ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) released the 2024 Women’s Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll on Tuesday with the University of Wisconsin-Superior Yellowjackets being predicted to win the regular season championship. The poll is voted on by all the head coaches in the conference. Coaches cannot vote for their own team.
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#1: UW-Superior Yellowjackets (36 Points, 6 First-Place Votes)
The Yellowjackets led the preseason poll with 36 points and six first-place votes from their conference competitors. Last year, UW-Superior went 16-6-1 overall with an 13-1 record in the UMAC to win the Women’s Soccer Regular Season Championship.
The Yellowjackets entered the UMAC Tournament as the No. 1 seed. Facing the No. 4 Crown Polars in the semifinals, UW-Superior earned a 2-1 victory before defeating the No. 2 Northwestern Eagles 3-0 in the UMAC Tournament Championship match.
Advancing to the NCAA DIII Women’s Soccer Championship, the Yellowjackets fell 1-0 to the No. 11 nationally ranked UW-La Crosse Eagles in the opening round of the national tournament.
The Yellowjackets have captured the last three UMAC regular season and tournament championships, marking the first three for each in program history.
Head Coach:
Top Returners:
- Niya Wilson | Sr. | Forward
- 3x All-UMAC First Team, 2021 Offensive Player of the Year
- 2023: 87 shots, 26 goals, 62 points, UWS all-time goal scorer (68 goals)
- Lindrey Schendel | Sr. | Midfielder
- 2x All-UMAC First Team, 2022 UMAC Defensive Player of the Year, 2022 United Soccer Coaches Region IX Third Team
- 2023: 1,607 minutes, 9 points, started all 23 matches
- Mya Holmquist | Sr. | Forward
- 2x All-UMAC First Team
- 2023: 17 goals, 13 assists, 47 points, 91 shots
- Brenna Mattson | Sr. | Defender
- 2023 UMAC Defensive Player of the Year, All-UMAC First Team
- 2023: 1,456 minutes
#2: Northwestern Eagles (31 Points, 1 First-Place Vote)
The University of Northwestern Eagles placed second in the preseason poll with 31 points and the remaining first-place vote. UNW placed second in the regular season last spring with a 11-2-1 UMAC record while going 12-7-1 overall.
Northwestern was the No. 2 seed in the 2023 UMAC Tournament. The Eagles defeated the No. 3 Bethany Lutheran Vikings 5-2 in the semifinals but fell 3-0 to the UW-Superior Yellowjackets in the championship game.
Haley Mersberger finished 2
nd in all of NCAA Division III in goals scored in 2023 with 29. Mersberger (55) and Megan Moeller (51) are 3
rd and 4
th respectively in program history in career goals scored. Six of the seven players to score for UNW in 2023 return in 2024.
Head Coach:
Top Returners
- Haley Mersberger | Jr. | Forward
- 2x UMAC Offensive Player of the Year, 2x First Team All-UMAC, 2022 UMAC Rookie of the Year, 6x UMAC Player of the Week, 2023 USC All-Region IX Third Team, 2023 NCCAA Second Team All-American, NCCAA All-North Central Region First Team, UNW School Record for Single-Season Goals Scored
- 2023: 29 Goals, 85 SOG, 7 GW Goals
- Megan Moeller | Sr. | Forward
- 1x First Team All-UMAC, 2x Second Team All-UMAC, 1x All-UMAC Honorable Mention, 4x UMAC Player of the Week, 2023 NCCAA All-North Central Region First Team, 2020-21 NCCAA All-North Central Region Second Team
- 2023: 14 Goals, 49 SOG, 6 Assists
- Mya Chan | Sr. | Midfielder
- 2x First Team All-UMAC, 1x Second Team All-UMAC
- 2023: 8 Assists, 2 Goals, 19 SOG
#3: Bethany Lutheran Vikings (24 Points)
The Bethany Lutheran College Vikings took third in the preseason poll with 24 points. BLC finished third in the 2023 regular season with a 10-3-1 conference record, going 11-6-2 overall.
As the No. 3 seed in the 2023 UMAC Tournament, Bethany Lutheran fell 5-2 to the No. 2 Northwestern Eagles.
The Vikings enter the fall having won 11 or more games in each the past three seasons. Senior forward Olaitz Azkue Muguruza is only two goals away from 20 career collegiate goals.
Head Coach:
Top Returners:
- Ashley Casper | Sr. | Midfielder
- 2021 Second Team All UMAC, 2022 First Team All UMAC, 2023 First Team All-UMAC, 2023 Second Team All-Region
- 15 career goals and 9 career assists in 55 games played
- Elena Luján Rubio | Jr | Midfielder
- 2022 Second Team All-UMAC, 2023 Second Team All UMAC, 2023 Second Team All-Region
- 16 career goals and 8 career assists in 29 games played
- Olaitz Azkue Muguruza | Sr. | Forward
- 2022 Second Team All UMAC 2023 Second Team All UMAC |2023 Third Team All-Region
- 18 career goals and 13 career assists in 41 games played
#4: Crown Polars (22 Points)
The Crown College Polars placed fourth in the preseason poll with 22 points. Last year, Crown finished fourth in the UMAC with a 6-5-3 conference record, going 9-11-3 overall.
The Polars entered the 2023 UMAC Tournament as the No. 4 seed. Crown battled the No. 1 UW-Superior Yellowjackets in the tournament semifinals, falling 2-1.
A team largely composed of upperclassmen, the Polars are eager to make a run in the UMAC tournament.
Head Coach:
Top Returners:
- Rachel Fuller | So. | Goalkeeper
- UMAC Rookie of the year, UMAC Honorable Mention
- Lexi Shreve | Jr. | Midfielder
- Second Team All-Conference
- Ella Hollander | Jr | Midfielder
- 2022 First Team All-Conference
- Returning this season after an injury in the 2023 season.
Tied #5: Martin Luther Knights (14 Points)
The Martin Luther College Knights tied the Minnesota Morris Cougars for fifth in the preseason poll with 14 points. MLC also tied for fifth in the 2023 regular season with a 4-8-2 UMAC record and a 5-11-2 overall record.
Head Coach:
Top Returners:
- Katie Schoeneck | So. | Forward
- 2023 UMAC Second Team
- 2023: 14 goals scored, 30 points, 25 shots on goal
- Rachel Schoeneck | Jr. | Midfielder
- 2023 UMAC Honorable Mention
- 2023: 24 shots on goal
- Lilianne Zimpelmann | Sr. | Defender
- 2022, 2023 UMAC Honorable Mention
Tied #5: Minnesota Morris Cougars (14 Points)
The University of Minnesota Morris Cougars tied the Martin Luther Knights for fifth in the preseason poll with 14 points. UMM also tied for fifth in the 2023 regular season with a 4-8-2 UMAC record and a 4-12-2 overall record.
Emma Morris joins the Cougars this year as the fourth head coach in program history, entering her sixth year as a head coach in the UMAC.
Head Coach:
Top Returners:
- Bella Toth | Jr. | Forward
- 2023: 2 goals, 2 assists, 6 points
- Amiah LaFrinier | So. | Midfielder
- 2023: Played 1574 minutes, 1 game-winning goal, 2 assists
- Danielle Reinhard | So. | Goalkeeper
- 2023: Started 16 games, played 1,201 minutes, 1 assist
#7: North Central Rams (6 Points)
The North Central University Rams round out the preseason poll with six points. NCU finished eighth in the conference last year with a 1-12-1 UMAC record while going 2-16-1 overall.
The Rams will look a bit different this year with many changes ranging from new gear and a fresh brand to an entirely new coaching staff and more incoming players than returning players.
Head Coach:
Top Returners:
- Ramiyah Words | So. | Defender
- 2023 UMAC Honorable Mention All-Conference, 2023 NCCAA DII North All-Region Team
- 2023: Started 18 of 19 games tallying 1,657 minutes played; the most of any returning player, 4 goals scored as a defender
- Jessica Redman | So. | Forward
- 2023 UMAC Academic All-Conference
- 2023: Started 12 of 19 games tallying 1305 total minutes, 1 goal, and 2 assists as a defender
- Anna Deichert | Sr. | Midfielder
- 2023 UMAC Academic All-Conference
- 2023: Team Captain, started 18 of 18 games tallying 1584 minutes, 2 assists
2024 UMAC Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll
1. UW-Superior | 36 (6)
2. Northwestern | 31 (1)
3. Bethany Lutheran | 24
4. Crown | 22
t5. Martin Luther | 14
t5. Minnesota Morris | 14
7. North Central | 6
The 2024 women’s soccer regular season opens on Friday, August 30. The top four teams in the standings at the close of the regular season will compete in the UMAC Tournament, with the semifinals scheduled for Wednesday, November 6 and the championship game slated for Saturday, November 9. The tournament champion will receive the UMAC’s automatic qualifying bid to the 2024 NCAA DIII Women’s Soccer Championship to compete in the national tournament.