Northeast-10 Women's Soccer Poll Released

SOUTH EASTON, Mass. – The Southern New Hampshire University women’s soccer team was picked to finish 10th in the Northeast-10 Conference preseason coaches poll released on Wednesday.  Franklin Pierce University, which reached the NCAA Division II championship game last season, was selected as a narrow favorite to win the conference, garnering eight first place votes and 218 points, edging Saint Rose, which received the other seven first place votes and finished with 217 points.

SNHU returns 18 players from last season’s squad that finished tied for eighth place in the NE-10, narrowly missing out on a conference tournament berth.  The squad features six seniors, including Cary Rivett (Uxbridge, MA), who was a Northeast-10 All-Conference selection last season.  Classmate Sophia Saint Paul (Brockton, MA) was the team’s leading scorer two seasons ago, while Nicole Ebner (Rochester, NY) is the leading returning scorer from last season despite missing seven games last season due to injury.  Senior Stef Young (Natick, MA) returns in goal after recording five shutouts and a .767 save percentage last season.

The Penmen open the season August 29 under the lights at the University of Bridgeport.  Southern New Hampshire opens NE-10 play September 9 at Saint Michael’s, and host league newcomer New Haven in the home opener at Larkin Field on September 17.

Northeast-10 Conference
2008 Women’s Soccer Preseason Coaches’ Poll
School (First Place Votes) Points  Record (Overall, NE-10)
1.Franklin Pierce (8)  218  18-1-6, 9-1-4
2. Saint Rose (7)  217  19-1-2, 12-0-2
3. Merrimack   190  13-5-4, 8-3-3
4. UMass Lowell  158  11-9-1, 6-7-1
5. Saint Anselm  141  9-8-3, 6-5-3
6. New Haven   128  12-7-2, 8-2-0*
7. Southern Connecticut 125  7-9-2, 4-9-1
8. Stonehill   118  8-7-3, 8-3-3
9. Le Moyne   111  9-8-1, 5-8-1
10. So. New Hampshire 95  8-10-1, 6-8-0
11. Assumption  94  4-11-2, 3-10-1
12. Bentley   66  8-9-3, 5-6-3
13. Saint Michael’s  65  8-7-3, 4-7-3
14. American International 46  7-13-0, 2-12-0
15. Pace   28  4-12-2, 1-11-2

*-Member of East Coast Conference in 2007