By Sean Markland 

The Bellbrook women’s soccer team has been showing steady improvement as their season moves forward. After a tough start against some top teams in the Dayton area, the players have started to find their rhythm, with back-to-back wins against SWBL opponents Monroe and Franklin.  

Head coach Brad Stork and team captains Natalie Bruckman (junior), Addison Bethel (junior), and Mara Donnerberg (senior) have emphasized teamwork, discipline, and trust in one another, which has been paying off in recent games.

“One strength that sets us apart from other teams is dedication and commitment in practice and outside of games,” Bruckman said. This has shown as the Lady Eagles defense has tightened up, limiting opponents’ chances, while the midfield has done more controlling possession and setting up the attack for Donnerberg leading her team with 0.7 goals per game.

The last couple of years, the Lady Eagles have been dominant at 14-2-3 (2024 record) and multiple number one seeds throughout the past years. Early setbacks in the 2025 season (an 0-4 start) did not discourage them. “Our chemistry is what separates us,” senior varsity player Emmie Sears said. “We trust each other and play as a unit, not just as individuals. We try to keep improving, play together as a team, and hopefully make a strong run in the season.”

The Lady Eagles did just that with back-to-back SWBL wins!

The offense has also started to click with younger players stepping up alongside veteran leaders. Second year forward and sophomore Anelise Terry has made an early impact by creating scoring chances. Midfielder Bethel has been crucial in controlling the midfield and linking defense to attack, while sophomore goalkeepers Hailey Mullenix and Danielle Heiny have come up with key saves to keep the Eagles competitive in close matches.