Contact: Chassidy Holloway, Assistant Executive Director, holloway@midwestconference.org
 
GRINNELL, Iowa – Cornell College was the preseason pick to win the Midwest Conference (MWC) regular season title in the 2021 women’s soccer preseason poll administered to the league’s head coaches.
 
Two points separate the top three spots with the Rams receiving four first-place votes and 48 points, the Foresters of Lake Forest College picking up two first-place votes and 47 points, and the Prairie Fire of Knox College accumulating 46 points.
 
Grinnell College earned fourth place with 42 points, just ahead of Monmouth College with 41 points and two first-place votes. The Scots won their first Conference tournament title and made their first NCAA tournament appearance in 2019.
 
Ripon College picked up 21 points to take sixth place, followed by Lawrence University (17), Beloit College (15) and Illinois College (11).
 
Regular season play gets underway Wednesday, September 1 with a full slate of non-conference matches. The Conference schedule begins Saturday, September 25.
 
The 2021 MWC Women’s Soccer Tournament will be played Friday and Saturday, November 5-6. The league’s number one seed will host the four-team event and play for the league’s automatic qualifier to the NCAA tournament field.
 
Full preseason results and quick facts for all nine teams can be found below:
 
2021 MWC Women’s Soccer Preseason Poll Results – Team (first-place votes), points
1. Cornell College (4), 48 points
2. Lake Forest College (2), 47 points
3. Knox College, 46 points
4. Grinnell College, 42 points
5. Monmouth College (2), 41 points
6. Ripon College, 21 points
7. Lawrence University, 17 points
8. Beloit College, 15 points
9. Illinois College, 11 points
 
Beloit College Buccaneers
Head Coach: Connor McKee (5^th Season)
2019: 4-13 (overall), 2-7 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: N/A
 
Cornell College Rams
Head Coach: Jose Fajardo (6^th Season)
2019: 12-6-2 (overall), 6-1-2 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: N/A

Grinnell College Pioneers
Head Coach: Kirsten Koester (8^th Season)
2019: 7-7-3 (overall), 4-3-2 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: N/A
 
Illinois College Lady Blues
Head Coach: Hunter Gray (2^nd Season)
2019: 5-13 (overall), 0-9 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: N/A
 
Knox College Prairie Fire
Head Coach: Taylor Houck (3^rd Season)
2019: 13-5-3 (overall), 7-1-1 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: Alyx Farris (Fifth year), Lydia Mitchell (Sr)
 
Lake Forest College Foresters
Head Coach: T. R. Bell (25^th Season)
2019: 10-6-3 (overall), 5-2-2 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: Hiwa Brown (Sr), Raven Dziedzinski (Jr), Maggie Kersting (Sr)
 
Lawrence University Vikings
Head Coach: Joe Sagar (4^th Season)
2019: 9-10 (overall), 2-7 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: Jackie Blake (Jr)
 
Monmouth College Scots
Head Coach: Lucas Henderson (1^st Season)
2019: 14-4-2 (overall), 6-3 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: Jordyn Gosell (Sr)
 
Ripon College Red Hawks
Head Coach: Greg Ruark (5^th Season)
2019: 5-11-2 (overall), 3-4-2 (MWC)
All-Conference Returnees: N/A