SEATTLE, Wash. - In a close vote among GNAC coaches, Seattle University women's soccer, which was ranked 17th in the first NSCAA/adidas poll of the 2007 season, was picked second in the preseason coaches poll.
Seattle Pacific is the conference favorite, earning 64 points, including five first place votes. Seattle earned 58 points and two first place votes. Western Washington, who joined SU and SPU in the NCAA regionals last year, earned the final first place vote and is picked to finish third in the conference.
GNAC newcomer Montana State Billings is picked fourth, with Central Washington, Western Oregon, Northwest Nazarene, and Saint Martin's rounding out the preseason standings. Saint Martin's will be playing its first season of GNAC women's soccer after moving their program up from the club level.
Seattle is one of three Far West region schools to be ranked in the top 25 preseason coaches poll. The top six in the NCAA regional rankings will advance to the regional playoffs at the end of the season. UC San Diego, the defending regional champ, is ranked fifth to lead Far West Region schools. Seattle Pacific, which defeated Seattle in the first round of the regional playoffs last season, is ranked 12th nationally. Seattle will play SPU Sept. 29 at Championship Field and again at Interbay Stadium on Oct. 24.
The Redhawk women will be led by 2006 GNAC player of the year and NSCAA All-American Ashley Porter. Porter tied her own GNAC record last season with 14 assists. Porter will not be returning alone however, as Seattle returns nine starters from last season's GNAC championship team. Leah Wymer joined Porter as a first-team All-GNAC selection with a team best nine goals. Also making the first team last year was goalkeeper Kaitlyn Jackson, who led the conference with a 0.50 goals against average.
Seattle opens its season at 1:30 p.m. on Aug. 23 at the Seawolf Classic at Sonoma State against Humboldt State. The Redhawks will then face the host Seawolves on Aug. 25 at 3 p.m. Seattle's home opener will come Thursday, Aug. 30, at 4 p.m. at Championship Field against Cal State Stanislaus.
The mission of the Seattle University athletics department is to champion the holistic development of student-athletes inspiring a vital and engaged campus community through the development and maintenance of a premier, nationally prominent NCAA Division II athletics program, in the spirit of the Jesuit tradition. The university is beginning the process by which it will become a Division I member of the NCAA.