NEW YORK – The league’s head coaches were split over which team would win the 2015 women’s soccer crown as the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches’ Poll unveiled on Thursday had reigning champion DePaul and St. John’s tied on top with 73 points and four first-place votes apiece. The pair narrowly edged 2014 runner-up Georgetown, which came up just three points shy of the frontrunners and earned the remaining two first-place votes.
The Red Storm led the way for preseason major awards, however, nearly earning a sweep. Reigning BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year Georgia Kearney-Perry and BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year Diana Poulin repeated those recognitions in the 2015 preseason, while Providence’s Catherine Zimmerman shared Preseason Offensive Player of the Year plaudits with the Red Storm’s Rachel Daly, who earned the regular-season’s top offensive honor in 2013.
DePaul boasted the most Preseason All-BIG EAST Team selections with four. The Blue Demons are coming off their finest season in program history, claiming the 2014 BIG EAST regular-season and Tournament titles, along with their third NCAA Championship berth. BIG EAST Rookie of the Year Alexa Ben returns for DePaul and was a preseason all-league selection, along with 2014 All-BIG EAST picks Sarah Gorden, Abby Reed and Elise Wyatt. Ben and Reed ranked second and fifth, respectively, in the BIG EAST in points last year, with Ben’s six goals in league play ranking second to only All-American Daphne Corboz (Georgetown).
The Blue Demons went 16-1-4 overall and 7-0-2 in BIG EAST play in 2014, stringing together a 20-game unbeaten streak which only ended in the NCAA Tournament. DePaul enters the season in the NSCAA Top 25 for the first time in school history, coming in at No. 21 in the national preseason poll.
Poulin, Daly and Kearney-Perry accounted for
St. John’s Preseason All-BIG EAST picks as well. Poulin had the second-best save percentage in the BIG EAST last season with an .846 clip, while the then-sophomore goalkeeper and Kearney-Perry helped lead the Red Storm to the Conference’s stingiest goals against average at just 0.65 per league contest to go along with a league-best five shutouts. The 2013 national scoring leader, Daly led the Red Storm in 2014 with 18 points, including eight goals, despite drawing considerably greater attention from the opposition’s defense. St. John’s went 6-2-1 in the BIG EAST last year for 19 points, tying its program record set in 2009, and narrowly missed a title game date with DePaul when it fell to Georgetown in penalty kicks in the BIG EAST Semifinals.
The Hoyas finished the 2014 season with an 11-5-6 overall record and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the third-straight year after receiving an at-large bid.
Georgetown posted a 6-1-2 record in the BIG EAST, advanced to the BIG EAST Championship Final and closed out the season No. 24 in the NSCAA national poll. GU boasts a trio of Preseason All-BIG EAST Team picks, including 2014 first-team selection Marina Paul and second-teamers Rachel Corboz and Emma Newins. Corboz is the Hoyas’ top returning scorer from 2014, totaling 16 points off four goals and eight assists during her rookie campaign. Georgetown finished 20
th nationally in total points (139) last year and 12
th among all Division I teams with 47 assists. The Hoyas enter the season ranked No. 25 by the NSCAA.
Marquette received votes in the NSCAA Preseason Poll and was tabbed fourth in the BIG EAST Coaches’ Poll with 60 points. The Golden Eagles return seven starters from last year’s squad, which was narrowly edged in PKs in the BIG EAST Semifinals by eventual champion DePaul. Marquette went 10-8-3 and 5-3-1 in BIG EAST play in 2014. MU had two players selected to the Preseason All-BIG EAST squad – juniors Liz Bartels and Morgan Proffitt. Bartels and Proffitt played all 21 games last year, with Bartels finishing tied for third in the league with four assists in conference play.
Zimmerman led
Providence to its first winning record (5-4) in BIG EAST regular-season action since round-robin play began in 1995. The Friars were tabbed fifth in the preseason poll with 47 points. Zimmerman’s 27 points (11 goals, five assists) overall ranked fifth in the BIG EAST, while her points per game average (1.42) listed second. The senior’s seven goals in conference play led all league players, as did her four game-winning goals. PC qualified for the BIG EAST Championship for the first time since 2011, bowing out to Marquette in the quarterfinals to finish 9-8-2 for its first winning season since 1993.
Butler joins St. John’s as the only teams to return multiple 2014 All-BIG EAST First Team selections in 2015 as preseason all-league picks Serina Kashimoto and Sophia Maccagnone are back for the Bulldogs. Butler landed sixth in the preseason poll with 42 points. Maccagnone guided the Bulldogs through their second season of BIG EAST action with a team-high 12 points (4g, 4a) to finish tied for sixth (3-4-2) in the standings but missing out on the conference tournament due to a tiebreaker. Kashimoto helped facilitate an offense which ranked third in the BIG EAST in points per game (5.63) over 19 games (9-8-2).
Villanova edged the Bulldogs in the postseason tiebreaker to qualify for its 17th BIG EAST Championship. The Wildcats finished 5-10-4 in 2014 and were tabbed seventh in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches’ Poll with 31 points. Nova returns experienced goalkeeper Emma Meyer, who was the BIG EAST leader in save percentage (.865) while listing second in goals against average (0.74).
First-year head coach Ross Paule has been charged to lead
Creighton, which placed eighth (24 points) in the preseason poll. Paule inherits seven starters from a 2014 team which went 10-6-2 and 2-5-2 in league play, including seven-straight wins to open the year. Junior Lauren Sullivan was the Bluejays’ leading scorer in 2014 (7g, 1a) and earned All-BIG EAST Second Team honors.
Seton Hall and
Xavier round out the poll in ninth and 10
th, respectively. Junior Illissa Blackshear returns to the cage for the Pirates after boasting a 0.93 GAA and .825 save percentage to go along with five shutouts in 2014. The Musketeers welcome back their top-three scorers from 2014, including Tori Doss (3g, 1 a).
All 10 BIG EAST teams open the 2015 campaign on Aug. 21. BIG EAST play commences Sept. 26-27, with the top six teams at regular-season's end earning spots in the BIG EAST Championship. Creighton will serve as host of the BIG EAST Semifinals and Final, with First Round games being played at campus sites.
BIG EAST Women’s Soccer Preseason Coaches’ Poll (first-place votes) - points1. DePaul (4) - 73
St. John’s (4) - 73
3. Georgetown (2) - 70
4. Marquette – 60
5. Providence – 47
6. Butler – 42
7. Villanova – 31
8. Creighton – 24
9. Seton Hall – 19
10. Xavier – 11
BIG EAST Preseason Co-Offensive Players of the YearRachel Daly, St. John’s, Sr., F
Catherine Zimmerman, Providence, Sr., F
BIG EAST Preseason Defensive Player of the YearGeorgia Kearney-Perry, St. John’s, Grad., D
BIG EAST Preseason Goalkeeper of the YearDiana Poulin, St. John’s, Jr., GK
Preseason All-BIG EAST Team^Liz Bartels, Marquette, Jr., M/F
Alexa Ben, DePaul, So., M
Rachel Corboz, Georgetown, So., M
Rachel Daly, St. John’s, Sr., F*
Sarah Gorden, DePaul, Grad., D
Serina Kashimoto, Butler, Jr., M
Georgia Kearney-Perry, St. John’s, Grad., D*
Sophia Maccagnone, Butler, Sr., M*
Emma Newins, Georgetown, Grad., GK
Marina Paul, Georgetown, Sr., M
Diana Poulin, St. John’s, Jr., GK
Morgan Proffitt, Marquette, Jr., D
Abby Reed, DePaul, Jr., F
Elise Wyatt, DePaul, Sr., F
Catherine Zimmerman, Providence, Sr., F*
^extra players added due to a tie in voting
*unanimous selection