INDIANAPOLIS – Great Midwest Athletic Conference preseason favorite Findlay is widely viewed among the nation’s best following the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll for Division II women’s soccer.
The Oilers, defending conference spring champions of the Great Midwest, are ranked at No. 24 heading into the fall that begins this week. Dating back to the spring, the Oilers will bring in a nine-game win streak on Thursday at 17th-ranked Ferris State.
Findlay went 10-1-1 with the fall season of 2020 delayed due to COVID-19 under head coach Trip Rogers.
The Oilers are led by Great Midwest Offensive Player of the Year Olivia Frank, who led all players in the spring with 16 points (7 G, 2 A). Frank and freshman teammate Hannah Rybicki each had three game-winning scores.
Both of those standouts along with facilitators Madison Mlsna (4 A) and Anna Meixner (2 A), each ranked top 10 in the conference in assists during UF’s title run. Elizabeth Talabac is also among the league’s elite at finding the net as she was among six players who scored five goals in the spring alone.
Freshman keeper Kennedy Slovak only allowed four goals in 11 games while logging over 850 minutes. Conference freshman of the year Alyssa Stark started all possible 12 games for the Oilers and played a key role in locking down the middle of the field while earning player of the week accolades as well.
After making a debut of 5-12-1 as a Great Midwest member in the fall of 2017, the Oilers have reeled off a combined record of 35-8-5 (.781) over the past three seasons, including an NCAA Championship playoff win in 2019.
The Oilers were regionally ranked at the conclusion of 2019 at No. 3 along with Walsh at No. 2. Conference newcomer Ashland, which was ranked fourth, was the only other school to receive first-place votes other than Findlay this year’s preseason coaches poll.
Findlay is one of four programs from the Midwest Region to be nationally ranked including No. 4 McKendree, No. 9 Grand Valley State and No. 17 Ferris State.
2021 United Soccer Coaches Preseason Coaches' Poll -- Aug. 4, 2021
| Rank |
School |
2020-21 Record |
Previous Rank |
| 1 |
Flagler |
8-0-2 |
1 |
| 2 |
Mississippi College |
8-0-0 |
2 |
| 3 |
Angelo State |
10-0-0 |
3 |
| 4 |
McKendree |
14-2-1 |
4 |
| 5 |
Seattle Pacific |
6-0-1 |
5 |
| 6 |
Lee |
8-1-2 |
6 |
| 7 |
Dallas Baptist |
12-1-1 |
7 |
| 8 |
Jefferson |
7-1-0 |
8 |
| 9 |
Grand Valley State |
6-1-1 |
9 |
| 10 |
Central Oklahoma |
7-4-1 |
10 |
| 11 |
Northwest Nazarene |
11-0-0 |
11 |
| 12 |
Notre Dame (OH) |
6-2-3 |
12 |
| 13 |
Lenoir-Rhyne |
9-1-1 |
13 |
| 14 |
Concord |
8-2-0 |
14 |
| 15 |
Oklahoma Baptist |
7-4-1 |
15 |
| 16 |
Holy Family |
5-1-1 |
16 |
| 17 |
Ferris State |
8-1-1 |
17 |
| 18 |
UC-Colorado Springs |
8-1-0 |
18 |
| 19 |
Delta State |
8-1-2 |
19 |
| 20 |
Columbus State |
6-1-2 |
20 |
| 21 |
Frostburg State |
6-1-1 |
21 |
| 22 |
Fresno Pacific |
6-1-0 |
22 |
| 23 |
Missouri Western State |
7-3-1 |
23 |
| 24 |
Findlay |
10-1-1 |
24 |
| t25 |
Western Washington |
4-1-2 |
25 |
| t25 |
Tampa |
6-0-1 |
25 |