Puget Sound is Heavy Favorite to Repeat
| NWC Women's Soccer Coaches' Preseason Poll: |
2003 records |
| School |
(1st) |
Pts. |
All |
NWC |
| 1. Puget Sound (Wash.) |
(7) |
85 |
18-2-1 |
12-1-1 |
| 2. Willamette (Ore.) |
(1) |
72 |
16-1-2 |
11-1-2 |
| 3. Whitworth (Wash.) |
|
63 |
14-5 |
9-5 |
| 4. Whitman (Wash.) |
|
49 |
10-9 |
6-8 |
| 5. Pacific Lutheran (Wash.) |
|
37 |
9-11 |
5-9 |
| 6. Pacific (Ore.) |
|
25 |
11-8-1 |
6-7-1 |
| 7. Linfield (Ore.) |
|
28 |
9-10 |
4-10 |
| 8. George Fox (Ore.) |
|
24 |
3-15-1 |
1-13 |
| 9. Lewis & Clark (Ore.) |
(1) |
19 |
-- |
-- |
(First-place votes in parenthesis. Points awarded on 10-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis).
Despite the fact that the addition of Lewis & Clark College will significantly change the landscape of Northwest Conference women's soccer, one thing that has not changed is the anticipated favorites for the conference title. The University of Puget Sound and Willamette University are picked for the top two places in the preseason coaches' poll for the fifth straight season. UPS is a strong favorite to win its third Northwest Conference title in a row and the Loggers' fourth in five years.
Puget Sound, which nipped Willamette for last season's conference title with a record of 18-2-1 overall and 12-1-1 in the NWC, picked up seven of nine first place votes and 85 total points. The Loggers return four First Team All-Northwest Conference selections, including 2003 NWC Defensive Player of the Year Bridget Stolee. Also back are junior goalkeeper Erin Williams and junior forwards Cortney Kjar and Elizabeth Pitman. UPS lost 2-1 in double overtime to the University of Chicago in last year's NCAA Division III quarterfinals.
Willamette, which picked up one place vote and 72 total poll points, will be led by First Team All-NWC midfielder Susan Butler and junior forward Benna Hindman, who totaled 34 points (12 goals, 10 assists) last year. The Bearcats, who finsihed 16-1-2 overall and 11-1-2 in the NWC, have won nine NWC titles in the last 11 years.
Whitworth College is third in the poll with 63 points. The Pirates (14-5 overall, 9-5 NWC) return 2003 NWC Offensive Player of the Year Jael Hagerott and First Team All-NWC defender Jody Rucinski. Whitman College totaled 49 points for fourth in the poll, coming off of an 10-9 season that included a 6-8 conference mark. The Missionaries welcome back First Team All-NWC forward Sammie Arthur and Second Team All-NWC midfielder Katey Schmitz.
Pacific Lutheran University (37 points) and Pacific University (35 points) are fifth and sixth in the poll. PLU senior Maja Pederson was a First Team All-NWC midfielder last season and returns to lead the Lutes (9-11, 5-9 NWC). Pacific had a strong 2003, finishing fourth in the conference (11-8-1, 6-7-1 NWC), but the Boxers must replace Jamie MacLauchlan and Moani Lau, a pair of All-NWC performers a year ago.
Linfield College (28 points) and George Fox University (24 points) finished in seventh and eighth place in the poll, respectively. Both must replace a First Team All-NWC selection from 2003. Linfield (9-10, 4-10 NWC) must replace Lauren Millhollin, while George Fox (3-15-1, 1-13 NWC) must replace Brooke Erickson.
Lewis & Clark College is ninth in its debut in the NWC preseason coaches' poll. But the Pioneers, in their first season as a varsity program, did pick up the ninth and final first place vote.
The 2004 season kicks off on September 1st.