NEW YORK – Georgetown was unanimously picked to finish atop the BIG EAST women’s soccer standings this year as the league announced the 2016 Preseason Coaches’ Poll. The Hoyas, backed by BIG EAST Preseason Offensive Player of the Year Rachel Corboz, earned all 81 possible points. DePaul garnered runner-up honors with 64 points, edging Marquette (61 points). The Golden Eagles are led by BIG EAST Preseason Defensive Player of the Year Morgan Proffitt, while Diana Poulin of St. John’s garnered BIG EAST Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year plaudits.
Georgetown has finished as the No. 2 seed in each of the last three seasons and most recently won a BIG EAST regular-season title in 2012. The Hoyas are coming off their fourth consecutive NCAA Championship berth, the longest active streak among current BIG EAST teams. Corboz, voted BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year as a sophomore in 2015, was one of seven All-BIG EAST performers for the Hoyas last year, who went 6-1-2 and tied for second with DePaul, while posting an 11-5-4 overall mark.
Corboz led Georgetown in scoring with 28 points, including team highs of 10 goals and eight assists, and was named to the Hermann Trophy Watch List last month. She totaled eight goals and five dishes during BIG EAST play. Corboz was one of four Hoyas voted to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team along with Crystal Thomas, Marina Paul and Grace Damaska. Thomas totaled 21 points off seven goals and seven assists in 2015, including three apiece in league action, while Damaska finished third on the squad behind Corboz and Thomas with 19 points (eight goals, three assists). Paul sparked a defensive unit which surrendered just 0.89 goals per conference tilt while limiting opponents to just 9.4 shots per contest overall.
DePaul, which boasts the league’s top winning percentage since conference realignment (.759; 18-4-5), went 6-1-2 in BIG EAST play last season and 12-4-4 overall. The third-seeded Blue Demons were upset in the BIG EAST Championship First Round by Providence, narrowly missing a third-consecutive NCAA appearance. DePaul has a trio of Preseason All-BIG EAST Team selections, including unanimous pick Alexa Ben. The 2014 BIG EAST Rookie of the Year and a 2015 First Team All-BIG EAST player, Ben finished last season tied for second in the league in assists, helping DePaul to have the second-best points per game average (6.11) in the conference. Franny Cerny became the second straight DePaul player to garner Freshman of the Year honors, earning the recognition last season. Cerny earned a spot on the Preseason All-BIG EAST squad as the Blue Demons’ top returning scorer, totaling 11 points off four goals and three assists in league play last season. Abby Reed rounded out DePaul’s preseason honorees, coming off a five-goal, five-assist campaign in 2015.
Proffitt anchored a
Marquette defense which posted a 0.97 goals against average last year in conference play and collected four clean sheets. After starting out BIG EAST play just 1-2, the Golden Eagles turned it around to win four of their next five and qualify for the BIG EAST Championship, with all four of those victories being shutouts. Marquette was topped in the BIG EAST First Round by eventual champion Butler, finishing the 2015 campaign with an 8-8-4 mark, including 5-3-1 in league play. Proffitt was joined on the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team by Liz Bartels. Bartels totaled 10 points off three goals and four assists last season to rank second on the team.
Coming off its first BIG EAST Championship crown,
Butler won seven of eight heading into its first NCAA Tournament appearance in program history and was tabbed fourth in the preseason poll (55 points). The Bulldogs finished the year 16-7-1, with just one setback by more than one goal, while boasting a 6-3 mark in BIG EAST play. Butler returns four of its top five scorers from last year including Preseason All-BIG EAST honorees Halle Stelbasky (21 points: nine goals, three assists) and Serina Kashimoto (18 points: six goals, six assists). Kashimoto became Butler’s second All-American in program history last season, garnering All-BIG EAST First Team accolades, while Stelbasky was a unanimous All-Freshman Team pick.
St. John’s posted its finest season in program history in 2015, totaling a 15-4-1 record, including a 7-1-1 BIG EAST mark to claim its first regular-season crown, and earned an at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament. The Red Storm, who were picked fifth in the preseason poll (53 points) lost the program’s most decorated player, All-American Rachel Daly, but will be anchored by unanimously selected BIG EAST Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year Diana Poulin. Entering her senior season, Poulin has been voted BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year in back-to-back seasons, including 2015 when she led the league in goals against average (0.64) while ranking among the leaders in save percentage (.737) and shutouts. Poulin garnered preseason all-league honors along with Anna Maria Baldursdottir, who helped anchor the defense as a freshman in 2015, and Lucy Whipp, who had two goals and four assists last year.
In 2015,
Providence advanced to its first BIG EAST title game since 1993 and set a program record for total wins with its 13-8-1 campaign. The Friars, tabbed sixth in the preseason poll (44 points), welcome back four of their top five scorers from last season Preseason All-BIG EAST selection Christina Klaum. Klaum provided two game-winning goals during league play, leading the Friars to their second straight season of finishing above .500 in league action (5-4-0). PC also has experience in the net in Kristyn Shea, whose .839 save percentage ranked second in league action while her four shutouts were tied for first.
Creighton enters its second season under head coach Ross Paule, going 10-10-0 overall and 2-7-0 in BIG EAST play in his first season with the Bluejays. Creighton returns its top three scorers from 2015, including Lauren Sullivan, whose 10 goals on the year listed tied for third among all league players. Erin Scott also returns to the cage for the Bluejays, posting a .766 save percentage and six shutouts last year.
Xavier (8-9-1, 3-6-0 BIG EAST) had its highest scoring season since 2006, totaling 87 points off 28 goals and 31 assists, with the points and dishes totals ranking second all-time in program history. XU’s top-three point-earners from 2015 are back this year, including seven-goal scorers Samantha Dewey and Kenadie Carlson.
Villanova and
Seton Hall posted matching league marks last year (1-8-0). Among the returners for the Wildcats are goalkeeper Emma Meyers, who started 14 games last season, and Amanda Vocelka, who posted a team-high five points. Frankie Maier is The Hall’s top returning scorer, totaling four points off a goal and two dishes in 2015. Seven-game starter Illissa Blackshear also returns for the Pirates after posting a .786 save percentage last season.
The BIG EAST Preseason Coaches’ Poll, major awards and all-conference selections are based on ballots cast by the league’s 10 head coaches, who cannot vote for their own team or student-athletes.
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year
Rachel Corboz, Georgetown, Jr., M
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Morgan Proffitt, Marquette, Sr., D/M
Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year
Diana Poulin, St. John’s, Sr., GK*
Preseason All-BIG EAST Team^
Anna Maria Baldursdottir, St. John’s, So., D
Liz Bartels, Marquette, Sr., M/F
Alexa Ben, DePaul, Jr., M*
Franny Cerny, DePaul, So., F
Rachel Corboz, Georgetown, Jr., M*
Grace Damaska, Georgetown, Sr., F
Serina Kashimoto, Butler, Sr., M*
Christina Klaum, Providence, Jr., M
Marina Paul, Georgetown, Grad., D
Diana Poulin, St. John’s, Sr., GK*
Morgan Proffitt, Marquette, Sr., D/M*
Abby Reed, DePaul, Sr., F
Halle Stelbasky, Butler, So., F
Crystal Thomas, Georgetown, Grad., F
Lucy Whipp, St. John’s, So., F
^extra players added due to a tie in voting
*unanimous selection
Preseason Coaches’ Poll Points (First-Place Votes)
1. Georgetown - 81 (9)
2. DePaul - 64 (1)
3. Marquette - 61
4. Butler - 55
5. St. John’s - 53
6. Providence - 44
7. Creighton - 35
8. Xavier - 26
9. Villanova - 21
10. Seton Hall - 10