INDIANAPOLIS – Friday’s announcement of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Women’s Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll presented by Under Armour had Trevecca Nazarene positioned at the top to begin the new year.
A deep and talented league, now with 12 programs and balanced better than ever, had six different teams receive at least one-first place vote in the balloting.
It starts with reigning regular-season champion Trevecca Nazarene with five of those first-place votes from the coaches. The Trojans forged a path to serve as the conference tournament host and secure the No. 1 seed, only to suffer a setback on their home pitch.
A new coaching era is underway in Nashville with the entrance of Kelsey Fenix (from Lipscomb) and the exit of respected veteran leader Mark Foster (to South Alabama). TNU collected a total of 123 points to lead all teams in the voting.
Ursuline is the preseason runner-up with a pair of first-place votes and 113 points. The Arrows were Great Midwest Championship finalists once again and it seems the program run by Jason Kubbins, regardless of personnel on the field, is always a serious contender.
In a close vote for third, first-year league member Ohio Dominican debuts with 112 points and two first-place votes. The Panthers were 5-3-3 in their final year in the GLIAC, including an unbeaten record at home in Columbus (5-0-3).
Cedarville, which enters year two with Jonathan Meade (former Ohio Dominican coach), settled into fourth and Walsh was fifth with 93 points. The Cavaliers also gathered a first-place vote.
Perhaps the most surprising slot is at No. 6 where 2016 Great Midwest tournament champ and NCAA Midwest Region qualifier Davis & Elkins will start the season. The Senators thrived with a new coach as Meghan Gill guided the program to the top as the No. 4 seed in the bracket.
D&E still did receive one first-place vote and Lake Erie, the other team to receive a first-place vote, came in 10th in the poll.
Just two points separated Malone and Kentucky Wesleyan in seventh and eighth, respectively. Both teams made the six-team G-MAC Championship postseason bracket a year ago.
Findlay starts the season in ninth. West Virginia schools Alderson Broaddus and Ohio Valley round out the preseason coaches poll in 11th and 12th, respectively.
The Great Midwest Championship also opens up to an eight-team bracket this season. The first rounds will be played at the higher seeds before the top remaining seed would host the semifinals and the final.
The Great Midwest women’s soccer season preview will be released next Friday, Aug. 25. Like the men, several women’s teams will officially usher in the new season on Thursday, August 31.
2017 Great Midwest Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll presented by Under Armour
| School |
Points |
| 1. Trevecca Nazarene (5 first-place votes) |
123 |
| 2. Ursuline (2 first-place votes) |
113 |
| 3. Ohio Dominican (2 first-place votes) |
112 |
| 4. Cedarville |
96 |
| 5. Walsh (1 first-place vote) |
93 |
| 6. Davis & Elkins (1 first-place vote) |
88 |
| 7. Malone |
62 |
| 8. Kentucky Wesleyan |
60 |
| 9. Findlay |
55 |
| 10. Lake Erie (1 first-place vote) |
51 |
| 11. Alderson Broaddus |
45 |
| 12. Ohio Valley |
38 |