Soccer America Archives

THIS WEEK’S NEWS … Due to technical difficulties, service of our e-newsletters has been intermittent this week. Here is all the major college news this week:

Women’s Preseason Top 25
Women’s Preseason All-Americans
Men’s Preseason Top 25: coming Tuesday
Men’s Preseason All-Americans: coming Wednesday

College Soccer Reporter:
Wednesday
Tuesday
Monday

WOMEN’S NEWS … There’s one day to go before the start of the 2009 women’s season. Here are the remainder of favorites in women’s conference preseason polls:

America East Boston Univ. (unanimous selection of conference coaches)
Atlantic Sun Kennesaw State (Owl Maylee Attin-Johnson is Preseason POY)
Atlantic-10 Dayton (Flyers are led by Mandi Baeck, three-time All-Atlantic-10 pick)
Big South Radford (Highlander keeper Lisa Lubke is Preseason POY)
Big Sky Weber State (Wildcats edged defending champion Northern Arizona)
Big West UC Santa Barbara (defending champs return eight starters)
CAA James Madison (Dukes received 10 of 11 first-place votes)
Horizon Wisconsin-Milwaukee (Sophomore Sarah Hagen will lead Panthers)
Ivy no poll.
MAAC Fairfield (Nicole Cavallaro repeats as Preseason POY)
Mid-American Toledo (Midnight Blue seeks fourth MAC title in a row)
Missouri Valley Illinois State (Redbirds face five ’08 NCAA Tournament teams)
Mountain West BYU (all-MWC picks Lauren Anderson and Andrea Willis return)
Northeast Central Conn. State (Leah Blayney and Clio Tregear anchor midfield)
Ohio Valley Murray State (Racers return OVC’s top goalie, Tara Isbell)
Patriot Navy (Middie Shelly Moeller is again Preseason Defensive POY)
Southern UNC Greensboro (Spartans return three all-conference selections)
Southland Texas State (Bobcats led by conference tournament MVP Lauren Lewis)
Summit Oakland (South Dakota State and IUPUI follow in tight poll)
Sun Belt Denver (Pioneers Lizzy Carlson, Mariah Johnston and Jessie Rogers on preseason team)
SWAC Mississippi Valley State (Eastern) and Grambling State (Western)
WAC Utah State (Aggies return eight of their top 10 goal scorers)

* No. 5 Notre Dame will open Friday against Wisconsin at old home Alumni Field while construction is completed on the state-of-the-art Alumni Stadium. The Irish will host Loyola (Ill.) a week later at Alumni Field before opening at its new facility on Sept. 4 against No. 1 North Carolina in a rematch of last year’s NCAA national championship game. The game will be part of the 2009 Inn at Saint Mary’s Classic.

MEN’S NEWS … Preston Hirten, a junior at Division III Mary Washington, collapse during practice and later died on Tuesday. He collapsed during a water break, was taken by ambulance with what was described as respiratory arrest to Mary Washington Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

Temperatures were hot during the late afternoon practice at the Virginia school, but a cause of death was not yet determined.

Hirten had transferred from Hobart, another Division III school, last year. He starred at Staples High School in Westport, Conn.

“Preston epitomized Staples soccer,” said Staples head coach Dan Woog. “Anyone who watched him play – who saw his combination of speed, skill, and above all determination – knew he loved the game, and loved being on the field with his friends.”

Hirten is survived by his parents, Marc and Lisa Hirten, and two sisters Ella and Justine.

A memorial service will be held this Saturday at the Unitarian Church, 10 Lyons Plains Road, Westport. The service begins at 2 p.m.

The family also notes that, in lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Preston Hirten Memorial Scholarship, being organized by the Westport Soccer Association. The address is: PO Box 2561, Westport, CT 06880.

TELEVISION … Two Big 12 women’s matches will be televised on national television. ESPNU will broadcast the game between preseason co-favorites Texas A&M and Missouri on Oct. 4. FSN will air the Big 12 championship game on Nov. 8.

SMALL COLLEGE NEWS … The NSCAA/adidas preseason polls are out, and there are no surprises. The NCAA Division II and III preseason rankings are duplicates of the final 2008 rankings, released after postseason play. That means last year’s champions are all No. 1:

NCAA Men’s Division II Cal State Dominguez Hills
NCAA Men’s Division III Messiah (with first-year coach Brad McCarty in charge)
NCAA Women’s Division II Seattle Pacific
NCAA Women’s Division III Messiah

As for the NAIA rankings, last year’s champions — both Tennessee schools — are No. 1:

NAIA Men Bethel
NAIA Women Lee

WOMEN’S NEWS … The Soccer America Women’s Preseason All-Americans were released today. Heading the team is Casey Nogueira, the 2008 Soccer America Women’s Player of the Year and one of three North Carolina seniors on the Preseason All-American first team along with Whitney Engen and Tobin Heath. Florida State, Notre Dame and UCLA are the only teams with two players named to the first and second teams.

Of note, seven of the Preseason All-Americans missed the 2008 postseason because they were with the U.S. under-20 national team that won last year’s world championship in Chile. UConn’s Brittany Taylor, a first-team preseason selection, was injured and missed the entire season.

* No women’s coach is more excited than Portland’s Garrett Smith that there will be no international championships during the 2009 postseason. Just about every major program lost at least one player during the NCAA Tournament to the U.S. U-20s. The Pilots, whose record 19-game winning streak ended when they fell to Stanford in the quarterfinals, were without three starters — Elli Reed, Keelin Winters and Michelle Enyeart. Throughout her career, Sophie Schmidt has missed time to represent various Canadian teams. When you consider that Reed, Winters, Enyeart and Schmidt will be available all fall, that Kendra Chandhoke returns after redshirting last season, and U-17 defender Cloee Colohan joins the backline that returns everyone, Portland will be as deep as any team in the country. “We are going to have players on the bench this year that would start in most years,” Smith told the Oregonian. “It’s a talented group.”

* Florida is picked to repeat as SEC champion for the fourth consecutive year in the preseason poll released today. The Gators return eight starters, including All-SEC performers Ashlee Elliott and Lauren Hyde, from last season’s squad that went 11-0-0 in league play. Florida is also picked to win the East, ahead of Georgia. In the West, LSU was first, ahead of Auburn.