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Sarah Helbert, Meghan Schymanski, and Catherine Hess have helped MVNU post a 60-23-2 record (.718 winning percentage) over the past four years. During that span, the Lady Cougars have won two National Christian College Athletic Association East Region titles, the program’s first AMC South Division title in 2003, and the 2003 NCCAA national championship with a 20-3-1 overall record. MVNU is currently 12-3-0 this season and has clinched its fourth straight postseason berth in the AMC/NAIA Region IX Tournament.

Helbert, a defender from Avon Lake, Ohio, has played in 81 career matches with 56 starts. The former Avon Lake High School star has registered three goals and three assists in her career, and the Lady Cougars’ defense has posted 33 shutouts over the past four years. Helbert, who was named to the NAIA and NCCAA All-America Scholar-Athlete teams last year and will be up for those honors again this season, has played in all 15 matches this year with 11 starts. She was named to the NCCAA East Region Team in 2003 and the AMC South Division Honorable Mention list in 2002.

"Sarah has dealt with more adversity than any player I have coached,” said MVNU head coach Jonathan Meade. "Despite all the difficulties that she has had with her knees, she has not let it stop her from competing. She made the decision her freshman year just to push through the pain and play because she loves the game and her teammates too much to let it stop her. She has never given up and has proven to be one of the toughest defenders in our program’s history. She has made huge statements to her teammates by her consistent effort on the field, her perfection in the classroom, and her humble faith in Christ.”

Schymanski, a goalkeeper from Elida, Ohio, has played in 21 career games with 11 starts. During the 2001 season, the former Elida High School standout played in 13 matches with 10 starts and posted a 0.99 goals against average with three shutouts. This season, Schymanski has played in two matches with one start. She has also been nominated for the NCCAA All-America Scholar-Athlete Team.

"I am so proud of Meg,” said Meade. "No one could ask for a better teammate. Whether she has started or played as a reserve, she has always been one of the hardest working players on the field, in practice, and in her academic life. She always puts her teammates first whether it is shouting encouragement from the sideline, taking a struggling teammate aside during a practice to reassure them that she believes in them, or just sticking around to help put away equipment even when she is not on the schedule. She is a true servant leader who cares for her teammates, and I know that these qualities stem from her faith in God and her commitment to serve him.”

Hess, a forward from Hillsboro, Ohio, has played in 82 career matches with 80 starts. She holds the MVNU career records for goals (63), assists (46), and points (172), and she also holds the school’s single-season assist mark with 16 in 2003. This season, the former Hillsboro High School star leads the Lady Cougars with 20 goals and 11 assists, and she has already been the AMC, NAIA Region IX, and NCCAA Player of the Week twice as well as becoming the first player in the program’s history to earn NAIA National Player of the Week honors. In addition, she was named to the NAIA Honorable Mention All-American Team and the NCCAA All-American First Team in 2003.

"I think that it is safe to say that Cat has been the most exciting player to watch in our program’s history,” said Meade. "We have watched her win a lot of balls on the field because of her great work ethic, but the most exciting part is waiting for her to rocket a shot into the back of the net. She has had some of the biggest goals in our program’s history including the game-winning goal in the NCCAA national championship match and most recently the game-winner at Tiffin to keep us in first place in the AMC South. However, she is also quick to point out that she could not have done any of this without the efforts of her teammates.”

In addition to their match with Ohio Dominican, the Lady Cougars will close out the regular season with a non-conference match at Saint Vincent (Pa.) College on Saturday and an AMC South Division contest at Malone College next Tuesday.