Stanford tops preseason Division I women’s soccer poll, eight ACC teams among top-25
Eight Atlantic Coast Conference teams are among the women’s Division I soccer teams ranked in the top 25, but defending NCAA champions Stanford top the preseason rankings released yesterday by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.
Stanford has also been picked to win its fourth straight Pac-12 title. The Cardinal returns seven starters and 21 letterwinners, including three All-Americans – goalkeeper Emily Oliver, midfielder Mariah Nogueira, and forward Courtney Verloo (formerly a defender) – and 2011 Pac-12 freshman of the year Chioma Ubogagu.
Three ACC teams, Duke, Wake Forest and Florida State, are ranked second, third and fourth, respectively. All were 2011 Women’s College Cup participants, while Virginia is ranked seventh and North Carolina eighth.
Boston College is ranked 11th, Maryland 13th and Virginia Tech 22nd. A ninth ACC team, Miami, received votes. The strong preseason showing follows a 2011 postseason that saw the ACC place a record nine teams in the NCAA tournament field.
Duke returns all 11 starters from last season’s 22-4-1 team that finished second nationally, including ACC defensive player of the year Natasha Anasi.Wake Forest’s returning cast includes 2011 ACC offensive player of the year Katie Stengel, and ACC freshman of the year Morgan Brian returns to Virginia. All three earned All-America honors in 2011, as did seven other 2012 ACC returnees: Boston College midfielder Kristie Mewis, Duke midfielder Kaitlyn Kerr, defending ACC champion Florida State forward Tiffany McCarty and defender Ines Jaurena, North Carolina forward Crystal Dun, Virginia forward Caroline Miller and Wake Forest goalkeeper Aubrey Bledsoe.
Overall, 20 student-athletes that earned first- or second-team All-ACC honors in 2011 are set to return this season, including each of the league’s top 10 scorers. The 2012 season gets under way Friday, August 17, with all 11 ACC teams scheduled to see action.
The Division I women’s top 25 is as follows:
| Rank | School | Prev. | W-L-T |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stanford | 1 | 25-0-1 |
| 2 | Duke | 2 | 22-4-1 |
| 3 | Wake Forest | 4 | 18-4-4 |
| 4 | Florida State | 3 | 18-7-1 |
| 5 | Oklahoma State | 5 | 22-2-2 |
| 6 | UCLA | 7 | 16-1-4 |
| 7 | Virginia | 6 | 17-5-2 |
| 8 | North Carolina | 13 | 13-5-2 |
| 9 | Penn State | 8 | 21-5-0 |
| 10 | Pepperdine | 10 | 15-2-4 |
| 11 | Boston College | 15 | 12-6-3 |
| 12 | Central Florida | 12 | 13-5-6 |
| 13 | Maryland | 11 | 12-6-4 |
| 14 | Memphis | 9 | 22-1-1 |
| 14 | Texas A&M | 21 | 16-6-2 |
| 16 | Marquette | 16 | 18-4-0 |
| 17 | Santa Clara | 20 | 13-2-6 |
| 18 | Long Beach State | 14 | 18-6-1 |
| 19 | Illinois | 19 | 17-5-2 |
| 20 | West Virginia | 18 | 17-5-0 |
| 21 | Florida | RV | 17-8-0 |
| 22 | Virginia Tech | 22 | 14-8-1 |
| 23 | Boston University | 17 | 19-3-1 |
| 24 | South Carolina | 25 | 17-8-0 |
| 25 | Auburn | RV | 15-7-2 |
2011 final record and ranking shown.
Also receiving votes: Ohio State, San Diego, Notre Dame, Louisville, Baylor, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Miami, LSU, Dayton, William & Mary, Tennessee, Kentucky, Harvard
