NEW YORK – The BIG EAST Conference unveiled the 2017 Women’s Soccer Preseason Coaches’ Poll today with 2016 College Cup participant Georgetown the overwhelming favorite. The Hoyas earned all nine possible first-place votes and swept all three preseason major awards – BIG EAST Preseason Offensive Player of the Year Rachel Corboz, Defensive Player of the Year Elizabeth Wenger and Goalkeeper of the Year Arielle Schechtman. 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 teams or student-athletes.
Following Georgetown’s 81 points in the poll were reigning BIG EAST regular season co-champions DePaul with 70 points and one first-place vote, and Marquette with 67 points. St. John’s (54 points) and Providence (48 points) rounded out the top five. Butler followed in sixth with 43 points, Villanova in seventh (31) and Creighton in eighth (28). Xavier was tabbed ninth with 16 points and Seton Hall 10th with 12 points.
Georgetown claimed its first BIG EAST Championship in 2016 and shut out four consecutive opponents in the NCAA Tournament to advance to its first College Cup. The Hoyas fell to eventual national champion USC, 1-0, to complete the year 20-3-3 overall and 6-1-2 in conference play. Georgetown enters 2017 ranked No. 5 in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll thanks to the return of three of its top-five scorers from a year ago as well as defensive anchors both on the field and in net.
Corboz led the Hoyas with 38 points off 11 goals and 16 assists last year with the points and assists totals leading the BIG EAST as well. The senior All-American midfielder had eight points over eight conference tilts in 2016. Georgetown led the BIG EAST in goals allowed (0.56) and goals against average (0.53), thanks in part to the defensive duo of Wenger and Schechtman. Schechtman led the conference in save percentage (.875), shutouts (six) and goals against average (0.44). The trio was joined on the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team by fellow Hoya and reigning BIG EAST Freshman of the Year Amanda Carolan.
Corboz was one of two unanimous preseason all-league selections along with fellow All-American midfielder Alexa Ben of DePaul. Both Corboz and Ben were announced as MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List members on Tuesday. Ben was the uncontested pick for 2016 BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year after racking up 11 points off five goals and an assist in conference matchups. Ben and fellow Preseason All-BIG EAST picks junior forward Franny Cerny and senior midfielder Lucy Edwards led the Blue Demons to a 10-6-3 overall record and a share of their second BIG EAST regular-season title in the last three years. DePaul’s postseason run came to an end in the BIG EAST Championship Semifinals after Georgetown advanced on penalty kicks.
Marquette is coming off its most successful year since 2013, claiming a share of the BIG EAST regular-season title, advancing to the conference championship match and earning its 13th NCAA Championship berth. The Golden Eagles finished with a 12-8-2 overall record and 7-2-0 mark in BIG EAST play, with 2016 leading scorer Carrie Madden (17 points, six goals, five assists) back for 2017. The redshirt-junior forward was a Preseason All-BIG EAST Team honoree. Another notable returnee for MU is sophomore goalie Maddy Henry, who posted four shutouts and a .757 save percentage as a rookie.
St. John’s played in the BIG EAST Championship Semifinals for the fourth consecutive year in 2016, and return a pair of Preseason All-BIG EAST Team members from that squad. Senior forward Shea Connors led the Red Storm with 13 points off four goals and five assists, while senior midfielder Allie Moar started all 20 matches for St. John’s, helping the team go 11-4-5 overall and 5-2-2 in league play. For the first time in four years, the Red Storm will have a new face in net following the graduation of three-time BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year Dianna Poulin.
Following a 5-3-1 BIG EAST record, Providence earned a conference postseason berth for a third consecutive year and finished the campaign 11-7-2 overall for its second straight double-digit win season. The Friars eye redshirt-freshman goalkeeper Shelby Hogan to replace veteran keeper Kristyn Shea, who racked up 10 shutouts and an .833 save percentage in 2016. Junior forward Casey Estey is PC’s top returning scorer following a 2016 season which saw 10 points (2g, 6a).
Butler boasts a pair of Preseason All-BIG EAST Team selections in senior defender Shannon McDevitt and junior forward Paige Monaghan. McDevitt was a second team all-league pick in 2016, while Monaghan tallied seven points in nine BIG EAST games. The Bulldogs will look to replace All-American midfielder Serina Kashimoto, who led Butler to an 11-7-2 overall record, 4-4-1 league mark, in 2016, and the program’s first NCAA Tournament berth in 2015.
Villanova is one of two BIG EAST teams under the direction of a new head coach this year, as Chris McLain takes over a program coming off 2-7-0 BIG EAST season in 2016. McLain, former associate head coach at Ohio State, welcomes a trio of All-BIG EAST Freshman Team honorees back to the fold in 2017, including leading scorer Kristin Barbour, who tallied 15 points off six goals and three assists as a rookie.
Creighton will look to replace one of its most prolific scorers in program history in Lauren Sullivan. Sullivan led the Bluejays in scoring all four years in Omaha, including 17 points over nine league games in 2016. Creighton went 9-6-2 overall and 4-5-0 in BIG EAST action last year, with notable returners in sophomore goalkeeper McKenzie Meola and sophomore midfielder Taryn Jakubowski.
Junior forward Samantha Dewey rounds out the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team members. Dewey led Xavier with 20 points overall last season, which included three goals in conference play. The Musketeers are under the direction of new head coach Nate Lie in 2017, with Lie coming from crosstown rival Cincinnati where he was the associate head coach. Xavier went 7-11-1 in 2016, including 1-8-0 in BIG EAST play.
Seton Hall went 5-11-1 overall and 1-8-0 in BIG EAST play in 2016. All-BIG EAST Freshman Team selection Marissa Aniolowski returns for the Pirates after a rookie campaign which saw her score a pair of goals, including a game winner. Anna MacLean, a 17-game starter in 2016, returns to the cage after collecting 85 saves last year.
BIG EAST Women’s Soccer Preseason Coaches’ Poll
1. Georgetown, 81 (9)
2. DePaul, 70 (1)
3. Marquette, 67
4. St. John’s, 54
5. Providence, 48
6. Butler, 43
7. Villanova, 31
8. Creighton, 28
9. Xavier, 16
10. Seton Hall, 12
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year
Rachel Corboz, Georgetown, Sr., M
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Elizabeth Wenger, Georgetown, Sr., D
Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year
Arielle Schechtman, Georgetown, Sr., GK
Preseason All-BIG EAST Team^
Alexa Ben, DePaul, Sr., M*
Amanda Carolan, Georgetown, So., F
Franny Cerny, DePaul, Jr., F
Shea Connors, St. John’s, Sr., F
Rachel Corboz, Georgetown, Sr., M*
Samantha Dewey, Xavier, Jr., F
Lucy Edwards, DePaul, Sr., M
Shannon McDevitt, Butler, Sr., D
Carrie Madden, Marquette, R-Jr., F
Allie Moar, St. John’s, Sr., M
Paige Monaghan, Butler, Jr., F
Arielle Schechtman, Georgetown, Sr., GK
Elizabeth Wenger, Georgetown, Sr., D
^extra players added due to a tie in voting
*unanimous selection