Aug. 18, 2009
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Lee University (Tenn.), the 2008 NAIA Women's Soccer National Champion, takes the top spot in the 2009 NAIA Women's Soccer Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll, announced by the NAIA on Aug. 18. Familiar teams follow Lee in the poll as Concordia University (Ore.), Lindsey Wilson College (Ky.), Azusa Pacific University (Calif.) and Martin Methodist College (Tenn.) round out the Top-5. These teams also represent the last five Women's Soccer National Champions as Lindsey Wilson captured the title in 2004 and 2006 and Martin Methodist took home the crown in 2005 and 2007.
Lee earns 20 of the 21 possible first-place votes, with Lindsey Wilson being the only other school to earn one. Lee finished the 2008 season 10-0 in the Southern States Athletic Conference and 22-2 overall. The Lady Flames will try to defend their National Championship with the National Tournament Offensive MVP and NAIA First Team All-American Jamie Achten as well as National Tournament MVP and NAIA First Team All-American Christiane Christensen.
Concordia, last season's runner-up, is ranked second and is led by Georgie Christensen and Jessica Ramback, both players were NAIA Honorable Mention All-Americans last season. The Cavaliers were perfect in the Cascade Collegiate Conference with a 10-0 record and lost their only game of the season in the NAIA National Championship Final against Lee finishing 23-1-1.
Lindsey Wilson grabs third place and only loses two players from the squad that reached the semi-finals of the national tournament a year ago. Azusa Pacific and NAIA First Team All-American and All-GSAC Forward Theresa Broad will begin the season in fourth place. Martin Methodist returns Shannon Walter, who was a NAIA First Team All-American a year ago, in hopes of repeating its 8-0 record in conference play and competing for a NAIA National Championship.
Westmont College (Calif.) begins the season ranked No. 17 after only receiving votes in the final poll of the 2008 season. The Warriors are joined by Siena Heights (Mich.), Rocky Mountain (Mont.), Texas Wesleyan, Bethel (Tenn.) and Lindenwood (Mo.) as teams that received votes in the final poll of the 2008 season and cracked the preseason Top-25 in 2009.
The Golden State Athletic Conference and the Heart of America Athletic Conference lead all conferences with three teams each in the Top-25. The GSAC is represented by Azusa Pacific, No. 8 California Baptist, and Westmont, while the HAAC schools include No. 6 Graceland (Iowa), No. 19 Benedictine (Kan.) and No. 24 Lindenwood (Mo.). Indiana Wesleyan made the biggest jump in the poll from last season, moving up from No. 23 to No. 16.
The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences, independents and unaffiliated groups. The first regular season Top 25 poll will be announced on Sept. 8.
Notes:
Lindsey Wilson has been ranked in the top five for the past 29 consecutive weeks dating back to Sept. 20, 2006... Lee University has been rated in the top five for 22 consecutive weeks... Azusa Pacific University has held a top five ranking for 21 consecutive weeks... Martin Methodist College has been ranked for 16 consecutive weeks.
2009 NAIA Women's Soccer Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll - (Aug. 18)
|
RANK
|
LAST POLL^
|
SCHOOL (1st Place Votes)
|
2008 RECORD*
|
TOTAL POINTS
|
|
1
|
2
|
Lee University (Tenn.) (20)
|
24-1-1
|
591
|
|
2
|
4
|
Concordia University (Ore.)
|
23-1-1
|
563
|
|
3
|
1
|
Lindsey Wilson College (Ky.) (1)
|
21-2
|
552
|
|
4
|
5
|
Azusa Pacific University (Calif.)
|
19-3
|
530
|
|
5
|
3
|
Martin Methodist College (Tenn.)
|
20-1-1
|
519
|
|
6
|
7
|
Graceland University (Iowa)
|
19-1-2
|
478
|
|
7
|
11
|
Trinity Christian College (Ill.)
|
23-2
|
475
|
|
8
|
8
|
California Baptist University
|
16-5-1
|
448
|
|
9
|
6
|
Northwood University (Fla.)
|
17-3
|
430
|
|
10
|
10
|
California State University-San Marcos
|
13-4-4
|
415
|
|
11
|
16
|
William Carey University (Miss.)
|
16-4-1
|
400
|
|
12
|
17
|
McKendree University (Ill.)
|
19-2-1
|
376
|
|
13
|
12
|
Simon Fraser University (B.C.)
|
12-7-2
|
375
|
|
14
|
9
|
Park University (Mo.)
|
14-2-3
|
337
|
|
15
|
14
|
Savannah College of Art and Design (Ga.)
|
12-6
|
296
|
|
16
|
23
|
Indiana Wesleyan University
|
14-3-1
|
249
|
|
17
|
RV
|
Westmont College (Calif.)
|
7-7-3
|
244
|
|
18
|
RV
|
Siena Heights University (Mich.)
|
11-6-4
|
226
|
|
19
|
25
|
Benedictine College (Kan.)
|
13-5-3
|
225
|
|
20
|
21
|
Ohio Dominican University
|
13-5-2
|
217
|
|
21
|
RV
|
Rocky Mountain College (Mont.)
|
14-4
|
185
|
|
22
|
RV
|
Texas Wesleyan University
|
11-7
|
124
|
|
23
|
RV
|
Bethel University (Tenn.)
|
13-4
|
116
|
|
24
|
RV
|
Lindenwood University (Mo.)
|
12-4-3
|
112
|
|
25
|
22
|
Madonna University (Mich.)
|
15-4
|
102
|
Others receiving votes: Spring Arbor (Mich.) 101; The Master's College (Calif.) 96; Saint Xavier University (Ill.) 87; William Jessup University (Calif.) 72; College of Idaho 68; Bellevue University (Neb.) 60; Brenau University (Ga.) 48; Vanguard University (Calif.) 40; Union College (Ky.) 28; Saint Ambrose University (Iowa) 21; Carroll College (Mont.) 21; Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Fla.) 19; Olivet Nazarene University (Ill.) 18; Northwood University (Texas) 16; Missouri Baptist University 13; Union University (Tenn.) 13; University of the Cumberlands (Ky.) 10; Shorter College (Ga.) 6; Asbury College (Ky.) 3; Concordia University (Calif.) 3; Aquinas College (Mich.) 1; Baker University (Kan.) 1; Marian College (Ind.) 1; Holy Names University (Calif.) 1; Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Ariz.) 1; State University of New York at Canton 1
^Final Ranking of 2008 Season on Nov. 16, 2008
*2008 Final Record
