Lutes Tabbed as Conference Favorite in Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll
|
Team
|
Pts.
|
'18 NWC finish |
|
Pacific Lutheran (7)
|
63
|
T-1st
|
|
Whitworth (2)
|
53
|
3rd
|
|
Puget Sound
|
52
|
T-1st (AQ)
|
|
Willamette
|
43
|
4th
|
|
Linfield
|
35
|
5th
|
|
George Fox
|
30
|
6th
|
|
Whitman
|
21
|
7th
|
|
Lewis & Clark
|
18
|
8th
|
|
Pacific (Ore.)
|
9
|
9th
|
(Points awarded on an 8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis. Coaches could not vote for their own teams; numbers in parentheses indicate first place votes)
HILLSBORO, Ore. – The Pacific Lutheran Lutes women’s soccer team has been selected as the conference favorite for the 2019 season, as voted on by conference coaches. The Lutes accumulated 63 points and seven first-place votes.
The Lutes shared the NWC crown with the Puget Sound Loggers in the 2018 season, recording a 12-2-2 conference record (13-3-4 overall). The Loggers earned the automatic qualifier into the NCAA tournament due to NWC tiebreaker protocol. The Lutes regular season concluded with a 4-2 win over Willamette in the final week of conference play.
All-NWC first team honorees Brianna Hunting (D) and Leah Magee (M), as well as honorable mention selection Ellie Johnson (M) as the Lutes seek to reclaim sole possession of the NWC title in Head Coach Seth Spidahl’s eighth season at the helm of the program.
Whitworth ranks second in the poll with 53 points. Finishing the 2018 season ranked third in NWC final standings with a 10-4-2 conference slate (12-5-3 overall), the Pirates move up one spot in preseason predictions as they welcome back All-NWC honorable mention selections Jayden Baumgartner (M) and Courtney Harmon (D). The team will seek to advance in conference standings in the 2019 season as Head Coach Bryan Olson enters his fourth year leading the Bucs program.
Puget Sound sits just one point behind the Pirates in third with 52 points. Having earned a share of the conference title and recording an overall record of 13-6-2, the Loggers returned to the top of the NWC leaderboard after the Lutes snapped their 13-year NWC title streak in 2016. The team fell in the NCAA first round to Hardin-Simmons, 0-3, to conclude their short postseason run.
The Loggers return several leaders to their 2019 roster including Gabbie Berg (F), who led the conference in goals (10) and points (24) in the previous season, as well as NWC Freshman of the Year Kylee Roath (D) and All-NWC honorable mention choice Tess Carden (M).
Willamette places fourth in the NWC preseason poll with 43 points. The Bearcats concluded the 2018 season ranked fourth in the final conference standings with an 8-4-4 conference record (12-4-4 overall), including a win over Puget Sound and a tie with Pacific Lutheran. The Bearcats will return All-NWC first team selection Shanna Kiel (F) and second team choices Kristen Barclay (GK), Hannah Deighton (D), Gena Main (F), and Janae Arnold (M) as the team seeks to climb back to the top of the NWC standings and claim their first conference title since 2002.
Linfield places fifth in the poll with 35 points. The Wildcats recorded a 7-4-5 conference record (10-5-5 overall) to finish the 2018 season in fifth place, naming defender Taylor Cole and midfielder Natalie Amara to the All-NWC first team. Cole and Amara return alongside All-NWC second team selection Michayla Sponsel (M) and honorable mention choice Sydney Kuehn (F) for the 2019 season as Head Coach Steve Simmons returns to McMinnville to lead the Wildcat team.
After concluding the 2018 season in sixth place with a 5-9-2 conference record (7-9-2 overall), the Bruins remain in sixth in the preseason poll. Team leaders Madison Huesers (D) and Savannah Moisan (F) return for their senior campaigns with the Bruins as the team seeks to climb in conference standings in the 2019 season.
Whitman ranks seventh in the poll with 27 points. The Blues recorded 4 wins, 11 losses and one tie in conference play last season (4-14-2 overall) while naming Sofia Ellington (F) to the All-NWC second team. Ellington returns to lead the Blues team as they welcome six first-year student-athletes.
Lewis & Clark earns 18 points to place eighth in the poll. The Pios finished tied for eighth place with Pacific (Ore.) in 2018 final standings with a 2-13-1 NWC record (4-14-2 overall). Returning for the Pios are senior Anna Saucedo (F) and sophomore Ella Viesturs (F), who led the team in points in 2018 with 9 and 8, respectively.
Pacific (Ore.) concludes the poll with nine points. The Boxers finished the 2018 season with an overall record of 2-17-1 and one All-NWC honorable mention selection. The young Boxer team welcomes twelve first-year student-athletes for the 2019 season.
With preseason scrimmages in full swing, the regular season is set to begin this Friday, August 30th. Conference play will start on Wednesday, September 18th with a matchup between Pacific (Ore.) and Linfield.
To view the complete 2019 women’s soccer schedule, click here.