Contact: Jenna McElroy, Sports Info & Social Media Intern, mcelroy@midwestconference.org

GRINNELL, Iowa – The Midwest Conference (MWC) women’s soccer coaches picked Knox College to earn its third straight MWC Championship. Two years ago, the Prairie Fire won their first conference title in school history; now they look to become only the fourth team in league history to win three in a row.

Knox swept the voting as they received nine first-place votes for a total of 81 points. Monmouth College (68) and St. Norbert College (66) were separated by a mere two points in the poll for second and third respectively. The Fighting Scots earned the final first-place vote and are seeking their first league title, while the Green Knights, co-champions last season, look to take the crown for themselves in 2018.

Rounding out the top-five are Lake Forest College in fourth with 56 points and Grinnell College in fifth with 52 points. Ripon College and Beloit College hope to challenge for a spot in the top half of the conference this season as the Red Hawks garnered 38 points for sixth and the Buccaneers picked up 32 points to place seventh. Cornell College (28) came in just four points behind for eighth.

Illinois College came in ninth with 20 points, while Lawrence University received 9 points in tenth place to complete the annual preseason coaches’ poll.

The season kicks off on Friday, August 31 with Illinois College travels Aurora, Illinois to take on Babson College. Opening weekend will feature a total of eighteen games between the ten MWC programs. Conference play begins Wednesday, September 19 with Beloit at Lake Forest and St. Norbert at Lawrence. The MWC regular season champion hosts the 2018 MWC Tournament on Nov. 2-3.

Full poll results:

1. Knox	81 (9)		6. Ripon	38
2. Monmouth	68 (1)		7. Beloit	32
3. St. Norbert	66		8. Cornell	28
4. Lake Forest	56		9. Illinois College	20
5. Grinnell	52		10. Lawrence	9

Below is a team-by-team preview:

Beloit College Buccaneers
Head Coach: Connor McKee (2nd season) 6-12, 2-7 MWC
2017: 6-12, 2-7 MWC
Projected 2018 Finish: 7th
Returning starters: 9
Returning All-MWC Performers: First Team - Genesis Dade Sr. F
 
The Buccaneers look to get back to a .500 record and challenge for a top-five spot in the conference in 2017. Returning to lead the team is All-MWC forward Genesis Dade and midfielder Courtney Ceurvorst. Dade ranked second in conference goals (8) and third in points (16) and shots (40), while she led the team with a total of 10 goals and one assist for 21 points on the season. Ceurvorst added a goal and two assists to tie for second on the team with four points. Defensively, Candace Cunningham and Tegan Rock return as Cunningham led defenders with 12 shots and Rock contributed two goals. Goalkeeper Connor Keegan-Lloyd is back after picking up 80 saves and posting a 2.68 goals-against average as a first-year and ranked fifth in the MWC with 49 saves in conference play. She also earned MWC Performer of the Week honors after making ten saves, including a 1-on-1 tip over the cross-bar at the end of the game in a 3-1 win over Marian.
 
Cornell College Rams
Head Coach: Jose Fajardo (3rd season) 8-29, 6-13 MWC
2017: 5-14, 4-5 MWC
Projected 2018 Finish: 8th
Returning starters: 10
 
Last season, Cornell achieved its most wins in a season since 2014, and with six of the team’s losses decided by two goals or less, the Rams look to flip the script in those games in 2018. An experienced group returns to try and top that win total as the team will feature eight multi-year starters. Leading the way for the Rams are three-year starters Elisabeth Sage and Nalani Amsden, critical pieces of the team’s defense in front of goalkeeper Nell Rosenthal. Rosenthal made 90 saves for a 2.84 goals-against average in 2017, and she ranked fourth in the conference with a .800 save percentage in league play. Offensively, Sofia Schnur led the Rams with seven goals and two assists for 16 points, while Ashley Quesada had five goals, one game-winner, and one assist for 11 points and was 2-for-2 on penalty kicks. Cornell ended the season on a three-game win streak and hope to continue that momentum into the 2018 season.
 
Grinnell College Pioneers
Head Coach: Kirsten Koester (5th season) 35-34-4, 21-15-2 MWC
2017: 10-8, 6-3 MWC
Projected 2018 Finish: 5th
Returning starters: 7
Returning All-MWC Performers: First Team – Valencia Alvarez Jr. F, Lauren Edwards Jr. D
 
In 2017, the Pioneers qualified for the MWC Tournament for the 23rd time in the last 27 years, and the team’s ten victories were their most wins since 2014. All-MWC duo Valencia Alvarez and Lauren Edwards hope to lead Grinnell to the conference tournament once again. Alvarez led the team with six goals and six assists, while Edwards led a defense that only allowed opponents to take 175 shots and make 27 goals last season. Regan Kasprak returns in goal after she posted a 1.34 goals-against average and made 58 saves to go 7-7 overall and 4-2 in conference games. Kasprak also tied for third in the conference with three shutouts.
 
Illinois College Lady Blues
Head Coach: Scott Smith (4th season) 17-35-3, 9-18-1 MWC
2017: 3-16, 1-8 MWC
Projected 2018 Finish: 9th
Returning starters: 8
 
The Lady Blues lost their all-time leading goal and point scorer in Ashley Sholmire to graduation but are still anchored by goalkeeper Charlotte Crofton. Crofton led the conference with 187 saves and an average of 10.39 saves per game in 2017. Illinois College’s top returning scorer is forward Mychaela Bennett who had three goals and four assists for ten points last season. Junior Olivia Dobbs also returns after contributing five assists and a game-winning goal.
 
Knox College Prairie Fire
Head Coach: Chris Haught-Thompson (2nd season) 14-6-2, 7-0-2 MWC
2017: 14-6-2, 7-0-2 MWC
Projected 2018 Finish: 1st
Returning starters: 9
Returning All-MWC Performers: First Team - Sierra Daniger Sr. G, Jenna Milligan Jr. M, Yvette Rodriguez Sr. F/M; Second Team – Corina Leyva Sr. M
 
Knox is the two-time defending MWC regular season and tournament champions and returns four All-MWC players for 2018. The Prairie Fire only surrendered 15 goals, just one in conference play, last season and will once again be led by their defense as MWC Defensive Player of the Year Jenna Milligan and goalie Sierra Daniger return. Milligan started all 22 games and highlighted a defense that led the conference in team goals against average (.66) and shutouts (13). Daniger posted a .894 save percentage, .35 goals-against average, and 42 saves for an 11-2-2 record and eight shutouts. Offensively, Knox returns Yvette Rodriguez and Corina Leyva who combined for 11 goals and 11 assists in 2017.
 
Lake Forest College Foresters
Head Coach: T.R. Bell (22nd season) 230-135-16, 143-41-10 MWC
2017: 7-8-2, 5-2-2 MWC
Projected 2018 Finish: 4th
Returning starters: 10
Returning All-MWC Performers: Second Team – Molly Major Sr. D
 
Lake Forest missed the MWC Tournament for the first time in six years by one point in 2017. The Foresters look to make their return in 2018 led by Second Team All-MWC defender Molly Major. Major will be joined by follow defender Cassidy Hoyt who led the team in goals (7) and points (17) last season. Forwards Charlotte Jackson and Susie Baca are back after combining for seven goals and five assists. Paige Theil returns in goal after making 36 saves and posting four shutouts as a first-year in 2017.
 
Lawrence University Vikings
Head Coach: Joe Sagar (1st season)
2017: 2-16, 0-9 MWC
Projected 2018 Finish: 10th
Returning starters: 9
 
The Vikings lost All-MWC player Ryan Berkley to graduation but return nine starters in new head coach Joe Sagar’s first season. Midfielder Quinn Bingham and forward Chloe Gierymski look to lead the team back into the conference win column in 2018. Goalkeeper Katlyn Seiffert started all but one game last season as a first-year and finished second in the conference with 155 saves. Lawrence’s two wins on the season were both shutouts as they beat Lakeland University 1-0 and Rockford University 5-0.
 
Monmouth Fighting Scots
Head Coach: Nick Rizzo (3rd season) 18-17-3, 9-9 MWC
2017: 11-8-1, 6-3 MWC
Projected 2018 Finish: 2nd
Returning starters: 6
Returning All-MWC Performers: First Team – Kara-Jade Gordon Jr. F; Second Team – Devin Cross So. M
 
In 2017, Monmouth made the MWC Tournament championship game for just the second time in school history and return 70 percent of goals from last season. The Fighting Scots also have the back-to-back MWC Newcomers of the Year in Kara-Jade Gordon and Devin Cross. Gordon led the team with 13 goals and seven assists for 33 points to earn all-region honors. Cross added three goals and an assist as she started every game as a first-year to earn 2017 Newcomer of the Year honors. Second-leading scorer Jacie Reis returns after having eight goals and two assists, while goalie Kensey Arlt is back after ranking second in the conference with a 1.17 goals-against average on 82 saves and posting an 8-5-1 record.
 
Ripon College Red Hawks
Head Coach: Greg Ruark (2nd season) 10-7, 4-5 MWC
2017: 10-7, 4-5 MWC
Projected 2018 Finish: 6th
Returning starters: 5
Returning All-MWC Performers: Second Team – Paige Pierce Jr. F
 
The Red Hawks have posted a winning record in five of their last six seasons but have not made the MWC Tournament since 2014. All-MWC forward Paige Pierce hopes to lead the team back to the postseason in 2018. Pierce led the team with 11 goals and three assists for 25 points which tied her for the fifth-most points in the conference, and she also tied for the league lead with five game-winning goals. Brianna Schnell and Maeve Kim also return after tying for second on the team with five goals and added four and three assists respectively, while Maggie Bouque tied for fourth with three goals. Goalkeeper Miye Aoki-Kramer returns after ranking second in the MWC in save percentage (.845) and third in saves (125) and saves per game (7.81).
 
St. Norbert Green Knights
Head Coach: Dennis Detire (15th season) 156-105-18, 98-31-9 MWC
2017: 12-4-3, 7-0-2 MWC
Projected 2018 Finish: 3rd
Returning starters: 8
Returning All-MWC Performers: First Team – Madalyn Sanderfoot Sr. M, Dana Schwab Sr. M/F, Monica Stephans Sr. M/F; Second Team – Ally Magiera Jr. G
 
The Green Knights are the defending regular season co-champions and return four All-MWC players as they seek to claim the title outright in 2018. St. Norbert had the top offense in the league last year as the team ranked first in the conference in points (136), points per game (7.16), goals (52), and goals per game (2.74) and the team returns its top-three scorers for this season. Madalyn Sanderfoot led the team and the conference with 34 points on 14 goals and six assists. Dana Schwab tied Sanderfoot for the team goals lead and added five assists to finish with 33 points, while her ten goals and 24 assists in conference play topped the league. Monica Stephans also returns after she scored seven goals and four assists for 18 points. Ally Magiera was a top-three goalie in goals-against average (1.19) and save percentage (.819) and led the conference with nine shutouts.