From the small town of Dover, Ohio to the big city of Columbus, Ohio, AJ Stingel learned how to adapt to the big city life in the small Ohio Dominican University (ODU) community. ODU is a NCAA Division II school located just ten minutes outside of downtown Columbus. Soccer has been a big part of Stingel’s life as he first began playing in the third grade. He said that he took a break in his soccer career to focus on basketball, but injured his right hand while playing basketball, which redirected his focus back to soccer. After AJ’s high school soccer career, he continued his academic and athletic career at ODU.

A Dover native, AJ knows what it means to grow up in a small community: “The first word I think of when I think of Dover soccer is support. Whether it be from Coach Loffredo running the engine of the program as a whole, or all of the parents and families putting their time and effort into us, I always felt like everyone involved in Dover soccer was willing to go the extra mile to ensure us players got the most out of it. Dover soccer has provided friendships, memories, experiences and lessons that I will carry with me throughout my life,” said Stingel. With a city of roughly 13,000 people, a tight-knit community allowed AJ to thrive both on and off the field. Stingel mentioned his favorite memory of Dover soccer came from his junior year of high school (2024). “Coming off of a heartbreaking overtime loss to Green to end my sophomore season, we had the opportunity to rematch them early in my junior year. Green is a much larger, and historically more achieving school than us. So, we were never meant to beat them. Over repeated match ups with them, a sort of rivalry began to form between us. Finally, having the chance to play them again my junior year and avenge the loss from the previous year was so exciting. That game ended up being one of the strongest performances I had seen from our team. We would end up winning 4-1 in a dominant and encouraging performance,” exclaimed Stingel. AJ’s accolades in high school included 2nd Team All-District and the Scholar Athlete award. It is clear to see Stingel has the drive to succeed and a passion for soccer that has carried over into his collegiate career. 

AJ’s reasoning for choosing ODU goes beyond the soccer field. Ohio Dominican provides students with many opportunities during their time in college and many career paths after graduation: “I chose ODU for a multitude of reasons. Some of the key factors were the location, soccer, and the opportunities. ODU was a perfect location for me. It wasn’t right next to home but just close enough to where I could easily come back home when and if necessary. Additionally, Coach Merrick and the soccer program as a whole aligned with my goals. I saw an opportunity here where I would be able to prove myself and fit into the system well. Finally, ODU showed itself as a place where I would have the opportunity to achieve a high level of education in the most efficient way, and also offered many opportunities to pursue after graduation,” stated Stingel. Ohio Dominican University is a Catholic liberal arts college and encourages students to find themselves in prayer, community, ministry, and study.

Looking at Stingel’s collegiate career, he appeared in 11 games in 2025. In 2026, he has started in four games and appeared in five. It is still early into the 2026 season, but Stingel is leaning into his role on the field: “Seeing the field last year was huge in my development and taking the next step. I felt that having those minutes helped me understand what the level was and how it was different than anything I had played before. Having those minutes helped me adapt to that change, become comfortable in my position, and give myself the belief and confidence that I had what it takes to play and contribute at this level. Being a starter now, I can take everything I learned last year to be one of the leaders this year and continue to grow,” noted Stingel. The Ohio Dominicans men’s soccer team is young as over 60% of the team are first-year students or new transfers. With a new team dynamic this season, the men have had to find ways to mesh together on and off of the field. Stingel talked about the team goals for the remainder of the season, “I think our main goal this year is to make the GMAC tournament. Building off of that, I think the main goal we have is to get the results we feel we deserve. We have struggled to maximize opportunities this year and win the games we feel we are better and play better than our opponents. Our goal for the rest of the season is to maximize those results and have something to show for the quality we display.” The Panthers have a lot of talented returners as well as impressive newcomers that could help take the competition by surprise the rest of the 2026 season. 

AJ Stingel is a well-rounded human and athlete. Coming from a small town, he is able to make personal connections with people, which will take him a long way in life. He puts in the work both academically and athletically and there is no doubt with the work ethic he has that he will succeed in life. Stingel reflected on his soccer career and gave his past self some advice: “One thing I would tell my younger self is that there is light at the end of the tunnel. No matter what setbacks you face or how far behind you think you are, making the decision to get up and work every day will produce a fruitful change. I would remind myself that failure, setbacks, and disappointments are often redirections and a gift from God rather than something to dwell in.” 

You can keep up with AJ and the Ohio Dominican men’s soccer team on the Ohio Dominican Panthers athletic page online, or come down to Columbus, Ohio, catch a soccer game, and support a Dover local!