High school soccer season is set to begin across Ohio this Friday. Let’s get into the girls soccer players fans should keep a close eye this fall in the Wayne/Holmes County area.
2026 top returning girls soccer players
Forwards
Delaney Marshall, Chippewa
One of the best players in Division V as a junior returns for her senior season. Marshall had a stellar junior season leading the attack for Chippewa, scoring 41 goals and 17 assists (both second in the Wayne/Holmes County area in 2025) while also leading the Chipps (22-2 record) to their second consecutive Division V state title game. Marshall, a Division V All-Ohioan last season, was named the Division V Greater Akron All-District Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year, made the Division V All-District First Team and was the Wayne County Athletic League Player of the Year.
Emme Donnelly, Chippewa
Marshall wasn’t the only attacking player for Chippewa that gave opposing defenses fits. Add Donnelly to the mix as she scored 21 goals and dished out an area-best 19 assists as a sophomore. She was named to the Division V All-District First Team and WCAL First Team.
Alaina Henthorn, Chippewa
Throw in Henthorn with Marshall and Donnelly up front and Chippewa had the best attacking trio in the Wayne/Holmes County area last season, and arguably the best in Division V. Expect much of the same this season. The trio scored a combined 82 of Chippewa’s absurd 140 goals as Henthorn pitched in with 20 goals and six assists in 16 games as a sophomore before suffering a late-season injury that ended her season early. She still made the Division V All-District First Team and WCAL First Team.
Italee Mullet, Hiland
Coming off helping lead Hiland to a Division V district title and a regional final appearance, Mullet produced 29 goal contributions (15 goals, 14 assists) as a junior. With Division V All-Ohioan forward Chanelle Kellogg gone, Mullet just might be expected to take on a bigger role for the Hawks.
Ashlyn Thompson, Wooster
As a junior, Thompson scored a team-high 11 goals and threw in nine assists for the Generals during a season where she was named to the Division II All-District Second Team and Ohio Cardinal Conference Second Team.
Kailyn Beichler, Tuslaw
Beichler won’t have her attacking partner in Paige Marthey, Tuslaw’s all-time leading goal scorer (58), this season to pair up with like last season during the Mustangs 14-4-1 and Principals Athletic Conference title-winning campaign, but based off what Beichler did as a sophomore, we’ll go ahead and guess she’ll be alright. Beichler scored 20 goals and had a team-high 15 assists while being named to the Division IV All-District First Team, Stark County Division IV First Team and PAC First Team.
Midfielders
Courttney Cline, Norwayne
Cline returns for her junior season as she was a key figure in the midfield during Norwayne’s Division V district title. Cline scored a team-high 16 goals and had two assists for the Bobcats.
Casee Schaffer, Norwayne
Schaffer, a Division V All-District Second Team and WCAL Second Team performer, formed a nice midfield pair with Cline last season as her 12 goals and team-leading seven assists speak to that.
Emma Brede, Orrville
Brede is like a jack of all trades kind of player that can operate in different areas on the pitch as a midfielder and forward, which she did during her junior season. Orrville’s main creator in 2025, Brede (15 goals, 5 assists) will look to take on that role in her final preps season. She was named as a Division IV All-Ohioan, was the Division IV Greater Akron All-District Offensive Player of the Year and made the Division IV All-District First Team and the PAC First Team.
Jayden Leach, Smithville
Leach made a warm impression as a freshman during a down season for the Smithies, where she scored six goals and made the Division V All-District Second Team and WCAL Second Team.
Charli Murphy, West Holmes
It’s not a stretch to say that Murphy was the best girls soccer player in the Wayne/Holmes County area in 2025. You can make that same case for Chippewa’s Marshall and Orrville’s Brede as well. For the winger/midfielder — and even defensive player at times — Murphy had the numbers to back up that claim. As a junior, Murphy scored an area-best 51 goals along with six assists as she earned a spot on the Division IV All-Ohio team and Division IV All-District First Team, while being named the Ohio Cardinal Conference Offensive Player of the Year.
Let’s see what she has in store in her senior season.
Defenders
Myra Lewis, Chippewa
The leader of the backline for the Chipps during their Division V state runner-up season, the junior center back helped keep things tidy for a Chippewa defense that conceded just seven goals and recorded a school record 19 shutouts in 24 games in 2025. She’s also a weapon Chippewa likes to use plenty in dead-ball situations as she added in seven goals. Lewis was named to the Division V All-District Second Team ad WCAL Second Team.
Paityn Welty, Chippewa
Paired next to Lewis last season at center back was the junior Welty, a Division V All-District Second Team and WCAL Second Teamer, who’s aggressiveness and feistiness as a defender added a fine compliment to Lewis in the back. Along with freshman starting fullbacks Maryn West and Lea Ferrell, last season’s Chippewa defense was difficult to break through for any opposing attack. Hint the only giving up seven goals last season. All four are back this season and they might be even tougher to breakdown.
Chloe Mullet and Claire Mullet, Hiland
Chloe and Claire are back for a Hawks defense that produced nine shutouts in 2025. Both made the Division V All-District Second Team.
Goalkeepers
Haley Harper, Northwestern
As a junior keeper, Harper made 283 saves for the Huskies and was named the WCAL Goalkeeper of the Year. She also found her way on the Division V All-District Second Team and WCAL First Team.
Morgan Hamby, Norwayne
In her junior season, Hamby recorded six shutouts and made 79 saves for the Bobcats. Norwayne’s only two losses in WCAL play last season was to rivals Chippewa (1-0, 3-1) and Hamby was a key reason why Norwayne hung tight in both matches.
Addison Gentry, Triway
Last season as a sophomore, Gentry had a huge season where she made 156 saves and averaged 13 saves per match. She ended up being named the Division V Greater Akron All-District Goalkeeper of the Year, while making the Division V All-District First Team and PAC First Team.
Brooklyn Noftsinger, Tuslaw
Noftsinger is already Tuslaw’s all-time leader in saves (328), wins (22) and clean sheets (14) coming into her senior season, and she’ll be looking to increase those totals by season’s end. Noftsinger (134 saves, eight shutouts in 2025) earned the Division IV All-District Goalkeeper of the Year award and made the Division IV All-District First Team, Stark County Division IV First Team and PAC First Team last season.
AJ Hochstetler, Waynedale
Hochstetler made 175 total saves, had seven shutouts and averaged 7.6 saves per match as a freshman. She was chosen to the WCAL Second Team and was a Division V All-District Honorable Mention pick.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Here are the Wooster Daily Record’s top returning girls soccer players
Reporting by James Simpson II, Wooster Daily Record / The Daily Record
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By James Simpson II, Wooster Daily Record | USA TODAY Network
