Richmond, which has moved from the CAA, was the preseason pick to take the Atlantic-10 title ahead of Dayton.
| Teams | Conf. Record/Overall |
| 1. | Richmond* | 13-7 |
| 2. | Dayton | 9-1/16-5 |
| 3. | Xavier | 8-1-1/14-7-1 |
| 4. | Massachusetts | 7-2-1/11-7-1 |
| 5. | Rhode Island | 6-3-1/15-4-1 |
| 6. | George Washington | 4-6/5-14 |
| 7. | La Salle | 5-5/12-6 |
| 8. | Temple | 4-6/11-9 |
| 9. | St. Bonaventure | 3-6-1/5-11-3 |
| 10. | Duquesne | 3-6-1/4-14-1 |
| 11. | Fordham | 2-7-1/6-11-2 |
| 12. | Saint Joseph’s | 1-9/4-13 |
A-10 Tournament Dates: Nov. 9-11 Host: Rhode Island College Women: Notre Dame and Connecticut picked for Big East divisional crowns After battling for the conference championship last November, Notre Dame and Connecticut have been picked to capture the 2001 Big East WomenÆs Soccer regular season divisional titles as voted by the conference coaches. The Fighting Irish are the unanimous choice to repeat as Mid-Atlantic Division champions, while the Huskies are picked to finish the regular season atop the Northeast Division. The Irish complied a 23-1-1 record last season en route to their sixth straight Big East title and second straight national semifinal game appearance. The Co-Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, Vanessa Pruzinsky, will lead the Irish. PruzinskyÆs solid defense earned her Big East Rookie of the Year honors in 1999. Last season Connecticut captured the Northeast Division title with a 17-7-2 record. Returning for the Huskies is Big East Co-Preseason Defensive Player of the Year Casey Zimny. UConn lost to Nebraska in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament. West VirginiaÆs Katie Barnes was chosen as the Big East Preseason Offensive Player of the Year. Barnes was the MountaineersÆ leading scorer with 43 points on 17 goals and nine assists. She will once again lead the MountaineersÆ offense. Barnes was the 2000 Big East Offensive Player of the Year. The Big East Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year is the PittsburghÆs Rachel Brown. The senior will be the backbone of the UP defense. She tallied 1.5 shutouts last season en route to a 1.73 goals against average. In 2000, Brown captured the Big East Goalkeeper of the Year award. Big East record is determined by divisional games only. The top four teams in each division will qualify for the Big East tournament. Quarterfinal games will be held on campus sites on November 3 and 4, while the semifinals and final will be held at Rutgers Soccer Stadium in Piscataway, N.J. on Nov. 9 and 11.
2001 Preseason Poll | Northeast | Big East | Overall | Regular Season | Pts. |
| Connecticut (8) | 5-0-0 | 17-7-2 | 1st | 86 |
| Boston College (5) | 4-1-0 | 14-7-0 | 2nd | 83 |
| Syracuse | 3-2-0 | 14-7-0 | 3rd | 63 |
| Miami (1) | 2-3-0 | 9-10-1 | 4th | 56 |
| St. JohnÆs | 1-4-0 | 12-9-0 | 5th | 36 |
| Virginia Tech | N/A | 9-10-0 | N/A | 34 |
| Providence | 0-5-0 | 7-11-1 | 6th | 27 |
| Mid-Atlantic | Big East | Overall | Regular Season | Pts. |
| *Notre Dame (13) | 6-0-0 | 23-1-1 | 1st | 91 |
| West Virginia (1) | 3-3-0 | 15-6-0 | tied 3rd | 77 |
| Rutgers | 3-2-1 | 9-9-2 | 2nd | 63 |
| Villanova | 2-4-0 | 11-8-0 | 6th | 48 |
| Georgetown | 2-3-1 | 8-9-2 | 5th | 45 |
| Seton Hall | 3-3-0 | 8-10-1 | tied 3rd | 41 |
| Pittsburgh | 1-5-0 | 6-12-1 | 7th | 20 |
ò First-place votes in parentheses.
Preseason Awards Offensive Player of the Year Katie Barnes, Sr., F, West Virginia Co-Defensive Players of the Year Casey Zimny, Sr., D, Connecticut Vanessa Pruzinsky, Jr., D, Notre Dame Goalkeeper of the Year Rachel Brown, Sr., GK, Pittsburgh
Preseason All-Big East Team *Katie Barnes, Sr., F, West Virginia Vonda Matthews, So., F, Miami Amy Warner, So., F, Notre Dame Meghan Moore, Sr., F/M, Boston College Mary-Beth Bowie Sr., F, Connecticut Sarah Rahko, So., M/F, Boston College Lisa Stoia, So., M, West Virginia Frauke Dittel, Sr., M/D, Seton Hall Casey Zimny, Sr., D, Connecticut Tracy Stalker, Sr., D, Syracuse Vanessa Pruzinsky, Jr., D, Notre Dame Rachel Brown, Sr., GK, Pittsburgh College Women: Nebraska is favored to take third straight Big 12 title Nebraska was picked to win its third straight and fourth overall Big 12 Conference title in 2001 in a preseason poll voted on by the league head coaches. The Huskers received nine first-place votes (coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team) and totaled 99 points, eight points ahead of second-place Texas A&M, which had 91 points and two first-place votes. Texas placed third with 83 points, followed by a tie for fourth place with Missouri and Oklahoma both accumulating 62 points. Nebraska won the first Big 12 title in 1996 and captured the previous two in 1999 and 2000. Texas A&M took the 1997 crown, followed by Baylor in 1998. The top three teams in the 2001 preseason poll finished the 2000 campaign in the same order. The Huskers compiled a 9-1 Big 12 mark last season and also won the Big 12 Tournament title while completing the season with a 22-2 record. Texas A&M was runner-up in 2000 with an 8-2 conference record and 18-7 overall mark. Texas finished third last year at 7-3 in Big 12 play and 12-7 overall. Nebraska and Texas A&M both advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Eleven of the 12 members of the 2001 All-Big 12 Soccer Preseason Team were named to one of the 2000 All-Big 12 teams (first, second or newcomer). First-team members in 2000 included: Nebraska’s Breanna Boyd, Meghan Anderson and Christine Latham and Texas’ Kati McBain and Kylee Wosnuk. Texas A&M’s Nicky Thrasher was a first team member in 1999 before suffering a season-ending injury last season. McBain and Wosnuk were also on the 2000 All-Newcomer Team in addition to A&M’s Esther Thompson, Adrienne Dillard and Kristen Strutz on the 2001 preseason team that features five sophomores. Baylor’s Tamura Crawley and NU’s Kelly Rheem were named to the All-Big 12 second team a year ago. Colorado’s Whitney Peterson is making her first appearance on an All-Big 12 team.
2001 Big 12 Preseason Poll 1. Nebraska (9) — 99 2. Texas A&M (2) — 91 3. Texas — 83 4. Missouri — 62 4. Oklahoma — 62 6. Baylor — 61 7. Kansas — 46 8. Colorado — 38 9. Iowa State — 26 10. Texas Tech — 19 11. Oklahoma State — 18 First place votes in parenthesis
2001 Preseason All-Big 12 Team GK – Whitney Peterson, Colorado, Sr, Denver, Colo. ** GK – Esther Thompson, Texas A&M, So, Waxhaw, N.C. ** D – Tamura Crawley, Baylor, Jr, Dallas, Texas D – Breanna Boyd, Nebraska, Jr, Calgary, Alberta, Canada D – Adrienne Dillard, Texas A&M, So, Spring, Texas MF – Meghan Anderson, Nebraska, Sr, Omaha, Neb. MF – Kati McBain, Texas, So, Los Altos, Calif. MF – Kristen Strutz, Texas A&M, So, Spring, Texas F – Christine Latham, Nebraska, Jr, Calgary, Alberta, Canada F – Nicky Thrasher, Texas A&M, Sr, El Paso, Texas F – Kylee Wosnuk, Texas, So, Folsom, Calif. F – Kelly Rheem, Nebraska, Sr, Littleton, Colo. **Tied for position. College Women: Liberty is favored to repeat in Big South Liberty, last yearÆs tournament champion and the 1999 runner-up, is the 2001 favorite in the Big South, picking up 10 first-place votes. Elon, last yearÆs runner-up, was picked second, and Radford, finished in third place. Coastal Carolina, which started itÆs womenÆs soccer program last year, was chosen fourth and Charleston Southern finished fifth in the voting, which is conducted by the League’s head women’s soccer coaches and sports information directors. High Point was sixth and UNC Asheville was picked to finish seventh. Birmingham-Southern, which is making the move from NAIA to NCAA Division I, will play a full League schedule, however the PanthersÆ games will not count in the regular season standings until the 2003 season, when they will also become eligible for the womenÆs soccer tournament. Listed below are the points each team received in the voting. The number in parenthesis indicates the number of first-place votes received.
| School | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Pts. |
| Liberty (10) | 70 | 12 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 91 |
| Elon (1) | 7 | 42 | 20 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 77 |
| Radford | 0 | 24 | 25 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 67 |
| Co. Carolina (1) | 7 | 6 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 59 |
| Ch. Southern (2) | 14 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 15 | 2 | 3 | 46 |
| High Point | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 18 | 3 | 29 |
| UNC Asheville | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 23 |
College Women: Montana is unanimous pick in Big Sky For the fifth consecutive year, Montana has been predicted to win the Big Sky title. Montana tallied the maximum 36 points to finish six points ahead of Idaho State in the 2001 Big Sky preseason coaches poll. The Grizzlies earned six first place votes, while Idaho State earned one first place vote to finish with 30 points. Sacramento State secured third place in the voting with 22 points, edging out last yearÆs runner-up Northern Arizona, which recorded 21 points to finish fourth in the balloting. Weber State finished with 19 points, followed by Eastern Washington (11), and Portland State (8). Montana returns seven starters from last season squad, which captured the Big Sky Championship and advanced to the NCAA tournament before falling to Washington in the second round.
Preseason Poll: 1. Montana 36 points; 2. Idaho State 30; 3. Sacramento 22; 4. Northern Arizona 21; 5. Weber State 19; 6. Eastern Washington 11; 7. Portland State 8. College Women: Marquette is favored to repeat in Conference USA Marquette has been chosen to repeat as the Conference USA regular-season champion in a vote of the league’s head coaches. The Golden Eagles won last year’s regular season title with an unbeaten 10-0-1 mark and represented C-USA in the NCAA Championship for the second year in a row, winning its first round match for the second straight season. Marquette welcomes back eight starters this fall, including two preseason all-conference selections in midfielder Kristen Jensen and forward Kate Gordon (17 goals last season). Saint Louis goalkeeper Meghann Burke, last season’s Defensive Player of the Year, has been selected as the 2001 preseason Player of the Year. Saint Louis was selected second. Burke, the lone goalkeeper on the preseason all-league team, led Conference USA in goals against average (0.72) and shutouts (10) last season. She is joined by forward/midfielder Jenny Kehl in receiving preseason all-league honors. Cincinnati and Charlotte, which finished third and fourth last season, respectively, have been chosen to flip spots this fall, with the 49ers edging out the Bearcats. Conference Tournament: The top eight regular season finishers in conference play will participate in the Conference USA Tournament, Nov. 7-10 in Milwaukee. 2001 C-USA Preseason Poll 1. Marquette 2. Saint Louis 3. Charlotte 4. Cincinnati 5. Houston 6. TCU 7. East Carolina 8. South Florida 9. Tulane 10. UAB 11. Memphis 12. Southern Miss 13. DePaul 14. Louisville 2001 C-USA Preseason Awards PLAYER OF THE YEAR Meghann Burke, Jr., GK, Saint Louis ALL-CONFERENCE Kara Bullinger, Sr., MF, Houston Meghann Burke, Jr., GK, Saint Louis Sherry Dick, Jr., F, TCU Kate Gordon, Jr., F, Marquette Jill Hayes, So., F, Charlotte Kristen Jensen, So., MF, Marquette Jenny Kehl, Jr., MF/F, Saint Louis Colleen Lake, Jr., MF/F, Tulane Tia Opliger, Jr., MF, South Florida Denise Peters, Sr., F, UAB Ann Thomas, Sr., F, Cincinnati Tricia Wiles, Jr., F, Southern Miss College Women: Wisconsin-Milwaukee is team to beat in new Horizon Wisconsin-Milwaukee has been chosen to finish first in the Horizon League in a preseason poll of the league’s coaches. The Panthers received two first-place votes and 31 total points. UWM coach Michael Moynihan, who received 2000 Co-Coach of the Year honors, led his team to an undefeated record in the league last year (5-0) to win the regular-season championship title. The Panthers advanced to the tournament championship game and finished the season at 11-8-1. Milwaukee returns seven starters to the squad, including 2000 all-league first team selection Erin Blaedow and 2000 Co-Newcomer of the Year Lisa Bengtsson. After winning the tournament championship last season for the third straight year, Wright State was picked second with three first-place votes and 30 points. Butler was pegged to finish third with 27 points, while Detroit and Loyola tied for fourth with 19 points each. Green Bay was picked to finish sixth, followed by league newcomer Youngstown State in last. 2001 Horizon Preseason Poll 1. UWM (31) 2. Wright State (30) 3. Butler (27) 4. Loyola (19) 4. Detroit (19) 6. Green Bay (15) 7. Youngstown State (6) College Women: Loyola (Md.) is picked to defend MAAC title Loyola (Md.), which captured the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference women’s soccer championship last year, has been picked to win the conference crown this season in a preseason poll voted on by the league’s 10 head coaches. Loyola finished with 97 points in the poll, just five points ahead of than second-place Fairfield. Marist was picked third with 77 points, and Niagara was fourth with 58 points. Siena placed fifth (55), followed by Iona (51), Manhattan (47), Rider (33), Canisius (26) and St. Peter’s (14). Fairfield’s Pamela Cluff (Kingston, MA), who was named MAAC Player of the Year in 1999 and 2000, has been selected as the 2001 MAAC Preseason Player of the Year. Cluff ranked fourth in the league in scoring last year, as she registered eight goals and four assists for a total of 20 points. Five of the MAAC’s 10 schools are represented on the Preseason All-MAAC Team, including four players from Loyola. The forwards include Fairfield’s JulieAnne Forman (Massapequa Park, NY), Loyola’s Naura Groarke (Rockville Centre, NY) and Niagara’s Rosie Luzak (Lewiston, NY). Joining Cluff in the midfield are fellow Stag Maureen Miller (East Rockaway, NY) and Loyola’s Katie Elliott (Ellicott City, MD). The backs are anchored by Fairfield’s Erin Porter (N. Vancouver, British Columbia), Iona’s Renee Eger (Lindenhurst, NY), Marist’s Jenny Shanks (Sound Beach, NY), and Loyola’s Audra Garuccio (Northport, NY) and Annie DiPalo (East Northport, NY). Marist’s Mellanie Nai (Suffield, CT) rounds out the team at the goalkeeper position. College Women: Mid-American coaches favor Miami (Ohio) in regular season Finishing with 160 of 169 possible points, Miami (Ohio) was picked to win its first regular-season Mid-American Conference title by the league coaches in the 2001 preseason poll, receiving nine first-place votes. The Red Hawks, who return All-MAC first-team member Andrea Cunningham, finished tied for third in the 2000 regular-season with a mark of 7-4. After winning their first tournament championship, Miami advanced to the first round of the NCAA, before falling 4-3 in double overtime to the Michigan. Central Michigan finished second in the balloting with 142 points and one first-place vote. Tying for third during the 2000 MAC season, the Chippewas concluded with an overall mark split at 10-10. Also receiving a nod for the top spot in the poll was Ohio. The Bobcats earned the third spot, garnering 134 points and two first-place votes. Ohio rounded out the three-way regular season tie for third and an entire season record of 10-9. Eastern Michigan finished fourth in the voting with 131 points. Although the Eagles lost 2000 MAC Player of the Year, Tracey Deeter, to graduation, EMU returns three All-MAC first team-members — Kate Lewis, Courtney Sindelar and Amanda Kulikowski — from a team that went 8-3 in the MAC and concluded the 2000 season in second place. Buffalo, the defending regular-season champion, finished fifth with 128 points and one vote for first place. With a 2000 record of 8-2-1, the Bulls will return two league-leading goalkeepers in Emily Cox and Jaime Adams, who both had goals against averages of 0.97. Finishing sixth in the poll was Bowling Green, who earned 105 points. Concluding with a MAC mark of 5-5-1, the Falcons advanced in the post-season to the championship game of the MAC Tournament, before falling to Miami 1-0 in double overtime. Western Michigan garnered 91 points to claim seventh in the poll. The Broncos finished 2000 with a 5-4-2 mark, behind All-MAC first-team member Megan Ramey, who returns to the net. Marshall received 81 points and the eighth spot. The Herd returns MAC Newcomer of the Year in Andrea McMahon, the league leader in points per match last season with 1.88. Behind Marshall in ninth-place is Kent State, who tallied 61 points, and Ball State in tenth, with 54 points. Rounding out the 2001 coaches poll are Toledo, Northern Illinois and Akron. Toledo tallied 40 points, behind the league leader in goals, Corrie Hasenjager, who hit 15 balls past the netminders during 2000. Only one point behind is Northern Illinois, who gained 39 points. Akron, a newcomer to women’s soccer, closes out the poll with 17 points. Miami was also picked as the favorite to return as the MAC Tournament champion, receiving six votes in win the title game. Central Michigan and Ohio earned three votes apiece and Bowling Green snatched the final vote. 2001 MAC Preseason Poll (Regular Season) 1. Miami (9) 160 2. Central Michigan (1) 142 3. Ohio (2) 134 4. Eastern Michigan 131 5. Buffalo (1) 128 6. Bowling Green 105 7. Western Michigan 91 8. Marshall 81 9. Kent State 61 10. Ball State 54 11. Toledo 40 12 Northern Illinois 39 13. Akron 17 College Women: Oakland is picked to repeat in Mid-Continent Oakland has been the team to beat in the Mid-Continent Conference since the league began sponsoring the sport in 1999. The Golden Grizzlies have nabbed a pair of Mid-Con regular-season crowns, and last year, they won their first-ever tournament championship. Mid-Con women’s soccer coaches don’t expect a new look to the league this season, as Oakland was a convincing choice to finish first in a preseason poll of the league’s coaches. The Golden Grizzlies received five first-place votes in the poll. After posting an undefeated conference record in the league’s first season in 1999, Oakland (12-5-1, 4-1 Mid-Con last season) finished in a tie for the regular-season crown last year. Head coach Nick O’Shea saw his team defeat top-seeded Oral Roberts in the Mid-Con Championship match by a 2-1 score in overtime to earn the team’s initial postseason tourney crown. O’Shea’s team returns six all-conference performers from last season’s team, as well as Anita Rapp, who redshirted the 2000 season after earning a gold medal while playing for Norway in the Summer Olympics. Oakland was forced into being the No. 2 seed in last year’s tournament after it lost a regular-season match to Oral Roberts, which has been predicted to finish second in this year’s standings. Led by head coach Kyle Cussen, the Golden Eagles (14-6-1, 4-1 Mid-Con) enjoyed a terrific 2000 campaign. Oral Roberts established a new school record with its 14 wins, and the Golden Eagles tied for 11th in the nation in scoring with their 2.81 goals per game average. Cussen returns three all-conference honorees from last season, including top scorer Tessa Long, who netted a team-high 10 goals in 2000. Two schools from Indiana — IUPUI and Valparaiso — tied for third in the preseason poll. IUPUI head coach Jean Delaski was honored as the 2000 Mid-Con Coach of the Year after guiding her team to a third-place finish in the league standings and a school-record eight wins. The Jaguars (8-11-1, 3-2 Mid-Con) return four all-conference selections from a year ago, including 2000 Mid-Con Newcomer of the Year Tara Latella, who led the league and set school records with her 14 goals and 33 points last season as a rookie. A year after advancing to the Mid-Con Championship title match, Valparaiso (8-9-1, 2-3 Mid-Con) narrowly missed out on a spot in last year’s league tournament. Head coach Stephen Anthony’s Crusaders still enjoyed a successful season in 2000, however, as they established a new school record with eight victories. Valparaiso top scorer Lori Moore returns this year after netting 11 goals a year ago. Western Illinois, the team that kept Valparaiso out of the 2000 Mid-Con Tournament, has been selected to finish fifth in this year’s Mid-Con race. Headed up by coach Jen Daniels, the Westerwinds (5-14, 2-3 Mid-Con) set a new school standard with five victories, and sneaked into the league tournament as the fourth seed after defeating Valparaiso in the regular-season finale for both teams. Western Illinois returns its top two scorers from last year, as well as goalie Summer Perala, who ranked ninth in the NCAA in saves per game (8.83 per game) in 2000. Southern Utah will sponsor women’s soccer for the first time in 2001. Head coach Brian Stock will lead the Thunderbirds into their first season on the pitch, armed with 23 players who comprise the inaugural Southern Utah soccer squad. The Thunderbirds were tabbed to finish sixth in the league’s preseason poll. The top four finishers in the Mid-Con regular-season race will participate in the 2001 Mid-Con tournament, which will be held on Nov. 9-11, 2001, in Tulsa, Okla., on the campus of Oral Roberts University. The tourney champion will receive the league’s first-ever automatic bid to the NCAA Women’s Tournament. College Women: Missouri Valley coaches like Evansville Evansville, which has earned four regular-season titles and four postseason tournament crowns, is still the team to beat in the Missouri Valley. The Purple Aces, directed by head coach Mick Lyon, top the 2001 poll with three-of-seven first-place votes and 45 points. No coach in the league predicts UE to finish lower than second, and with good reason. UE’s scoring trio of Kristin Prom (34) Jessica Schwartz (31) and Trayce Burch (15) combined for 80 points last year and enter this year with just as much fire. Prom, the 2000 Freshman of the Year, and her two all-conference teammates will no doubt, be a force to reckon with in 2001. Besides trying to control the Purple Aces’ scoring machine, the opposition might be hard pressed to score themselves. Last season, UE set a program record with 12 shutouts. The 2000 Valley Player of the Year, defender Krista McKendree, returns for her senior season after earning All-America honors last year. She will anchor the UE defense. The No. 2 team in the coaches’ poll is Illinois State. All-conference goalie Becky Feldman has graduated, but in 2001, the Redbirds look solid with returners Angie Roth and Melissa Culthrust directing the defense. Just like Evansville, Illinois State frequently finds the back of the net. Paced by the league’s leading scorer for the past two consecutive seasons, Annie Wayland helped the Redbirds score 2.78 goals per game last year. Entering the season with 34 career goals, Wayland is well within striking distance of the Valley career goal record of 45. Meanwhile, the Valley’s defending tournament champion, Southwest Missouri State, finished third in the coaches poll with one first-place nod and 35 points. On the heels of his program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance, Bears’ head coach Rob Brewer plans to focus on defense. Last year’s Valley Defensive Player of the Year, SMS goalie Jennifer Grocki, has graduated, but the Bears are prepared with two returning key defenders, Katy Reisch and Natalie Whiteman. On the other side of the ball, SMS’s Alina Alaimo is back after scoring 17 points for the Bears in 2000, including the game-winning goal in the semifinals of the league championship. The No. 4 team in the coaches poll, Creighton, garnered the remaining first-place tally and 33 points. With a youthful squad of 20 underclassmen, third-year head coach Bruce Erickson is seeking to improve on the Bluejays’ 4-3 league record from a year ago. Helping that cause, CU returners Lulu Quigley and Franny Hylok made an impression their first year of collegiate play. Hylok earned a spot on the all-conference second team while both Hylok and Quigley made the all-freshman team. Another standout back for the Bluejays is Sara Hovland. Hovland, the career assist leader at Creighton, served up goals eight times for the Jays last season. During her tenure, she has 21 assists. The lone affiliate, Drury, with its new head coach, Chris Baker, collected 21 points and the fifth slot in the coaches poll. Baker inherits the program as the Panthers begin their third year with the Valley. In the past two seasons, Drury has qualified for the league tournament, but hasn’t been able to get beyond the quarterfinals. This season, Drury returns two seniors and a dynamic group of up and comers. If closeness counts, the six one-goal losses the Panthers suffered last year might serve as valuable learning tools for 2001. The newest members in the league, Northern Iowa and Indiana State, round out the coaches poll in sixth and seventh place with 13 and 10 points, respectively. UNI’s goalkeeper, Anne Marie Witko, earned national recognition as she recorded 192 saves in the Panthers’ 19 matches. With her 10.11 saves per game, Witko finished fourth in the NCAA in goalie saves. UNI returns all 11 of its starters in 2001. Indiana State can match UNI’s returning numbers, as the Sycamores not only have 14 letterwinners back, but 16 new faces. One of those newcomers is a transfer, Carey Patton. A goalkeeper who transferred from Missouri, Patton figures prominently into INS success, according to head coach Vernon Croft. 2001 Missouri Valley Preseason Coaches Poll | 1 | Evansville | (3) | 45 |
| 2 | Illinois State | (2) | 39 |
| 3 | SMS | (1) | 35 |
| 4 | Creighton | (1) | 33 |
| 5 | Drury | 21 |
| 6 | Northern Iowa | 13 |
| 7 | Indiana State | 10 |
College Women: BYU favored for third straight Mountain West championship BYU was selected as the favorite to capture its third straight Mountain West Conference title in a vote by the league’s coaches. The Cougars received five first-place votes and collected 36 points to capture the top spot in the poll. Utah was picked to place second with 31 points and one first place vote, followed by San Diego State with 26, UNLV (21), New Mexico (14), Air Force (11) and Wyoming (8). BYU won the 2000 regular-season crown with a perfect 6-0 league record and captured the conference tournament title with a 6-1 victory over Utah. The Cougars compiled a 19-4-1 overall record and advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to Santa Clara (2-1 in OT). BYU returns 11 letterwinners and six starters in 2001, including All-American Aleisha Cramer, whp was recently called up to the United States national team for the Nike U.S. Cup. The sophomore from Lakewood, Colo. (Green Mountain HS) is also one of 13 college women’s soccer players nominated for the 2001 Hermann Trophy. College Women: Quinnipiac is tabbed to again take NEC title Quinnipiac has been picked as the preseason favorite to win the 2001 NEC Championship. The Braves (7-2-1 NEC), who tied for the regular-season title last year before winning the NEC Tournament, will be guided by 2000 NEC Coach of the Year David Clarke. In only his third season at the helm, Clarke returns an outstanding squad which will be looking to appear in its third consecutive NEC Championship match, this time, ready to defend its crown. Quinnipiac returns a strong contingent from last season, including three all-conference players. Junior forward Elisa Goncalves (South Windsor, CT/South Windsor) proved that her stellar freshman campaign was no fluke by taking home NEC Player of the Year and NEC Tournament MVP honors as a sophomore. She ranked second in the league in scoring (35 points, 16 goals, 3 assists) and goals per game (0.76). Joining Goncalves on the all-NEC first team last year was fellow classmate, defender Melissa Ganias (Wallingford, CT/Sheehan (MA)). Junior forward Alison Jaquith (Spencer, MA/David Prouty), a two-time all-NEC second teamer, rounds out the all-NEC returnees after tallying 5 goals and 2 assists last year. Sophomore forward/midfielder Meghan Kennedy (West Hartford, CT/Westminster), who came on strong later in the season and ended up posting 12 goals, will also be a key ingredient for the team to repeat as NEC Champions. Monmouth, who tied with Quinnipiac for the regular-season title last year, looks to pose the biggest threat to the Braves. The Hawks have always been strong defensively and will rely upon all-conference second teamer, junior defender Shanna Palumbo (Old Bridge, NJ/Old Bridge) to continue her outstanding play in the backfield. Junior midfielder Valerie Leininger (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan), who was named all-NEC first team, returns as the teamÆs leader in assists after tallying six last year. After graduating its top two scorers, Monmouth will need to work off its defense to make things happen offensively this season. The top four teams will advance to the 2001 NEC WomenÆs Soccer Championship, which will be hosted by St. Francis University on Nov. 2 and 4, 2001. 2001 NEC Preseason Coaches Poll | 1. | Quinnipiac (9) |
| 2. | Monmouth (1) |
| 3. | UMBC |
| 4. | Central Connecticut State |
| 5. | Long Island |
| 6. | St. Francis (PA) |
| 7. | Mount St. Mary’s |
| 8. | Sacred Heart |
| 9. | Robert Morris |
| 10. | Fairleigh Dickinson |
| 11. | Wagner |
College Women: Tennessee Tech is the Ohio Valley
