BELLVILLE — Ashland University women’s soccer coach Danny Krispinsky is leading a charmed life.
In just his second year in charge of his alma mater, Krispinsky landed arguably the highest-profile recruit of his brief tenure when Clear Fork’s Deijah Swihart verbally committed to the Eagles.
The newly-crowned Richland Source Girls Soccer Player of the Year, Swihart is a four-time Ohio Scholastic Soccer Coaches Association All-Ohioan in Division II and a three-time first-team pick. What’s more, Clear Fork reached the Division II regional championship game in three of her four varsity seasons.
So why AU?
“I just felt like it was the right place for me,” Swihart said.
A forward by nature, Swihart moved to the Clear Fork midfield this season. She teamed with fellow Richland Source team selection Jordyne Helinski to lead the Colts to the regional title game. Clear Fork was denied its first ever Final Four appearance with a 1-0 loss to LIma Bath.
Swihart was an All-Ohio second team pick as a freshman in 2011. She was a first-teamer each of the past three years.
A junior, Helinski joined Swihart on the All-Ohio first team for a second straight year. Helinski scored a whopping 45 goals this fall.
The other forwards on the Richland Source team include Crestview’s Skylar Campo, Ontario’s Abbey Brokaw, St. Peter’s Emily Yeager and Lexington’s Abigail Adams. Campo was selected to the All-Ohio second team in Division III after leading the Cougars to a berth in the district tournament. Yeager led the Spartans to an 11-5-2 record, which included three 1-0 wins over crosstown rival Mansfield Christian. Yeager was an all-district first team selection in Division III. Both Brokaw, a senior, and Adams, a freshman, were all-district first-teamers in Division II.
The Richland Source midfield includes Ontario’s Allie Atkinson, Mansfield Senior’s Alaysia Grose and Crestview’s Kayla Eichelberger. Atkinson was an All-Ohio first team selection. Grose was an all-Ohio Cardinal Conference and an all-district first team pick and Eichelberger was an all-district first-teamer in Division III.
Ontario junior Bree Speck anchors the Richland Source defense. She is joined by Madison’s Makaela Smith, Mansfield Christian’s Addalyn Patrick and St. Peter’s McKenna Crutchfield. Speck and Smith were all-district first team selections in Division II, while Patrick and Crutchfield were all-district first team in Division III.
The Richland Source goal keeper is Clear Fork’s Morgan Bailey. The senior was an all-OCC and all-district first team pick.
Honorable mention: Kaylie Baker, Madison; Tara Andrews, Madison; Hayley Huff, Madison; Kaylee Howe, Madison; Meshia Curry, Clear Fork; Taylor Cook, Clear Fork; Bailey Winand, Clear Fork; Camryn Crill, Clear Fork; Britney Hart, Clear Fork; Alex Kuenzli, Ontario; Amanda Nething, Ontario; Emily Stevens, Mansfield Senior; Jenna Jackson, Mansfield Senior; Paige Gutai, Mansfield Senior; Katherine Beech, Ontario; Olivia Shaver, Ontario; Brittany McCauley, Ontario; Olivia Depperschmidt, Lexington; Catherine Schaefer, Lexinton; Lauren Walker, Lexington; Allie Maiyer, Mansfield Christian; Elizabeth Sparks, Mansfield Christian; Ashtyn Patrick, Mansfield Christian; Zoe Young, Mansfield Christian; Gabby Zaika, Mansfield Christian; Olivia Hallar, St. Peter’s; Kirstie Schneider, St. Peter’s; McKenzie Hendrickson, St. Peter’s; Aleigha Gabor, St. Peter’s; Krissy Wichterman, Crestview; Syd McLaughlin, Crestview; Maddi Godsey, Crestview.
