Saints picked to repeat as champs in 2019 UMAC women's soccer
ST. PAUL, Minn.--Last season, the College of St. Scholastica reclaimed the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) regular season title but failed to win the postseason title after doing so the year before. Heading into 2019, the Saints reload with talent and welcome a large incoming class that could help them claim both regular and postseason titles in the same year for the first time since 2015.
With that, the Saints tallied 63 points and seven first-place votes to headline the UMAC Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll announced Monday. The 2019 UMAC tournament champion University of Northwestern was second in the poll with 58 points and two first-place nods.
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Poll |
Team Previews |
2019 Schedule |
The Saints went an impressive 11-0-1 in the regular conference season last year, but faltered in the opening round of the UMAC tournament failing to break through to score against a University of Wisconsin-Superior team that finished the conference slate 4-1-1 before making an impressive run through the tournament.
With that season in the past, the Saints will be prepared for another strong season returning 2019 UMAC Offensive Player and Rookie of the Year Morgan Friday who led scored 17 goals for 36 points last year and averaged 7.6 shots per game. Fellow All-Region selection Lexie DeWall will be back to lead the Saints' back line that allowed just two conference regular season goals in 2018. Senior Janelle Rouillard is also back with veteran experience after being All-UMAC Second Team.
The Saints will again be challenged by another experience squad in Northwestern which bring back five of seven all-conference selections from a year ago. The talented Eagles will be led by All-UMAC First Team forward Linley Norman who collected 28 points last fall. She will be joined by Anna Welch and Emily Currie on offense after both were Honorable Mention selections, while 2019 Defensive Player of the Year Taylor Brinkman will anchor the defense for the Eagles.
Following its late-season success, Wisconsin-Superior was solidly selected third with 48 points, while the University of Minnesota Morris and Northland College were tabbed to earn postseason spots with 41 and 39 points, respectively. The surging Yellowjackets' top returning weapon comes in goal with Madison Gutekunst returning following a All-UMAC First Team rookie campaign. Sophomore Annah Schussman will lead the team offensively after posting 17 points to start her career.
The Cougars have been a staple in the UMAC postseason and will look to keep things that way after finishing fifth last season to claim the final tournament berth. Senior Honorable Mention picks Brooke Lorentz and Megan Ellingboe will be key to the team's success in 2019. The LumberJills also look to keep their postseason streak going with the return of senior goalkeeper Megan Jordan who was a Second Team All-UMAC performer who led Northland to a third-place finish last fall.
Bethany Lutheran College and Martin Luther College tied for sixth in the poll with 25 points each, while North Central University nabbed eighth with 15 points and Crown College was ninth with 10 points. All-UMAC Second Team forward Madison Perry returns for the Vikings under new leader Emma Morris, while Knights' junior Lydia Bitter is back for her junior season after earning Second Team accolades last year. The Rams and Storm both return several veteran players to help both squads seek improvement.
UMAC women's soccer teams open up non-conference competition beginning Friday, Aug. 30 before regularly-scheduled conference play officially kicks off Saturday, Sept. 28. The final date of UMAC regular season contests is Wednesday, Oct. 30. The postseason tournament starts Monday, Nov. 4 with the No. 4 vs. No. 5 quarterfinal game. Semifinals will be held Wednesday, Nov. 6 at the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds and the championship is set for Saturday, Nov. 9 at the highest remaining seed. The winner of the UMAC postseason tournament will receive the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA championship.
2019 UMAC Women’s Soccer Preseason Poll
1. St. Scholastica – 63 points (7 First Place Votes)
2. Northwestern – 58 points (2 First Place Votes)
3. Wisconsin-Superior – 48 points
4. Minnesota Morris – 41 points
5. Northland – 38 points
T6. Bethany Lutheran – 25 points
T6. Martin Luther – 25 points
8. North Central – 15 points
9. Crown – 10 points
TEAM PREVIEWS
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BLC |
CC |
CSS |
MLC |
NC |
NCU |
UMM |
UNW |
UWS |
Bethany Lutheran College
Emma Morris | 1st Season |
2018 Season
6-6 UMAC, 10-8 | T-5th |
Top Returners
- Maddie Perry, Jr., F | UMAC Second-team | Team’s second-leading scorer (9 goals), led team in assists (10, ranks on the top 10 career leader list in points, goals, and assists|
- Zoe Kinakin, So., GK | Logged 1081 minutes in the net last season, already ranks in the top 10 in seven career categories|
- Haley Sisson, Sr., M | Played and started all 18 games, had one assist, helped the team record four shutouts |
Need to Know
Coach Morris enters her first season as a head coach.
The College of St. Scholastica
Dave Reyelts | 20th Season |
2018 Season
11-0-1 UMAC, 13-5-2 | 1st |
Postseason: L 1-0 to UW-Superior in UMAC Tournament semifinals
Top Returners
- Morgan Friday, So., F | 2018 UMAC Offensive Player of the Year; 2018 UMAC Rookie of the Year; 2018 First Team All-UMAC | 2018 USC Second Team All-North Region | 17 Goals, 36 Points, 7.6 Shots per game |
- Lexie DeWall, Sr., D | 2018 First Team All-UMAC | 2018 USC Third Team All-North Region | 3 Assists |
- Janelle Rouillard, Sr., M | 2018 Second Team All-UMAC; 2016 & 2017 Honorable Mention All-UMAC | 7 Goals, 6 Assists, 20 Points |
Need to Know
Coach Reyelts is bringing in the largest recruiting class in his tenure at CSS with over 20 new members expected to report.
Crown College
Jamie Ross | 8th season |
2018 Season
2-10 UMAC, 4-12 | 9th |
Top Returners
- Anna Kragt, Sr., F | 2016 All-UMAC Honorable Mention | 8 goals, 6 assists, 22 shots on goal |
- Michaela Cowman, Jr., GK | 2017 All-UMAC Honorable Mention | 204 saves, .797 SV%, 4 Wins |
- Hailey Carter, So., F | 8 goals, 3 assists, 32 shots on goal |
Martin Luther College
Jeff Schone | 10th season |
2018 Season
3-8-1 UMAC, 3-14-1 | 7th |
Top Returners
- Lydia Bitter, Jr., M | 2018 2nd TM All-UMAC, 2017 HM All-UMAC | 2018 Stats: 2 assists, 30 shots, 16 SOG |
- Emily Witkowski, So., M | 2018 Stats: 3 goals, 7 points, 21 shots |
- Mollie Fischer, Jr., GK | 2018 Stats: 2.32 GAA, .846 SV Pct., 11.8 SV per game |
Need to Know
MLC returns nine players who started at least 16 games in 2018
North Central University
Colette Montgomery| 2nd Season |
2018 Season
2-10 UMAC, 5-12| 8th |
Top Returners
- Mikel Vacek, Jr., D/M
- Cheyenne Brown, Sr., M
- Emma Brekhus, Jr., M/F
Justin Sexton| 5th Season |
2018 Season
6-4-2 UMAC, 6-10-2| 3rd |
Postseason: Qualified for UMAC tournament semifinal
Top Returners
- Megan Jordan, Sr., GK | Second Team All-UMAC |
- Kelsie Shields, Jr., M | All-UMAC Honorable Mention |
University of Minnesota Morris
Dan Magner | 14th Season |
2018 Season
6-6-0 UMAC, 6-10-1 | 5th |
Postseason: Advanced to the UMAC Tournament.
Top Returners
- Brooke Lorentz, Sr., M/F | 2018 Academic All-Conference, 2018 Honorable Mention All-Conference | Started all 17 games, scored six goals, tallied three assists |
- Megan Ellingboe, Sr., M/D| Two-time Honorable Mention All-Conference honoree (2017-18) | Played in 15 games, started 14 games, recorded five assists |
- Sam Tate, Jr., M | 2018 Academic All-Conference | Started all 17 games for the Cougars, scored five goals, tallied four assists |
Need to Know
Brooke Lorentz ran in the Boston Marathon and also Grandma's Marathon (Duluth, MN). She also made a service trip to Haiti with her church group.
University of Northwestern
Josh Pettit | 14th Season |
2018 Season
9-2-1 UMAC, 11-7-4 | 2nd |
Postseason: 2018 UMAC Postseason Champions (Win vs. Northland College, 8-0; Win vs. UW-Superior, 2-0); Advanced to NCAA Tournament (Loss to Wheaton College, 0-4)
Top Returners
- Anna Welch, Jr., M/F | 2017 Academic All-Conference, 2017 UMAC Rookie of the Year, 2017 UMAC All-Conference Second Team, 2018 Academic All-Conference, 2018 UMAC All-Conference Honorable Mention | 24 goals, 11 assists, 3 game-winning goals, 25 pts |
- Linley Norman, Sr., F/R | 2016 UMAC All-Conference Honorable Mention, 2017 UMAC All-Conference First Team, 2018 UMAC All-Conference First Team | 28 goals, 12 assists, 3 game-winning goals, 25 pts |
- Emily Currie | 2018 UMAC All-Conference Honorable Mention, 2018 Academic All-Conference | 6 goals, 6 assists, 3 game winning goals, 15 pts |
- Taylor Brinkman, Jr., D | 2017 Academic All-Conference, 2018 Academic All-Conference, 2018 UMAC Defensive Player of the Year, 2018 UMAC All-Conference First Team |
Need to Know
- The Eagles earned their second trip to the NCAA tournament playing Wheaton College in Regionals.
- Returning 5 of 7 UMAC Postseason Award Winners.
University of Wisconsin-Superior
Allison DeGroot | 3rd Season |
2018 Season
6-5-1, 8-11-3 | 4th |
Postseason: As No. 4 seed, drew, 0-0 with No. 5 Minnesota Morris, advancing on penalties, 5-4 in UMAC quarterfinals on Oct. 29 Beat No. 1 St. Scholastica, 1-0 in UMAC semifinals on Oct. 31. Lost to No. 2 Northwestern, 2-0, in UMAC Championship Nov. 3.
Top Returners
- Madison Gutekunst, So., GK | 2018 All-UMAC First Team | UMAC Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 29) | Second in UMAC in save percentage (.871), third in goals-against average (1.285, third in saves per game (7.89) |
- Annah Schussman, So., F/M | 2018 All-UMAC Second Team | Led team with seven assists and 17 points, Six assist and 14 points came in UMAC play, scored the game-winning goal in 3-2 win over Crown Oct. 6 |
- Claire Smith, So., F | second-leading returning scorer with two goals and five assists for nine points | Career-high two assists in a 3-2 win at North Central Sept. 18 |
Need to Know
The Yellowjackets return 54 percent of their goal scoring from a team that scored 22 times in 2018.