Contact: Lou Groce, Director of Media and Information, 920-229-8157
GRINNELL, Iowa – Lake Forest College and St. Norbert College both earned five first place votes in the 2014 Midwest Conference (MWC) Women’s Soccer Preseason Coaches’ Poll, but the Foresters edged out the Green Knights by just one point, 94-93, to claim the top spot.
Voting is done by the MWC head women’s soccer coaches. Each coach votes for the ten other schools in the conference in order of predicted finish. Points are assigned in reverse order of voting (ten points for first, nine for second, etc.). Coaches may not vote for their own teams.
Lake Forest finished 2013 at 13-5-1 overall and in third place in the MWC after a 7-2-1 record in conference play, while St. Norbert won the MWC regular season title and the MWC Conference Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
Monmouth College was picked to finish in third place with 89 points and Carroll University, who received the final first place vote, is projected to finish in the crucial fourth spot with 74 points. The top-four teams advance to the MWC Conference Tournament each season.
Grinnell College and first year head coach Kirsten Russell were picked fifth with 65 points, while Ripon College, coming off back-to-back 10-win seasons, finished sixth (57 points). Cornell College garnered 39 points and was just ahead of eighth place Lawrence University (37) and ninth place Illinois College (36).
Beloit College and Knox College completed the poll with 20 and 11 points, respectively.
The MWC women's soccer season preview will be released on August 25, with the season getting underway on August 29.
|
2014 Women's Soccer Coaches' Poll (1st Place Votes) |
Points |
|
Lake Forest (5) |
94 |
|
St. Norbert (5) |
93 |
|
Monmouth |
89 |
|
Carroll |
74 |
|
Grinnell |
65 |
|
Ripon |
57 |
|
Cornell |
39 |
|
Lawrence |
37 |
|
Illinois College |
36 |
|
Beloit |
20 |
|
Knox |
11 |