Women's Soccer coaches select St. Scholastica as unanimous favorite
2013 UMAC Women’s Soccer Coaches’ Poll
1. 49 Points - College of St. Scholastica (7 First Place Votes)
T-2. 39 Points – University of Minnesota Morris(1)
T-2. 39 Points - University of Northwestern (Minn.)
4. 32 Points - Bethany Lutheran College
5. 20 Points – Crown College
6. 17 Points - Martin Luther College
7. 16 Points – Northland College
8. 12 Points – North Central University (Minn.)
ST. PAUL -- The College of St. Scholastica was selected as the unanimous favorite to win the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) regular season championship in 2013 according to the annual preseason poll of the league’s coaches. The Saints have won nine straight conference trophies and will look to again claim the UMAC title this season.
1. College of St. Scholastica Saints
2012 Overall Record: 17-5-1
2012 UMAC Record: 13-1-0
2012 UMAC Finish: 1st
Starters Returning: 8
Starters Lost: 3
The St. Scholastica women’s soccer team won their ninth straight UMAC regular season title and second consecutive UMAC Tournament championship in 2012 and look to again finish on top of the league standings in 2013. The Saints have made the NCAA Tournament in five of the last six seasons and hope to get back to the tournament again this upcoming year.
The CSS women return a lot from a season ago. The lone big losses for the Saints include All-Region performer Andrea Beatt and midfielder/defender Joey Moore. However, back for the Saints is the two-time reigning UMAC Offensive Player of the Year Kelsey Kehtel. Kehtel, a junior, became the first CSS player to record back-to-back 20-goal seasons in program history last season and was a first team All-Region selection. Second team All-Region choices in senior defender Logan Williamson and sophomore goalkeeper Kelsey Reeves also return. Seniors Shannon Carlson and Taylor Cunningham are back after recording 25 assists combined last season. Junior Casey Mitchell recorded 11 goals a season ago. Joining Williamson defensively is senior Maggie Dolan and sophomore Alexi Bopray. With both Beatt and Moore gone in the middle of the field, the Saints will look to either senior Lauren Lynch or sophomores Catherine Fisco and Kaylee Benson to fill the void.
T-2. University of Minnesota Morris Cougars
2012 Overall Record: 12-5-2
2012 UMAC Record: 11-2-1
2012 UMAC Finish: 2nd
Starters Returning: 6
Starters Lost: 6
The Cougars will return two 2012 first team All-UMAC players in juniors Ally Heida and Racheal Berns and second team All-Conference selection junior Kelsi Kolle to the lineup this season. One year ago the Cougars finished with a 12-5-2 record overall and 11-2-1 in UMAC play and will look to remain in the top of the UMAC standings and battle for a conference title in 2013.
Kolle is the leading scorer to return for the Cougars after losing two of its three top scorers from a season ago. Junior midfielder Justine Wolf is also back for the UMM after finishing the 2012 campaign fourth on the team with five assists and five goals. Sophomore Emma LaChance was key sub for the team last year scoring four goals and looks to move forward in her career and make an impact on the field in 2013. After losing a few key defensive players and their keeper, the Cougars will look to new faces to battle it out for the spot in net.
T-2. University of Northwestern Eagles
2012 Overall Record: 8-9-2
2012 UMAC Record: 8-4-2
2012 UMAC Finish: 4th
Starters Returning: 6
Starters Lost: 7
The University of Northwestern women’s soccer team will be embracing a new look this year, after losing seven starters from last year’s squad that went 8-9-2 overall, including an 8-4-2 mark in Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) contests. The Eagles return a core of offensive players from the 2012 campaign, including two-time all-conference recipient Lauren Cleope and fellow senior Lindsay Halvorson. The duo totaled 24 points over the course of last season, including five goals apiece. Looking to share the load will be Sarah Scinto, returning to the field for her third year and Roxanne Holmberg who saw significant action in her inaugural campaign in a Northwestern jersey.
On the defensive front, UNW will look to fill the void left by graduated defensive players Heidi Anderson, Lyssa Hester, and Katy Hoppe, who all combined to marshal the back line in 2012. One addition to this year’s efforts is Sara Kallhoff, a junior midfielder who notched her first conference recognition upon the conclusion of last year’s matchups. The Eagles will also rely upon experience in goal, with Sarah Stenson and Emily Johnson both ready to back up their team in their final collegiate run. Stenson picked up the credit for 81 saves en route to being named first team all-conference last November, while Johnson capped off her third year as part of the Northwestern squad with a record of 5-2-1.
4. Bethany Lutheran College Vikings
2012 Overall Record: 12-7-2
2012 UMAC Record: 10-4
2012 UMAC Finish: 3rd
Starters Returning: 7
Starters Lost: 4
The 2013 Vikings will look to replace their top three offensive scorers from a season ago as well as four-year starter Jessica Wacholz at the heart of the Vikings defense. The Vikings return only 13 letter winners from 2012 and will need to rely heavily upon the incoming class of recruits to step in and contribute from day one. Bethany Lutheran welcomes a group of 15 newcomers this fall and will look to the new faces to provide balance on the field with hope that their development and integration into the team will contribute to team success in 2013.
Defensively, the Vikings return an abundance of talent with four-year starting goal keeper Alexa Mowery back between the pipes. Seniors Jacqui Bonrud and Melissa Luebke will anchor the defense with All-UMAC honorable mention recipient Bridget Hennen returning as well. The midfield with be led by senior co-captains Hannah Spaulding and Kindra Fairburn while offensive returners Marta Faugstad, Taylor Friehl and Diana Garza will look to trigger a young, inexperienced attack.
5. Crown College Storm
2012 Overall Record: 4-14-1
2012 UMAC Record: 2-11-1
2012 UMAC Finish: 7th
Starters Returning: 6
Starters Lost: 5
The Crown College women’s soccer program will look to continue their growth this fall with the addition of a number of quality student athletes under third year head coach Jamie Ross. Coach Ross will look to field a roster of near 30 players and utilize a junior varsity program to continue the development of Crown women’s soccer.
Returning to lead the Storm will be talented goal scorer Megan Wright, plucky midfielder Sam Samsa, and All-Conference goalkeeper Hillary Brondsema. Crown returns most of its offense from a year ago and will benefit from an influx of young talent. Jena Willis will join Samsa in the midfield, while Danielle Sienicki will look to help replace the leadership of Kelly Anderson in the back line. Emily Kirby will add some depth in goal and open up the possibility of Brondsema moving to the field. With added depth and lots of returning skill, Crown will hope to play a more aggressive style this season and continue their steady climb up the UMAC ladder.
6. Martin Luther College Knights
2012 Overall Record: 6-12
2012 UMAC Record: 5-9
2012 UMAC Finish: 5th
Starters Returning: 7
Starters Lost: 4
The 2013 Martin Luther women’s soccer team returns a number of key players from a 2012 team that finished 6-12 overall and 5-9 in conference play. Midfielder Bethany Schultz returns for her senior season with 25 career goals (seven in 2012). Schultz is a three-time All-UMAC selection (First Team All-UMAC in 2010 and 2012), and tied for the team lead a season ago with 20 points. She will be joined up front by Lauren Maertz, who lead the Knights with ten goals in her debut season a year ago, and Casey Sauer, who tallied three goals as a freshman last year.
Defender Alydia Lee returns for her fourth season as a starter on defense after receiving honorable mention all-conference recognition a season ago. Also returning on defense will be Melissa Mittelstadt, while goalkeeper Keely Keese looks to start for the second consecutive season after starting 14 games in 2012.
7. Northland College LumberJills
2012 Overall Record: 5-13-2
2012 UMAC Record: 3-9-2
2012 UMAC Finish: 6th
Starters Returning: 8
Starters Lost: 3
The LumberJills are coming off a 5-13-2 season that was full of expectations, but saw multiple injuries to key players. This season expectations are equally high, and with several starters from last year’s squad no longer part of the team, the Jills will look to a solid recruiting class to provide the much needed boost under interim head coach Olaf Kirsten.
Returning for the Jills this season are second team All -UMAC senior midfielder and captain Sarah Hudson, senior goalkeeper Jessica Jaeckel and senior defender Jessie Swider. Junior Natalie Absil will be asked to inherit some of the scoring responsibility lost by the departure of leading scorers Anette Nelson and Shakara Merrill, and if she can stay healthy she is expected to do so. Also returning are sophomore second team all-conference midfielder Mychaela Parker and midfielder Jolynn Dohrmann. A strong recruiting class should provide some needed attacking power and defensive strength for the Jills this season as they look to improve on their record of last season.
8. North Central University Rams
2012 Overall Record: 4-17-3
2012 UMAC Record: 1-13
2012 UMAC Finish: 8th
Starters Returning: 7
Starters Lost: 4
North Central will come into year two of UMAC membership with a better grasp on what it takes to handle the back to back competition schedule of league play and should be poised for battling their way out of the eighth place slot in the league table. The Rams will return seven of their starting 11 from 2012 and add some scoring punch with a few key recruits.
The top returning scorer for the Rams is senior and third year captain Marissa Dean who tallied the third most points for NCU last season from a mostly defensive midfield position. Overall the Rams will return 58 percent of their goal scoring and 63 percent of their total points from 2012. That includes sophomore Karlee Hoover who returns after leading the Rams in assists in her first year of college soccer. While the defense will be without 2012 second team All-UMAC goalkeeper and NCU career shutout leader Noelle Stordock, the back line should be solid. UMAC Honorable Mention central defender, junior Rachel Parsons returns long with senior captain Kayla Kip to bolster the back end for NCU. A pair of recruits at the forward position should help a Rams offense that struggled with just five goals in UMAC play last season as Callie Shehorn and Brooklyn Emmerich look to make an impact this season.
UMAC teams will kick off their season starting Aug. 30 with the conference season beginning on Sept. 20. An automatic berth to the NCAA Championships will be on the line again for the winner of the UMAC Women’s Soccer Tournament. Semifinals will be on November 5 with the championship game taking place Nov. 9.