Saint Rose Ranked Atop NSCAA Division II Women's Soccer Preseason Poll
For Immediate Release
August 8, 2012
UMass Lowell ranked No. 17, Merrimack also receiving votes on list
South Easton, Mass. – The College of Saint Rose, the reigning national champions, has been ranked first by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) in the organization's national Division II preseason poll.
To view the complete poll, please click here.
The Golden Knights finished last season 24-1-1 overall, including a 2-1 victory over Grand Valley State in the national title game on December 3. Prior to that, Saint Rose had gone 13-1-1 in Northeast-10 Conference play en route to its fifth straight conference championship.
Saint Rose boasted the top four goal scorers in the Northeast-10 last season in addition to the top five point getters.
Junior Carmelina Puopolo, who was named the 2011 NSCAA National Player of the Year, last year led the conference in goals (19) and points (51) and tied for the league lead in assists (13).
Sophomore Brittany Barry had a 14-goal campaign as a freshman last season, while senior Brittany Godin totaled 11 goals and five assists a year ago. Both had 31 points apiece.
The University of Massachusetts Lowell came in at No. 17 in the poll after allowing a miniscule 0.77 goals-against average last season. The River Hawks went 11-6-4 overall and 10-3-2 in Northeast-10 play a year ago, and won a pair of NCAA Tournament games on penalty kicks before falling to Saint Rose in a third-round matchup, 2-1.
Sophomore Brittany Russo, last year's Northeast-10 Rookie of the Year, was the River Hawks' leading scorer last season with 10 goals and one assist.
Merrimack College also received votes in the poll after falling to Saint Rose, 5-1, in last year's Northeast-10 Championship contest. The Warriors then advanced past Holy Family on penalty kicks in the first round of the NCAA Tournament but were defeated by Saint Rose in the second round.
The 2012 Northeast-10 Women's Soccer Preseason Poll will be released on Tuesday, August 21.
The Northeast-10 Conference is an association of 16 NCAA Division II colleges and universities located in New England and New York that is committed to supporting balanced academic and athletic opportunities for more than 6,000 student-athletes. Each year, 4,000 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 23 sports, making the NE-10 the largest DII conference in the country. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the Northeast-10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
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