Work For No.14
MIAC women's soccer preview courtesy of Matt Higgins and the MIAC office
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BLOOMINGTON, Minn. –--Every new season begins with each team harboring thoughts of a championship. In the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC), all 12 women's soccer teams kick off the 2016 campaign with realistic hope that any team can ascend to the top of the standings – because it just happened a year ago.
If parity is the goal, then it was a mission accomplished in 2015, as the MIAC's top five teams were separated by just one game in the win column – including a three-way tie for second place that kept the battle for the MIAC title overly intriguing until the regular season's final buzzer. When the dust settled, the University of St. Thomas stood atop the pile, just a single point better than Gustavus, Augsburg and Macalester.
The Tommies' title was their fifth, but just the first since 2008. Meanwhile, the term "first" really applied to the upstart Gustie team that earned their first-ever MIAC Playoff appearance, first postseason win, and both their first MIAC Playoff title and NCAA Tournament bid when they upset UST in the conference tournament championship game. Gustavus' remarkable season is the biggest reason every team in the league enters 2016 with newfound hope. The Gusties' run came after they were picked to finish 11th in the 2015 Preseason Coaches' Poll, and was just 2-13-3 the previous season.
Looking back further at the MIAC archives reveals further parity. Since 2011, five different teams have claimed a regular-season championship. Saint Benedict and Carleton shared the title in 2011, Concordia won in 2012, the Blazers won again in 2013, Augsburg was the 2014 champ and St. Thomas was victorious a year ago, which proves that 2016 may really be anyone's year.
Last season, beyond the top four, St. Catherine also won seven games in MIAC play and earned its first Playoff bid, with Carleton and Concordia both over .500 as well and the Cobbers joining the postseason on tiebreaker criteria. Saint Benedict was a game back of those teams, and St. Olaf, Saint Mary's Hamline and Bethel rounded out the rest of the 2015 standings.
For those teams at the top, they learned a year ago exactly what it takes to prevail in such a tough, even league. For the rest, they saw first-hand how a team can make a meteoric rise into contention, the postseason, and beyond. Those valuable lessons learned a year ago should benefit each of the 12 teams as the new season begins, and should make for an unbelievably exciting two months on soccer fields around the MIAC.
COACHES CAST THEIR VOTES
A year ago, St. Thomas emerged from the five-team fight for the title, and the team enters 2016 with many of its star players back and expectations to break the recent MIAC trend and repeat as champs. The Tommies finished atop the 2016 MIAC Preseason Coaches' Poll with 114 points, 11 first-place votes, and 15 points of breathing room between UST and the rest of the contenders.
Head Coach Sheila McGill's roster is stacked once again after last season's 12-6-1 overall record and 8-2-1 MIAC mark (25 points). Leading the returners is the 2015 MIAC Defensive Player-of-the-Year Tarynn Theilig, who returns in goal for her senior season after an impeccable junior campaign. UST has plenty of offense back as well, as both Mallory DeBoom and Brielle Bierman each finished in the top 10 in scoring in the league ay year ago.
After a three-team logjam at second in 2015, coaches expect similar parity at that spot this season as both Gustavus and Macalester received 99 points to share the No. 2 spot in the preseason poll. The MIAC Playoff-champion Gusties received four first-place votes, with Macalester receiving the other two. Both teams finished strong, with Gustavus rolling to its postseason title, and the Scots went 8-0-3 in their last 11 regular season games, and both hope that momentum continues in 2016.
Gustavus (13-7-1, 8-3 MIAC, 24 points) brings back nearly everyone from last season's Cinderella run, including All-North Region forward Maddison Ackiss and fellow All-MIAC selections Ashley Becker (GK) and Sophie Leininger (MF). Becker was also the league's Rookie-of-the-Year in 2015. Macalester (10-3-4, 7-1-3 MIAC, 24 points) will be stout on the back end with All-MIAC defender Michaela McGonigle back in St. Paul, and Clara Webby also back on "D" after All-MIAC Honorable Mention (HM) honors. Jamie Hasama was also an All-MIAC HM pick at forward with a team-best nine goals in 2015.
Augsburg (14-6, 8-3 MIAC, 24 points) was the other team in that second-place logjam, and the coaches expect another Playoff season for the Auggies as they finished fourth in the poll with 89 points. Saint Benedict (7-8-2, 5-6 MIAC, 15 points) was right on Augsburg's heels with 86 points to round out the top five. The Auggies have lots of experience back in All-Region senior midfielder Marta Anderson, along with All-MIAC HM seniors Carter Denison (F) and Emily Gregg (D). The Blazers bring back a pair of All-MIA HM veterans in senior Taylor Hedin (F) and junior Brooke DeMets (D) and goalkeeper Heather Kaluzniak is also back for her senior season as CSB tries to re-join the Playoff party.
The coaches picked Carleton (75 points) to finish sixth and earn the last Playoff spot, with St. Catherine (63 points) in seventh and Concordia (58 points) in eighth also as postseason contenders. The Knights (8-8-1, 6-5 MIAC, 18 points) bring back a talented sophomore duo of Annika Martensson (All-MIAC HM) and Diana Tyutyunnyk and senior goalkeeper Elaine Sundberg. The Wildcats (12-6-1, 7-4 MIAC, 21 points) were one of the MIAC's most pleasant surprises in 2015, and have All-Region midfielder Hannah Okerstrom back, along with fellow seniors Allie Boucher (D) and Julia Zyla (MF). The Cobbers will again be led by All-MIAC forward Emily Wendorff, and forward Paige McCullough (All-MIAC HM) and defender Carly Mickelson give Concordia a strong nucleus of senior leadership.
St. Olaf was picked to finish ninth with 40 points in the poll in the debut season of new head coach Rachel Sushner. The Oles were 4-10-4 (3-7-1 MIAC, 10 points) overall a year ago and hope for improvement in 2016 behind sophomore Kaylyn Billmeyer (D) and midfielders Grace Bestler (Sr.) and Emily Helle (Jr.). Hamline rounded out the preseason poll's top 10 with 35 points, and the Pipers (5-11-1, 2-8-1 MIAC) welcome back two-time All-MIAC midfielder Malya Hirshkowitz, along with leading scorer Arendje Louter and senior goalkeeper Amy Ramras.
Saint Mary's received 22 points to finish 11th in the poll after last season's 6-12 overall, 8-3 MIAC (9 points) campaign. The Cardinals have All-MIAC midfielder Emma Schaefer back, along with forwards Emily Loof and Maddy Wallraff to bring back most of their scoring. Bethel rounded out the preseason poll in 12th with 12 points. The Royals (3-15, 0-11, 0 points) will again be led by two-time All-MIAC HM midfielder Mikala Smith, defensive anchor Erin Ness and have high hopes for incoming keeper Dylan Melby.
The season begins with an almost-complete slate of games on Thursday, with 11 of the 12 MIAC teams kicking off the 2016 season against nonconference foes. Conference play begins on Tuesday, Sept. 13, and runs through the final day of the regular season, Saturday, Oct. 29. The MIAC Playoffs follow with quarterfinals on Nov. 1, semifinals on Nov. 2 and the championship on Nov. 5, with the winner getting an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
2016 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.