Saints tabbed to win 13th-straight UMAC women's soccer title

8/29/2016 2:38:18 PM

ST. PAUL, Minn.---A year ago, the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) saw the University of Northwestern and the College of St. Scholastica share the league season title after the Eagles took a regular season win from the Saints in women's soccer. This was the first season since 2004 that the Saints did not win the title outright.

Heading into the 2016 season, though, St. Scholastica is expected to reign supreme once again as the UMAC coaches selected the Saints a unanimous first-place finisher in the Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches’ Poll announced Monday.

| Poll | Matchups | Team Previews |

The Saints will be in position to take at least a share of their 13th-straight regular season title and find themselves in position for a sixth NCAA postseason trip in as many years. St. Scholastica earned a maximum eight first-place votes for 64 points in the poll.

A year ago, the Saints dominated almost every statistical category in the UMAC and outscored conference opponents 45-5. The Saints averaged 4.55 goals per game in conference play for the league’s most potent offense, while the stingy defense gave up just a total of 46 shots to UMAC opponents with a 0.50 team goals against average (GAA).

If the Saints hope to remain atop the UMAC, they will have to do it without four key players from last year's successful squad. Most notably, the Saints will be without two-time All-UMAC player Leah Hamm who notched 18 goals as a senior and was tied for first in conference games with 14 goals. The Saints also lose Kaylee Benson who was a First-Team selection.

On the defensive side, the Saints will need to find a replacement for Kelsey Reeves who earned All-UMAC honors in each of her four seasons in goal for the blue and gold. Reeves holds a program-record 36 shutouts for her career and recorded an impressive 0.77 GAA as a senior. The Saints will also be without Defensive Player of the Year Taylor Rozmark anchoring the back line.

In his 17th season at the helm of the Saints program, Dave Reyelts should be confident that his squad can rise to the challenge in 2016 as several key players make their return. As a first-year, Becca Rancour became just the second rookie in Saints’ history to score 40 points. She will return to lead the Saints offense after also recording four game-winners last season.

Additionally, the Saints will rely heavily on midfielders Rachel Dixon and Kirsten Olsen. As a rookie, Dixon earned All-UMAC Second Team accolades following her five assists and 13 points, while Olsen was an Honorable Mention pick as a junior with seven points and two game-winning goals.

Northwestern proved they could be a contender again this season after winning a share of the title in 2015 for the first time since 2000. The Eagles were picked second by the coaches with 54 points, while the University of Minnesota Morris should be in the mix as well following just behind in third with 51 points.

The Eagles were nearly as successful as the Saints at keeping opponents from scoring as they compiled a 0.60 GAA. Offensively, the Eagles netted 3.00 goals per game against conference foes for the third-best scoring average.

Leading the way for the Eagles this season should be 2015 UMAC Player of the Year Jordan Lubben who led the UMAC in conference goals with 14 last season and was third in conference points (30). The senior forward also tied for the conference lead in game-winning goals with three in league play and tallied her second All-UMAC honor of her career.

The Eagles will miss the presence of All-UMAC selection Allie Franzen in the midfield, but a core of offensive contributors return for reigning UMAC Coach of the Year Josh Pettit including Abby Lamfers and Emily Goeppinger who were All-UMAC honorees last season.

Minnesota Morris should pressure last year’s two champions this fall with the return of three of the league’s top 15 point scorers from 2015. Junior Molly Hancuh leads that pack following a standout sophomore campaign in which she tied for the UMAC lead in conference goals (14) and her 34 points in UMAC games was the most of all players.

Rookie of the Year Yu Ito and Carly Denler both return after compiling 19 points each in conference games, while All-UMAC defender Juliet Batista and Honorable Mention keeper Torri Jordan should help the Cougars keep their team GAA under 1.00 again this year and make a 14th-straight postseason appearance.

Northland College was selected to place fourth (37 points) after qualifying for the postseason a year ago and Bethany Lutheran College was just four points behind with 33 points to grab the fifth-and-final playoff spot in the poll.

The Lumberjills saw great success under first-year Head Coach Justin Sexton in 2015 and will hope to continue to remain in contention for the postseason with the return of All-UMAC First Team player Maddie Wieland who led the team in overall goals (15) and All-UMAC Second Team player Kaiya Voldberg who led the team in conference goals (7). Northland will need to find a replacement for All-UMAC keeper Al Ritchie in order to remain amongst the top squads.

The Vikings – who have advanced to the UMAC playoffs five of the last six years and lost in overtime or shootouts on three of those occasions – should be in the conversation for another postseason berth with the return Nicole Molstad and Ali Mix who each collected 26 points in overall play last year. Honorable Mention Abby Goss will also lead a strong defensive effort as senior.

Just seven points separated spots six through eight in the poll with Martin Luther College on the top of the grouping with 29 points while the University of Wisconsin-Superior was seventh (25 points) and North Central University was picked eighth (22 points). Crown College rounded out the predictions with nine points.

Martin Luther will look to improve in the standings after settling for sixth with North Central last season. The Knights anticipate the return of three-time All-UMAC Second Team player Jenna Maurer who tallied 11 overall goals last season. Overall, the Knights return 10 of 11 starters including all of the players responsible for their 31 goals a year ago.

In its first season as a UMAC member, Wisconsin-Superior was just one tie away from being in the tie for sixth place. This year, the Yellowjackets should be positioned for improvement with the return of Britt Zieroth who was an Honorable Mention player and tallied the most goals by a single player in a season for the program since 2012.

North Central will rely heavily on Dakotah Sparrman to give the team a chance to win games this season. As a sophomore, Sparrman scored 10 of the Rams’ 13 goals in UMAC games to garner All-UMAC Second Team honors. They will also need Linnea Madsen and Lindsay Freitag to step up to help out.

Crown loses its leading scorer from a year ago in Tiffany Krueger, but nine other goal scorers return including Emily Kirby, Monika Russell and Katelyn Carter who all pose threats from the midfield.

The first 11 days of the season will see UMAC teams in non-conference competition with Minnesota Morris and St. Scholastica facing off against some of the top Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) teams from last season. Conference play begins Tuesday, Sept. 13 with six UMAC squads in action.

Northwestern and St. Scholastica headline the early season with a potential title-deciding game taking place Saturday, Sept. 17. Minnesota Morris and Northland also meet that Saturday in an intriguing matchup that the Lumberjills took a year ago.

Bethany Lutheran spoiled Minnesota Morris’ shot at the title last year and the Vikings will again look to be a season spoiler and sneak into the post season when they meet the Cougars Sept. 27 in Morris, Minnesota.

Northwestern and Northland will do battle in Wisconsin on Oct. 8 for a game between postseason teams, while North Central and Martin Luther face off that same day in what could have implications on a potential playoff berth. The season will wrap up with Northwestern and Minnesota Morris clashing on Oct. 28 with implications on tournament seeding.

Complete UMAC Schedule

UMAC Women’s Soccer Preseason Poll
1. St. Scholastica – 64 points (8 First Place Votes)
2. Northwestern – 54 points (1 First Place Vote)
3. Minnesota Morris – 51 points
4. Northland – 37 points
5. Bethany Lutheran – 33 points
6. Martin Luther – 29 points
7. Wisconsin-Superior – 25 points
8. North Central – 22 points
9. Crown – 9 points

2. University of Northwestern
Josh Pettit | 11th Season |

2015 Season
9-1 UMAC, 13-7 Overall | T-1st |
Postseason: Lost in UMAC Championship to Scholastica (0-2), Made NCCAA DI Regionals Appearance vs. Trinity Christian College (Lost 0-3)
Starters returning: 17
Starters lost: 2

Top Returners
- Jordan Lubben, Sr., F | 2015 UMAC Offensive Player of the Year; UMAC Offensive POTW; 2015 First Team All-UMAC, 2014 Second Team All-UMAC; Tied first in UMAC goals (10) | 2015 NSCAA Division III All-North Third Team | 33 Career Goals, 74 Career Points, 98 Career Shots on Goal | 5 Career Game Winning Goals |
- Abby Lamfers, Sr., M | 2015 First Team All-UMAC, 2014 UMAC POTW, | 2015 NSCAA Division III All-North Second Team | 8 Career Goals, 33 Career Shots on Goal, 2 Career Game Winning Goals |
- Emily Goeppinger, Jr., M | 2015 Second Team All-UMAC, 2014 Honorable Mention All-UMAC | 6 Career Goals, 36 Career Shots on Goal, 2 Career Game Winning Goals |

Top Losses
- Allie Franzen, M | 2015 First Team All-UMAC | 2015 NSCAA Division III All-North Third Team | 5 Career Goals, 3 Career Game Winning Goals, 18 Career Shots On Goal |

Need to Know
- Head Coach Josh Pettit- UMAC Coach of the Year (2015).
- NCCAA DI Regional Appearance vs. Trinity Christian College (Lost 0-3).
- 2015 was the fifth-best season in program history. Head Coach, Josh Pettit’s third-best season was in 2015, profiting a 13-7 overall record.
- The Eagles captured a share of the UMAC regular season title in 2015 after compiling a 9-1 record in league play.

3. University of Minnesota Morris
Dan Magner | 11th Season |

2015 Season
7-3 UMAC, 8-8 Overall | 3rd |
Postseason: 2015 Loss vs St. Scholastica 0-2

Starters returning: 9
Starters lost: 2

Top Returners
- Torri Jordan, Sr., GK | 2015 Honorable Mention All-UMAC | 2014 All-Region Third Team | 108 Saves, 1.72 GaAvg, .80 SV% Second in UMAC |
- Molly Hancuh, Jr., MF | 2014, 2015 First Team All-UMAC; 2014 UMAC Rookie of the Year | 39 points, 16 G/7 A, 2.44 PTS/G second in UMAC |
- Juliet Batista, Jr., MF | 2015 First Team All-UMAC | .375 SOG %, Played every minute of every game |

Top Losses
- Ivie Brooks, F | 2015 Honorable Mention All-UMAC | 6.45 SOG%, 5 G/3 A |
- Emma LaChance, B | 2013, 2014 First Team All-UMAC | Started 9 of 10 games |

Need to Know
- UMM has competed in the past 13-straight UMAC Tournaments.
- The Cougars return three of the top 15 UMAC point scorers.
- UMM was second in the UMAC GAA 1.68 giving up just 27 goals on the season.

5. Bethany Lutheran College Vikings
Derick Lyngholm | 10th Season |

2015 Season
5-3-2 UMAC, 9-9-3 Overall | 5th |
Postseason: Lost to Northland 3-2 (OT) in the first round of the UMAC Tournament

Starters returning: 7
Starters lost: 4

Top Returners
- Nicole Moldstad, Jr., M | Second Team All-UMAC | NSCAA Third Team All-Region | 9G, 8A; 26Pts |
- Ali Mix, So., F | Honorable Mention All-UMAC | 8G; 10A; 26 Pts |
- Abby Goss, Sr., D | Honorable Mention All-UMAC | 0G; 1A; 1Pt |

Top Losses
- Taylor Friehl, F | Second Team All-UMAC | 10G; 7A; 27 Pts |
- Bridget Hennen, M | Second Team All- UMAC | 7G, 6A, 20 Pts |
- Rachael Heidorn, G | 1.83 Goals Against Avg. 2 Shutouts |

Need to Know
- Bethany Lutheran has advanced to the UMAC playoffs five of the last six years, losing in overtime or shootouts on three occasions.
- Nicole Moldstad became the first Viking in program history to garner all-region honors.
- Over the past three years the Vikings have received only five yellow cards as a team.

6. Martin Luther College
Jeff Schone | 7th season |

2015 Season
2-7-1 UMAC, 4-13-1 Overall | T-7th |

Starters returning: 10
Starters lost: 1

Top Returners
- Jenna Maurer, Sr., F | 2013, 2014, 2015 Second Team All-UMAC | 11 goals, 3 assists |
- Alyssa Maertz, Sr., M | 2015 Honorable Mention All-UMAC; 2014 First Team All-UMAC | 3 goals, 2 assists |
- Hailey Johnson, Jr., M | 8 goals, 4 assists |

Top Losses
- Rachel Naumann, D | 2014 Second Team All-UMAC | 16 starts, 1 assist |

Need to Know
- Jenna Maurer enters her senior season tied for fourth in MLC women’s soccer program history with 36 career goals
- MLC returns 10 of its 11 starters from last season’s team, including the players responsible for all 31 goals scored
- Julia Barthels returns in goal after starting all 18 games last season and finishing with a 2.42 GAA and .735 save pct.

8. North Central University
Andrew Cameron | 2nd Season |

2015 Season
2-7-1 UMAC, 10-12-1 Overall | 6th |
Postseason: Finished fifth in NCCAA National Tournament in Kissimmee, Fla. in a 5-1, win over Kentucky Christian University

Starters returning: 4
Starters lost: 7

Top Returners
- Dakotah Sparrman, Jr., F | Second Team All-UMAC, Three-time UMAC Player of the Week | First Team NSCAA/NCCAA All-American | 33 goals (most in UMAC), 72 points (most in UMAC), 124 shots (most in UMAC) |
- Linnea Madsen, So., M | Second Team NSCAA/NCCAA All-American | 6 goals, 13 points, and 30 shots |
- Lindsay Freitag, So., D | 7 shots, 5 SOG, .714 SOG% |

Top Losses
- Kate Nygren, M | 1 goal, 3 assists, 14 shots |
- Katie Knitt, D | Second Team NSCAA/NCCAA All-American| 3 goals, 6 points, 8 shots |
- Morgan Freitag, M | 3-year starter, 2 goals, 6 assists, 10 points |

Need to Know
- North Central University is coming off the most prolific offensive, scoring season in program history.
- Finished fifth in NCCAA National Tournament in the first appearance in the Tournament since 2013.

9. Crown College
Jamie Ross (6th Season)

2015 Season
0-9-1 UMAC, 4-13-1 Overall | 9th |

Starters returning: 8
Starters lost: 3

Top Returners
- Emily Kirby, Sr., M | 4 goals, 3 assists |
- Monika Russell, Jr., M | 1 goal, 1 assist |
- Katelyn Carter, So., M | 3 goals, 2 assists |

Top Losses
- Tiffany Krueger, F | 9 goals, 2 assists |
- Aubrie Ades, D | Started all 15 games she played |
- Tara Frigaard, D

Need to Know
- The Storm return nine different players who scored a goal last season
- The team lost only four players from a year ago

Schedule

Upper Midwest Athletic Conference

Conference Members

Conference Members

Saints tabbed to win 13th-straight UMAC women's soccer title