style.
Webster continues her athletic career for the women’s ice hockey team, which is about halfway through its season, and has already scored four goals.
Megan McKenna
The senior from Mount Laurel, New Jersey, leaves her last season with 72 career games under her belt.
After scoring three goals and one assist against Lafayette College and Northwestern, McKenna has shown herself as a steady player on the team.
“We are Buckeyes for life. The players that I have had the honor of coaching are a part of this family and a part of my life,” Martin said. “They are amazing people on and off the field and that is one of my favorite parts of this job. I see their transformations during their OSU time, but also I get to see all their successes beyond graduation, their careers, their weddings, their families, it’s just amazing.”
