Another Top 3 Finish Is In The Cards

MIAC women's soccer preview courtesy of Matt Higgins and the MIAC office

Click here for the complete MIAC women's soccer preview

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- The 2014 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) women's soccer season was one to remember, with an entertaining four-team fight for the regular-season title and an extremely entertaining debut of the new six-team MIAC Playoff format. Now the only question is what the 2015 season will bring for an encore?

In 2014, Augsburg (17-5) made history with its first MIAC title, as it finished 9-2 in league play and edged Concordia (13-5-3 overall, 8-1-2 MIAC) by a single point for the championship, 27-26. Carleton (11-4-4, 7-1-3, 24) and Saint Benedict (14-4-1, 8-3, 24) tied for third, just three points behind the Auggies in a battle for the championship that came down to the season's final day.

That quartet was joined by St. Thomas (8-84, 6-4-1, 19) and Bethel (7-9-3, 6-5, 18) in the new six-team Playoff bracket, which saw UST upset the Blazers and Carleton beat the Royals in the quarterfinals. The top two seeds won the semifinal games in dramatic fashion to set up a fitting finale between Augsburg and Concordia, with the Auggies won to add their first MIAC Playoff title and NCAA bid to their historic season. The Cobbers also received a bid to the NCAA tournament to cap a successful season for MAIC women's soccer.

Macalester just missed joining the Playoff fun, as the Scots (9-8-1) finished 5-5-1 with 16 points in league play. St. Olaf (5-11-2, 4-6-1, 13) and St. Catherine (7-9-1, 4-7, 12) also stayed in the Playoff hunt until deep int he season, and Hamline (8-8-2, 2-8-1, 7), Gustavus (2-13-3, 1-8-2, 5) and Saint Mary's 5-12-1, 0-10-1, 1) rounded out the final three spots in the standings.

This season, Augsburg and Concordia both graduated a lot of key players, but both still figure to be in the mix for continued success. Saint Benedict and Carleton return a ton of talent and are eager for another shot at the MIAC title, and St. Thomas and Bethel are ready to put their postseason lessons to the test. The rest of the MIAC also returns with optimism and is hoping the expanded Playoff field will give them all a chance to experience the thrill of postseason competition.

In a league with so many evenly-matched teams, the drama will be rich on a week-to-week basis throughout the 2015 campaign. A big goal here or a huge save there could mean all the difference throughout the standings of the closely-contested MIAC. Following an unforgettable 2015 Women's World Cup, the women of the MIAC are ready to build on the excitement surrounding their sport all season long.

THE POLLS ARE IN
The battle for the MIAC title should be fierce yet again - according to the league's coaches - as five teams received at least 92 points each in the 2015 MIAC Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll. The coaches' largely believe that the 2015 champion will be Saint Benedict, as the Blazers received 116 points and nine of the 12 first-place votes to sit atop the rankings.

The next four teams in the poll were separated by just eight points, as Carleton emerged as the poll's runner-up with an even 100 points and two first-place votes. Concordia received 98 points to finish third and defending champion Augsburg and St. Thomas each received 92 points to finish tied for fourth. The Tommies received the other first-place vote.

St. Olaf (68 points) edged Macalester (66 points) for the No. 6 spot, and the final Playoff bid in the coaches' predictions. St. Catherine (46 points) held a slim lead over Bethel (44 points) for eighth place and Hamline (37 points), Gustavus (19 points) and Saint Mary's (14 points) rounded out the final three spots in the coaches' poll.

The first national polls won't be available for a few weeks, as the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) won't release its first poll until Sept. 15, and D3soccer.com typically does its first national poll during the second week of the season. MIAC fans will wait to see how the first two weeks play out and speculate where the conference's elite teams will appear in the national polls.

PLAYERS TO WATCH
The coaches tabbed Saint Benedict as the 2015 favorite based on the team's 14-4-1 record a year ago and nearly all its key pieces back. Head Coach Steve Kimble brings back standout keeper Heather Kaluzniak to keep opponents out of the net, and his to two offensive options as well in Alyssa Hoffman and Gracie Vaughan, who are both two-time All-MIAC selections.

Carleton also hopes to contend for the title in 2015, and will offset the loss of a few standouts with the return of its star players at critical positions. Ava Lewis after netting 10 goals and 24 points en route to All-Region honors, and three-year starter Mikayla Coulombe is back in the net for her senior year after earning All-MIAC accolades in 2014. Madelaine Horn returns to anchor the defense.

Concordia reached the MIAC Playoff title game and the NCAA tournament a year ago and lost a lot of scoring and leadership from that squad, but the Cobbers bring back standout keeper Elizabeth Bitzan and junior forward Emily Wendorff, who led the team in total points, game-winning goals and assists. Sadie Hayes is also back on defense for her third year as a starter.

The Auggies claimed their first-ever MIAC regular season & Playoff titles a year ago, along with their NCAA tournament debut, and they have high hopes again in 2015. Though offensive stars Olivia Muyres and Molly Allen graduated, senior forward Marie Fitzgerald returns up front, Marta Anderson is back in the midfield, and sophomore keeper Marissa Guillou could be poised for a breakout season after a great rookie campaign.

St. Thomas had a thrilling postseason run to the MIAC semifinals in 2014 and has hopes for continued success behind the return of sophomore forward Brielle Bierman, senior midfielder Hayley Engel and junior goalkeeper Tarynn Theilig, who was an All-Conference selection in goal. St. Olaf has a strong senior-laden nucleus back as the Oles hope to contend for the MIAC title, with two-time All-MIAC forward Kajsa Brindley, All-MIAC teammate Madison Van Wylen and fellow forward Eimly Sierakowski fueling the optimism in Northfield.

Macalester got a breakout performance from rookie goalkeeper Emma Tommer en route to All-MIAC Honorable Mention honors a year ago, and the Scots will look to build around their talented young keeper along with midfielder Bonnie Gale and defender Margaret Nemetz. St. Catherine's hopes for continued improvement start with the return of All-MIAC midfielder Hannah Brown, and are also helped by a pair of All-Conference Honorable Mention returners in junior forward Hannah Okerstrom and senior defender Ellen Kokes.

Bethel has the tall task of replacing two-time All-MIAC forward Jessica Huseby, but the Royals are optimistic about the return of forwards Savannah Swanson and Blythe Whealy, as well as junior midfielder Mikala Smith, an Honorable Mention pick a year ago. Hamline also lost several standouts to graduation, but has a trio of juniors back and ready for expanded roles with a particular strength on defense. Midfielder Malya Hirshkowitz, defender Mackenzie Zink and keeper Amy Ramras all return for the Pipers in 2015.

Gustavus brings back most of its key pieces in 2015, and has its sights set on advancing up the MIAC standings. All-MIAC Honorable Mention forward Brittany Chase returns, as does Maddison Ackiss and her 10 goals and sophomore midfielder Sophie Leininger. Saint Mary's also has its nucleus back in Winona as the Cardinals aim for improvement, with two-time All-MIAC Honorable Mention picks Caroline Blackwood and Emma Schaefer back, along with sophomore forward Emily Loof who had a standout rookie campaign.

CIRCLE THESE DATES
MIAC women's soccer fans have less than a week to wait, as the season officially starts on Sept. 1 with a strong slate of nonconference games over the season's first week. Tuesday, Sept. 15, marks the start of conference play, which will continue for a month-and-a-half, building to a Halloween conclusion on Oct. 31. The MIAC Playoffs will follow with the quarterfinals on Tuesday, Nov. 3, the semifinals a day later (Nov. 4) and the championship set for Saturday, Nov. 7. The new six-team Playoff format was a hit in 2014, and continues for its second season in 2015.

The top two teams in the 2015 coaches' poll will square off in a key early-season matchup when Saint Benedict visits Carleton on Sept. 26 at 3:30 p.m. Concordia heads to Augsburg on Oct. 13 for a huge game and a rematch of the 2014 MIAC Playoff championship tilt. That same day (Oct. 13), St. Thomas will head to St. Olaf for a key meeting between a pair of teams with Playoff and championship aspirations in 2015.

St. Catherine heads across town to face Macalester is a big St. Paul rivalry showdown on Sept. 30 at 7:30 p.m. Also on Sept. 30, Gustavus visits Saint Mary's in a key matchup for two teams hoping for major improvement in 2015. Another key Twin Cities battle is scheduled for Oct. 28, as Bethel heads to Hamline for a 7:30 p.m. start in a game of teams hoping to work their way into the postseason conversation. 

2015 MIAC Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll

Coaches voted for every team in the conference except their own team. Points were assigned for each vote (11 for first, 10 for second, etc.) Teams are ranked in order of highest point total to lowest with vote totals listed and first-place votes shown in parentheses.