DENVER - Seattle U, three-time defending Western Athletic Conference women’s soccer regular-season champions, has been selected as the co-favorite to finish atop the standings for a fourth consecutive season in a vote of the league’s eight head coaches. The 2016 WAC preseason all-conference women’s soccer team and preseason Player of the Year were also selected by the league’s head coaches.
The Redhawks received four first place votes and 46 total points alongside Utah Valley. The two sides were the only ones to receive first-place votes for 2016. UMKC was picked third (32 points), followed by CSU Bakersfield (31 points), Grand Canyon (27 points), NM State (19 points), UT Rio Grande Valley (16 points) and Chicago State (7 points).
SU went 14-3-3 overall and 8-0-2 in WAC play in 2015, claiming the 2015 regular-season title before falling to UVU in the championship match of the WAC Tournament. The Redhawks return six starters from last year’s squad, along with a pair of key players from the 2014 lineup who redshirted last fall.
Three Redhawks were also named to the 11-member Preseason All-WAC Team, including sophomore forward Karli White, redshirt sophomore midfielder Isabelle Butterfield and junior defender Stephanie Spiekerman.
White was SU’s second leading scorer during her rookie campaign, netting nine goals to go along with seven assists for 25 points. Butterfield, who redshirted the 2015 season, returns to the lineup this fall. As a freshman in 2014, she started all 22 matches, contributing two goals and one assist. Spiekerman, a two-time All-WAC second team selection, returns to anchor the Redhawks’ back line, which tallied 13 shutouts last fall.
SU travels to Santa Clara Thursday for an exhibition match against the Broncos. They return home to Championship Field to host Trinity Western on Sunday at 5 p.m. Admission is free for the exhibition match.
The season officially opens on Friday, Aug. 26 as the Redhawks travel to Boise, Idaho, for the Boise State Tournament.
Preseason Coaches’ Poll
Place, Team (first place votes), Pts.
1t. Seattle U (4), 46
1t. Utah Valley (4), 46
3. UMKC, 32
4. CSU Bakersfield, 31
5. Grand Canyon, 27
6. NM State, 19
7. UT Rio Grande Valley, 16
8. Chicago State, 7
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year
Lexie Howard, So., F, UMKC
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Kalli Suesue, Sr., D, Utah Valley
Preseason All-WAC Team
Milla Benedetti, Jr., F, Grand Canyon
Lexie Howard, So., F, UMKC
Aminah Settles, So., F, CSU Bakersfield
Karli White, So., F, Seattle U
Reighan Childers, So., MF, UMKC
Taylor Kirk, Sr., MF, Utah Valley
Isabelle Butterfield, R-SO., MF, Seattle U
Kalli Suesue, Sr., D, Utah Valley
Stephanie Spiekerman, Jr., D, Seattle U
Maja Green, Jr., D, CSU Bakersfield
Blakely Fraasch, Jr., GK, Grand Canyon