Women’s Soccer ranked No. 8 in United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll
By Blake Moore
| United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll |
ADA –The Ohio Northern women's soccer program garnered national attention as the Polar Bears were ranked eighth in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll released by the national association Tuesday.
Northern was tabbed No. 8 in NCAA Division III women's soccer after ending its historic 2017 season with the same ranking. The program reached the eighth spot last season after jumping six positions from No. 14 with the release of the final poll after its first NCAA Division III Elite 8 appearance in school history.
Reigning NCAA champion Williams (Mass.) topped the preseason rankings list after ending 2017 with a 21-1-1 record. Chicago (Ill.) and the College of New Jersey ranked second and third, respectively, to round out the top three selections.
The Polar Bears are fresh off a campaign where the program went 20-2-2 and posted an undefeated 9-0-0 record in Ohio Athletic Conference play to capture the conference's tournament and regular season titles.
The season marked the first time in Ohio Northern women's soccer history that a team claimed both crowns in the same year.
Northern is set to open its 2018 season at the Illinois Wesleyan Tournament on September 1 and 2. The Polar Bears are scheduled to face off against Hope (Mich.) and their weekend hosts, No. 23 Illinois Wesleyan, before returning to Kerscher Stadium on September 8 for their home opener against Case Western Reserve.
United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll
August 7, 2018
Rank | School | Prev. | W-L-T |
1. | Williams (Mass.) | 1 | 22-1-1 |
2. | Chicago (Ill.) | 2 | 21-2-0 |
3. | College of N.J. | 3 | 21-0-1 |
4. | Hardin-Simmons (Tex.) | 4 | 23-1-0 |
5. | Messiah (Pa.) | 5 | 17-2-4 |
6. | Johns Hopkins (Md.) | 6 | 18-3-3 |
7. | William Smith (N.Y.) | 7 | 19-2-0 |
8. | Ohio Northern | 8 | 20-2-2 |
9. | Wisc.-LaCrosse | 11 | 19-2-2 |
10. | Washington (Mo.) | 9 | 17-2-1 |
11. | Carnegie Mellon (Pa.) | 10 | 15-3-2 |
12. | Trinity (Tex.) | 6 | 17-2-0 |
13. | MIT | 12 | 19-2-1 |
14. | SUNY-Geneseo | 13 | 14-1-2 |
15. | Wheaton (Ill.) | 14 | 14-5-3 |
16. | Lynchburg (Va.) | 20 | 20-4-0 |
17. | Christopher Newport (Va.) | 17 | 19-1-1 |
18. | Middlebury (Vt.) | 18 | 12-4-2 |
19. | California Lutheran | 19 | 16-3-3 |
20. | Misericordia (Pa.) | 20 | 15-5-2 |
21. | Swarthmore (Pa.) | 21 | 15-4-2 |
22. | Loras (Iowa) | 22 | 15-2-3 |
23. | Illinois Wesleyan | 23 | 17-5-0 |
24. | Virginia Wesleyan | 24 | 15-7-1 |
25. | Brandeis (Mass.) | 25 | 12-5-4 |