INDIANAPOLIS – Projected to be one of the top programs in the Midwest Region and Division II this fall, reigning spring champion Findlay was selected as the favorite in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Women’s Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll presented by Under Armour on Thursday.
Only two teams received first-place votes in the balloting by the league’s coaches, the Oilers and conference newcomer Ashland. Findlay accumulated a total of 97 points from its seven first-place votes and the Eagles collected four first-place votes for a total of 87 points.
Eleven member institutions are in the mix for the championship this season and in the past three years, a different program has found itself at the top of the pinnacle in the conference postseason tournament.
The Oilers are aiming to go back-to-back under head coach Trip Rogers, who took control of the program following the departure of former 2019 Great Midwest Coach of the Year Jimmy Walker to Bowling Green. Walker also hired former Ashland coach Taylor Clarke to his staff right before the start of preseason and the Eagles recently announced the hire of Cayleb Paulino as his replacement.
Findlay’s last opportunity to shine in the NCAA Championship was an amazing moment with a home field victory over Rockhurst to advance into the regional semifinals. The Oilers are ranked 24th in the United Soccer Coaches Poll after going 10-1-1 in the spring. Playmaking forward Olivia Frank has come full circle in her career: a former freshman of the year to offensive player of the year who now has 38 points (17 G, 4 A) in her career. She was the league leader in goals and points this spring while teammates Elizabeth Talabac and Hannah Rybicki combined for 9, both ranking in the top 10.
In the last Midwest regional rankings published in 2019, Ashland was No. 2 only behind Grand Valley State. The Eagles are a combined 22-7-2 over the past two seasons, including the spring with advancement into the GLIAC Tournament semifinals. The Ashland program carries prestige and is immediately viewed as a title contender right out of the gates in its first year with the Great Midwest.
Ohio Dominican is third after the Panthers finished second in the spring standings. The Panthers had five performers on the all-conference first team including conference defensive player of the year Alaina Behnke.
Checking in at fourth was Cedarville after the Yellow Jackets positioned themselves as a championship game finalist in the spring. Cedarville was also in the hunt in the final set of 2019 Midwest Region rankings for an at-large berth as a national qualifier. Mary Kate Wyer was tied for second in the conference in total points with 12 while Taylor Noll notched 11.
Walsh is just two years removed from celebrating a conference tournament title in 2019 and the Cavaliers were voted fifth. Trevecca Nazarene is ranked sixth and Malone, which pulled off an opening-round upset in the spring postseason, came in seventh.
Tiffin has momentum following the program’s first conference tournament appearance and will look to keep trending in the right direction under new coach Michael Cracas. Only one point separated Kentucky Wesleyan and Ursuline in the top 10 and Lake Erie rounds out the preseason coaches poll, respectively.
The Great Midwest Championship tournament will feature six teams in the bracket this year. The first-round contests will be played Saturday, November 6, with the top two seeds receiving a bye. The semifinals would be conducted on Thursday the 11th and the championship game on Saturday the 13th at the top seed's campus site.
The winner of the conference tournament receives an automatic qualifying bid into the NCAA Championship Midwest Regional, a bracket consisting of Great Midwest, Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) and Great Lakes Intercollegiate Collegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) programs.
Northwood will join the party in the fall of 2022 as a full member of the Great Midwest and newly announced provisional member Thomas More will be slotted into the scheduling for the 2023 fall season.
2021 Great Midwest Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll presented by Under Armour
| 1. Findlay (7 first-place votes) |
97 points |
| 2. Ashland (4 first-place votes) |
87 points |
| 3. Ohio Dominican |
81 points |
| 4. Cedarville |
75 points |
| 5. Walsh |
63 points |
| 6. Trevecca Nazarene |
59 points |
| 7. Malone |
44 points |
| 8. Tiffin |
30 points |
| 9. Kentucky Wesleyan |
28 points |
| 10. Ursuline |
27 points |
| 11. Lake Erie |
14 points |