Five BIG EAST Women’s Soccer Teams Ranked in NSCAA Preseason Poll
- Notre Dame headlines the group at No. 4-
KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Five BIG EAST women’s soccer teams have been ranked in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll, including three in the top 25. Notre Dame headlines the group at No. 4, while Rutgers checks in at No. 18 and West Virginia sits at No. 23. Marquette and Connecticut each received votes.
Last year the Irish went 21-4-1 (10-0-1 BIG EAST), including a 2-1 win over Marquette in the title game of the BIG EAST Championship. Irish junior forward Melissa Henderson was named the 2010 BIG EAST Preseason Offensive Player of the Year honors for the second-straight season. She led the league with 41 points last season, including 18 goals. Notre Dame was tabbed to win the league’s divisional crown this year as well.
The Scarlet Knights went 14-4-4 overall, 7-1-3 BIG EAST last season and were picked to finish second in the National Division in the BIG EAST Preseason Poll.
The Mountaineers (10-7-6, 5-3-3 BIG EAST) have advanced to the NCAA Championship in each of the last 10 years. Senior forward Megan Mischler should be a critical piece of the Mountaineers offense and is an All-BIG EAST Preseason selection in 2010.
NCAA Rankings Preseason
Division I Preseason Poll - August 10, 2010
|
1
|
North Carolina
|
1
|
23 - 3 - 1
|
|
2
|
Stanford
|
2
|
25 - 1 - 0
|
|
3
|
UCLA
|
3
|
21 - 3 - 1
|
|
4
|
Notre Dame
|
4
|
21 - 4 - 1
|
|
5
|
Portland
|
5
|
21 - 2 - 0
|
|
6
|
Florida State
|
6
|
19 - 5 - 1
|
|
7
|
Boston College
|
7
|
18 - 4 - 2
|
|
8
|
Texas A&M
|
13
|
15 - 7 - 3
|
|
9
|
Santa Clara
|
10
|
14 - 7 - 2
|
|
10
|
Wake Forest
|
8
|
16 - 6 - 2
|
|
11
|
Florida
|
15
|
16 - 6 - 2
|
|
12
|
South Carolina
|
9
|
19 - 4 - 2
|
|
13
|
Penn State
|
22
|
13 - 6 - 2
|
|
14
|
California
|
RV
|
11 - 9 - 1
|
|
15
|
Virginia Tech
|
12
|
16 - 8 - 0
|
|
16
|
Maryland
|
11
|
14 - 6 - 2
|
|
17
|
Virginia
|
19
|
10 - 6 - 6
|
|
18
|
Rutgers
|
16
|
14 - 4 - 4
|
|
19
|
USC
|
24
|
12 - 6 - 3
|
|
20
|
Wisconsin
|
RV
|
10 - 6 - 5
|
|
21
|
Washington State
|
18
|
14 - 6 - 2
|
|
22
|
BYU
|
20
|
18 - 4 - 2
|
|
22
|
Oklahoma State
|
RV
|
15 - 7 - 2
|
|
24
|
West Virginia
|
RV
|
10 - 7 - 6
|
|
25
|
Central Florida
|
17
|
17 - 5 - 1
|
Also receiving votes: LSU, Oregon State, Memphis, San Diego, Marquette, Ohio State, Purdue, Auburn, Georgia, Michigan State, Dayton, Connecticut, Washington
