ACC

Tar Heels favored once again North Carolina, which has captured each of the last four Atlantic Coast Conference women’s soccer regular-season titles and 10 straight ACC tournament titles, received all seven first-place votes in the 1999 ACC preseason poll. The Tar Heels’ 56 points outdistanced the Clemson Tigers, who finished in second with 42 points in the poll. The Tigers were followed by the third-place Virginia Cavaliers with 39 points and the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in fourth with 36. The Duke Blue Devils were picked fifth with a total of 33 points, and Maryland was sixth with 24. NC State with 12 points and Florida State with 11 were picked seventh and eighth place, respectively. Preseason poll: 1. North Carolina (7) 56 2. Clemson 42 3. Virginia 39 4. Wake Forest 36 5. Duke 33 6. Maryland 24 7. NC State 12 8. Florida State 11 (first-place votes in parentheses).

Atlantic 10

Dayton gets nod Dayton was the top pick in the Atlantic-10 preseason poll: 1. Dayton 2. Massachusetts 3. George Washington 4. Xavier 5. Rhode Island 6. Duquesne 7. Virginia Tech 8. St. Bonaventure 9. La Salle 9. St. JosephÆs 11. Fordham 12. Temple

Big East

Irish and Huskies on top After battling for the conference championship last November, Notre Dame and Connecticut are picked to capture the 1999 Big East regular-season divisional titles as voted by the conference coaches. The Fighting Irish are picked to finish atop the Mid-Atlantic Division, while the æ98 regular season champion Huskies are picked to finish the regular season on top of the Northeast Division. Last season, the Irish finished their season with a 2-1 loss to Portland in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Championship and compiled a 21-3-1 record. First-year head coach Randy Waldrum returns nine starters from last seasonÆs team. Connecticut captured the regular season title last season on its way to a 21-2-2 mark overall. UConnÆs season came to a close with a 1-0 loss to Santa Clara in the NCAA quarterfinals. The Huskies are seeking their fourth consecutive 20-win. Seton Hall senior Kelly Smith was voted the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. At the end of the 1998 season, the Englishwoman was also voted the Offensive Player of the Year for the second straight season. Smith finished the 1998 season tied as the leading scorer in the Big East with 33 points (14 goals, 5 assists) in 10 conference games. Notre DameÆs Jen Grubb was named the æ99 Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, and teammate LaKeysia Beene was named the æ99 Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year. Last season, Grubb was named Defensive Player of the Year after tallying one goal and nine assists. Beene earned Goalkeeper of the Year honors in æ98 after allowing only six goals in 11 conference games and recording a 0.63 goals-against average. The top four teams in each division will qualify for the Big East tournament Preseason poll: Northeast 1. Connecticut 2. Syracuse 3. Boston College 4. Miami 5. St. JohnÆs 6. Providence Mid-Atlantic 1. Notre Dame 2. Seton Hall 3. West Virginia 4. Rutgers 5. Pittsburgh 6. Villanova 7. Georgetown Preseason awards: Offensive Player of the Year: Kelly Smith, Seton Hall. Defensive Player of the Year: Jen Grubb, Notre Dame. Goalkeeper of the Year: LaKeysia Beene, Notre Dame. All-Big East Team LaKeysia Beene, Notre Dame; Uchenna Bright, Rutgers; Trisha Burch, Syracuse; Carey Dorn, Connecticut; Jen Grubb, Notre Dame; Anne Makinen, Notre Dame; Mary-Frances Monroe, Connecticut; Erin OÆGrady, Syracuse; Sarah Powell, Boston College; Kelly Smith, Seton Hall; Jenny Streiffer, Notre Dame.

Big South

Radford picked to repeat The 1998 tournament champion Radford University topped the preseason poll, receiving seven first-place votes. Charleston Southern was chosen second, and UNC Asheville was third place in the voting, which is conducted by the League’s head women’s soccer coaches and sports information directors. League newcomer Elon was fourth, and Liberty was chosen to finish fifth. The other new team in the conference, High Point was voted sixth, and Howard, an associate member in women’s soccer, was chosen seventh. This is the first year both High Point and Elon are eligible to compete for the Big South Championship. Both institutions become full Conference members this fall. Preseason Poll 1. Radford (7) 2. Charleston Southern (3) 3. UNC Asheville (2) 4. Elon (2) 5. Liberty 6. High Point 7. Howard (Number in parentheses indicates number of first-place votes)

Big Sky

Montana is slight favorite Montana edged defending champion Weber State by one point in the preseason poll of the eight conference coaches. Montana earned 45 points, including four first-place votes, while Weber State tallied 44 points and three first-place votes. The battle for third place in the voting was equally tight, as Cal State Sacramento earned 32 points compared to Portland StateÆs 31 points. Cal State Sacramento earned the remaining first-place vote. Northern Arizona recorded 27 points to finish fifth in the balloting, followed by Cal State Northridge (19), Eastern Washington (14) and Idaho State (12). WomenÆs soccer has been sponsored by the Big Sky for two years, with Montana winning the championship in 1997 and Weber State in 1998.

CAA

Tribe goes for four in a row Under the direction of women’s coach John Daly, William & Mary is again favored to win the CAA. W&M comes off its third consecutive conference title and 14th NCAA tournament berth in the last 15 seasons. The Tribe collected eight votes to repeat as champion. W&M will be spearheaded by preseason Soccer America second-team All-America midfielder Missy Wycinsky (Woodbridge, Va). In route to earning 1998 CAA Player of the Year honors, she led the Tribe in scoring with 19 goals and 7 assists. The W&M attack will also headline two-time All-CAA midfielder Carrie Moore (Roanoke, Va.) and Michelle Horbaly (Burke, Va.), who returns after tallying a league-low 0.82 goals against average. W&M is expected to be challenged by Richmond which was picked second, with one first-place vote. The Spiders hope to gain their first league title and NCAA berth with 11 returning. Senior forward Kirsi Cronk (Raleigh, N.C.) along with 1998 All-CAA First Team member Jaclyn Raveia (Fairfax, Va.) return to add leadership and firepower, while Kristen Samuhel (Chapel Hill, N.C.) carries high expectations after being tabbed to the 1999 Preseason All-CAA squad, following a stellar freshman season in goal for head coach Peter Albright. Old Dominion and James Madison share the preseason No. 3 position, with the Dukes looking for their fourth consecutive NCAA tournament bid. Preseason poll: 1. William & Mary (8) 2. Richmond (1) 3. James Madison 3. Old Dominion 5. George Mason 6. UNC Wilmington 7. East Carolina 8. American 9. VCU Preseason All-CAA Team Kirsi Cronk, Richmond SR Forward Jennifer Henley, Old Dominion SO Forward Jessalyn Martin, Old Dominion SR Defender Beth McNamara, James Madison SO Midfielder Carrie Moore, William & Mary SR Midfielder Jaclyn Raveia, Richmond JR Defender Jaime Ricker, George Mason SR Midfielder Katy Robertson, George Mason SO Forward Kristen Samuhel, Richmond SO GK Brooke Sands, Richmond JR Forward Missy Wycinsky, William & Mary SR Forward Shanna Ziegenfuss, VCU JR Forward

Conference USA

Marquette picked to win title Marquette has been selected to win the 1999 Conference USA championship in a vote of the league’s head coaches. Marquette midfielder Kelly Roethe, the 1997 C-USA Player of the Year and a first-team all-conference selection last season, has been selected as the 1999 preseason Player of the Year. The Golden Eagles won 15 matches last season and have a 45-13-7 record over the last three seasons, tops in Conference USA. Besides Roethe, two other Marquette players appear on the preseason all-league team: defender Rhegan Hyypio and goalkeeper Mo Bothwell. Hyypio was the 1998 Defensive Player of the Year, while Bothwell was a first team All-Conference selection. UAB was picked to finish second and is represented on the preseason all-league team by forward Melissa Urbani and forward/midfielder Vanessa Woodward. Defending regular-season champion South Florida was selected third, followed by defending tournament champion UNC Charlotte. USF placed midfielder Siri Nordby and forward Tia Opliger on the preseason all-league squad, while UNCC is represented by forward Meredith Mayo. Cincinnati has been chosen to finish fifth, followed by Saint Louis and Houston at sixth and seventh, respectively. Each school produced one preseason all-league player. UC’s representative is forward/midfielder Amy Rodeheffer, the team’s leading returning scorer. Trisha Underberg, a four-year starter, is SLU’s all-time leading scorer. Houston had a highly successful debut season in 1998, and the play of preseason all-C-USA goalkeeper Michelle Denomme was a big reason. Tulane is picked to finish eighth, just ahead of Southern Miss. Rounding out the poll is Memphis, DePaul and Louisville. Preseason poll 1. Marquette 2. UAB 3. South Florida 4. UNC Charlotte 5. Cincinnati 6. Saint Louis 7. Houston 8. Tulane 9. Southern Mississippi 10. Memphis 11. DePaul 12. Louisville Preseason awards: Player of the Year: Kelly Roethe, MF, Marquette All-conference: Mo Bothwell, GK, Marquette; Jill Currie, MF/F, UNC Charlotte; Michelle DenommT, GK, Houston; Rhegan Hyypio, B, Marquette; Meredith Mayo, F, UNC Charlotte; Siri Nordby, MF, South Florida; Tia Opliger, F, South Florida; Amy Rodeheffer, F/MF, Cincinnati; Kelly Roethe, MF, Marquette; Trisha Underberg, MF, Saint Louis; Melissa Urbani, F, UAB; Vanessa Woodward, MF/F, UAB.

MCC

Butler gets nod Butler University has been selected to finish first in the MCCÆs preseason poll of league coaches. The Bulldogs finished in a tie for second place last season, and lost to Wright State in the MCC tournament championship game. Butler garnered two first-place votes and totaled 21 points, followed closely by Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The Panthers also garnered two first-place votes and 20 total points. Loyola (Ill.), last year’s regular-season champion, and Wright State, the 1998 tournament champion, were predicted to finish tied for third as they tallied 16 points each. The Ramblers and Raiders were each chosen to finish first on one ballot. Detroit Mercy and Wisconsin-Green Bay were tabbed for fifth and sixth places, respectively, with 11 and six points.

Mid-American

Ohio Edges NIU Ohio edged Northern Illinois, the two-time Mid-American Conference champion, by four points for the top spot in the preseason coaches poll. Ohio handed Northern Illinois its only loss of the regular season and won the regular-season title with a 9-1 record, but the Huskies claimed the postseason tournament title with a 2-1 decision in four overtimes against the Bobcats. The Bobcats received eight first-place votes and 139 total points, while the Huskies captured the remaining four top votes and 135 points. Ohio has the league’s top returning scorer, junior Mindy Boggs, and the top goalie, sophomore Vanessa Dennis. Boggs recorded 13 goals and 33 points, while Dennis registered a 0.87 goals-against average and 11.5 shutouts, both of which led the MAC. Northern Illinois will have to fill the void left behind of Anne Mucci, the leading scorer in the MAC last year and the unanimous choice for the league’s Player of the Year honors. The Huskies, however, do return three of their top four scorers. Eastern Michigan, which returns last year’s Newcomer of the Year Amanda Kulikowski, squeaked by Kent for the third choice in the preseason poll by 11 points with 99. A total of eight points separate the fifth through ninth positions, with second-year program Central Michigan (79) fifth, followed by Bowling Green (76), Toledo (75), Miami (72) and Buffalo (71). Rounding out the final three slots in the preseason poll are Western Michigan (45), Marshall (42), also a second-year squad, and Ball State (15), which is in its first year of collegiate competition.

Missouri Valley

A fourth for Evansville? Three-time defending champion Evansville is picked to claim the Missouri Valley Conference title again in 1999 as the Purple Aces received 35 of a possible 36 points in the coaches poll. The Purple Aces have won each of the three league tournaments since the Valley began sponsorship of womenÆs soccer for the 1996 season. Last year, Evansville shared the regular-season title for the first time with another school, as Illinois State also had a 5-1 regular-season record. Evansville edged Illinois State, 2-1, in overtime of the league tournament championship for the ValleyÆs automatic berth, and UE fell to nationally ranked Northwestern, 2-1, in overtime in the NCAA first round. In this yearÆs poll, Evansville received five of six first-place votes, while last yearÆs regular-season co-champion Illinois State received the remaining first-place vote and 28 points to finish second in the preseason predictions. ISU returns the leagueÆs Defensive Player of the Year in Jenny Williams, while Freshman of the Year Angie Roth and last yearÆs Coach of the Year Pete Kowall also are among the Redbird award winners from a year ago. Meanwhile, the leagueÆs top pick in this yearÆs poll, Evansville, has the leagueÆs top returning scorer in Jennifer Lembeck. She scored 12 goals and had 29 points a year ago. Also among the stars coming back for Evansville is two-time league Player of the Year Krissy Meek. Meek won the leagueÆs top honor in her freshman and sophomore seasons and is a three-time first-team all-league pick. The third selection in the preseason picks is Southwest Missouri, which edged Creighton in the poll with 22 points. Creighton has 20 points for fourth in the poll, while Drury (11 points) and Arkansas-Little Rock (10) complete the poll.

Ohio Valley

EIU edges Middle Tennessee Eastern Illinois, which finished second in the conference a year ago, has been picked to win the OVC title this fall. The Panthers received three first-place votes and 23 total points, edging out Middle Tennessee, which earned two first-place votes and 22 total points. Defending OVC champion Tennessee Tech also got a first-place vote and was chosen third. There was a three-way tie for fourth place between Morehead State, Tennessee-Martin and league newcomer Southeast Missouri with nine points apiece. Eastern Illinois has five starters returning, led by junior defender Carole Griggs and sophomore midfielder Brooke O’Connell, who both earned second-team All-OVC honors in 1998. Middle Tennessee (10-8 overall, 2-2 in OVC) welcomes back 10 starters, including the league’s leading scorer in 1998, sophomore forward Hailee Walsh (13 goals, 4 assists). Tennessee Tech (9-7-2 overall, 4-0 in OVC) also returns 10 starters, led by sophomore midfielder Angela Freund (9 goals, 4 assists), who was the OVC Freshman of the Year in 1998.

Pacific 10

Bruins and Cardinal co-favorites UCLA and Stanford have been picked as co-favorites to win the 1999 Pacific title in a preseason poll of head coaches. The defending Pac-10 co-champion Bruins garnered four of the 10 first-place votes cast with Stanford picking up two first-place votes. USC tallied two first-place votes, and California earned one first-place nod. UCLA, USC and California were Pac-10 Co-Champions in 1998, each with a 7-2 Conference record. UCLA also captured the Pac-10 title in 1998, while Stanford has captured three Pac-10 titles (1993, 1995, 1996). Preseason poll: 1. UCLA (4) 88 1. Stanford (3) 88 3. California (1) 81 4. USC (2) 76 5. Washington 62 6. Arizona State 50 7. Oregon 35 7. Washington State 35 9. Oregon State 21 10. Arizona 14 (Points 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1, first-place votes in parentheses)

Southern

UNCG and Furman deadlocked Defending champion UNC Greensboro and 1998 runner-up Furman have been picked as Southern Conference co-champions in preseason voting by SoCon coaches. Both the Spartans and Paladins each received five first-place votes and a total of 95 points. Georgia Southern is the pick to finish third with 77 points followed by Davidson, Wofford and Appalachian State. UNC Greensboro is the two-time defending Southern Conference champion and has not lost a league match in its two years of membership, going 15-0, including an 8-0 mark last season. The Spartans, under Coach Jack Poland, must replace three first-team all-league selections from last year’s team that went 13-9-1 overall and reached the NCAA Tournament before bowing to Vanderbilt in the first round. Lynsey McLean, the 1997 SoCon Freshman of the Year, is among UNCG’s outstanding cast of returnees. Furman finished second to the Spartans in the regular season last year, losing to UNCG in overtime in the regular season and in the SoCon championship match. Head coach Brian Lee returns a trio of freshmen who were first-team all-SoCon selections last year in Melissa Barnes, Kaye Brownlee and Lauren Killey. The Paladins were 13-8 overall and 7-1 in SoCon play in 1998. Georgia Southern, which returns the league’s top scorer in Tara Chaisson, was picked to finish third. Preseason poll 1. Furman (5) 95 1. UNC Greensboro (5) 95 3. Georgia Southern 77 4. Davidson 66 5. Wofford 58 6. Appalachian State 51 7. College of Charleston 45 8. East Tennessee State 25 9. Western Carolina 20 10. Chattanooga 18

SEC

Gators picked to retain title Florida was selected as the favorite to claim the 1999 title in the SEC by the league’s 12 head coaches. This marks the fifth consecutive year that the Gators have been tapped by the coaches to win the title. Coming off their national title in 1998, the Gators earned eight first-place votes, edging out Vanderbilt, which received two votes and Alabama, which who earned one. The Gators were selected as tops in the East with 59 total points. Florida returns three top players in in Andrea Sellers, Sarah Yohe and Abby Wambach. Wambach hopes that her sophomore campaign will be as prolific as her freshman year. She was among SEC leaders in points scored, goals scored and assists. In the West, Alabama ran away with 66 points. The Crimson Tide was unanimously picked to win the Western Division crown. Alabama returns a team with a lot of confidence and experience. Last season, Alabama finished with a 13-7-1 record and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. Preseason polls: SEC Champion: Florida (8); Vanderbilt (3); Alabama (1) Eastern Division: 1. Florida 2. Vanderbilt 3. Georgia 4. Tennessee 5. Kentucky 6. South Carolina Western Division 1. Alabama 2. Mississippi 2. Arkansas 4. LSU 5. Auburn 6. Mississippi State

TAAC

Dolphins are top choice The TAAC preseason poll features Jacksonville as the top. Jacksonville, which lost to Central Florida, 1-0, in the title game), posted a 14-5-1 record in 1998. The Dolphins have junior Marit Foss returning after she finished the 1998 season-leading Division I in assists (20, 1.00 avg.) while placing fifth in points (52, 2.60 avg.) and 29th in goals (16, 0.80 avg.). Also returning for JU in 1999 is sophomore Trine Riis Groven and junior Stine Kloster. Groven was listed tied for 25th nationally in assists (11, 0.58 average) and 26th in points (39, 2.05 average) while Kloster completed the 1998 season 14th in goals (14, 0.93 average) and 11th in points (35, 2.33 average). UCF is second in the 1999 Preseason Poll as the Golden Knights prepare for their first season under head coach Amanda Cromwell. UCF enters the 1999 season having won four of the last five TAAC championships (1998, 1996, 1995, 1994). TAAC coaches predict Georgia State will finish third in the regular-season standings as the Panthers look to return to the title match after winning the TAAC championship in 1997. GSU juniorÆs Sarah Crawford and Chandra Yorgason return to lead GSU in 1999 after Crawford finished last season listed 21st in goals allowed average (0.79) and Yorgason finished 19th in goals (15, 0.88 average). Mercer is predicted fourth in the preseason poll as two-time TAAC Player-of-the-Year Mirela Ninic returns after placing 12th in goals (18, 0.95 average) and 23rd in points (40, 2.11 average) last season. Jacksonville State, Campbell, Samford, and Stetson are picked fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth respectively while Florida Atlantic and Troy State round out the 1999 TAAC Preseason Poll. Preseason poll: 1. Jacksonville (5) 87 2. UCF (3) 84 3. Georgia State (1) 80 4. Mercer 55 5. Jacksonville State 50 6. Campbell 39 7. Samford 34 8. Stetson 33 9. Florida Atlantic 29 10. Troy State 13