Concordia senior Carli Godard, the 2008 CCC Newcomer of the Year, returns to the field after missing most of last season with an injury.
Cavaliers Ranked No. 2 in the NAIA Women's Soccer Preseason Poll
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Concordia, last season’s NAIA national runner-up, grabbed the second spot in the
2009 NAIA Women’s Soccer Coaches’ Preseason Top 25 Poll, announced by the NAIA on Aug. 18. The ranking represents the highest position ever recorded in the NAIA polls by a Cavalier women’s soccer team. The team has been ranked as high as third in the nation during the 2003, 2006 and 2008 seasons.
Concordia will be led by returning NAIA Honorable Mention All-Americans Georgie Christensen (GK, Sr.) and Jessica Ramback (F, Sr.). The Cavaliers were perfect in the Cascade Collegiate Conference with a 10-0 record and lost their only game of the season in the NAIA National Championship Final against Lee finishing 23-1-1. Second-team All-CCC picks Kaitlyn Tebbs (F, Jr.) and Jackie Hendrickson (D, So.) also return to the team.
Entering his13th season, Grant Landy holds a 213-45-15 (.804) all-time record with the school which ranked the coach sixth on the NAIA all-time wins list. Under Landy’s guidance, the Cavs have won 10 (nine straight) Cascade Collegiate Conference championships and have appeared in eight straight NAIA National Tournaments. Concordia also reached the NAIA title game in 2004.
Also representing the CCC, The College of Idaho received 68 votes for 30th place in the poll. The 2008 CCC runner-up team, C of I, returns 10 of 11 starters from a 12-6-2 squad from a year ago. Top returnees for fourth-year coach Niki Taylor include five All-CCC honorees – sophomore forward Macy Egerman, senior midfielders Mandy Greif and Chelsea Heffner, senior keeper Sadie Hughes, and junior defender Colleen Smith.
Lee University (Tenn.), the 2008 NAIA Women’s Soccer National Champion, took the top spot in the 2009 NAIA Women’s Soccer Coaches’ Preseason Top 25 Poll. Following Concordia in the polls were: Lindsey Wilson College (Ky.), Azusa Pacific University (Calif.) and Martin Methodist College (Tenn.) to round out the Top-5. These teams also represent the last five Women’s Soccer National Champions as Lindsey Wilson captured the title in 2004 and 2006 and Martin Methodist took home the crown in 2005 and 2007.
Lee earned 20 of the 21 possible first-place votes, with Lindsey Wilson being the only other school to earn one. Lee finished the 2008 season 10-0 in the Southern States Athletic Conference and 22-2 overall. The Lady Flames will try to defend their National Championship after losing only one senior from last years’ team and returning NAIA First Team All-American Kristina Chase and Second Team All-Americans Jenna Achten and Tiffany Cox.
Lindsey Wilson grabbed third place and only loses two players from the squad that reached the semi-finals of the national tournament a year ago. Azusa Pacific and NAIA First Team All-American forward Theresa Broad will begin the season in fourth place. Martin Methodist returns Marcia Silva, who is the defending Brine-NAIA National Player of the Year in hopes of repeating its 8-0 record in conference play and competing for a NAIA National Championship.
The Golden State Athletic Conference and the Heart of America Athletic Conference lead all conferences with three teams each in the Top-25. The GSAC is represented by Azusa Pacific, No. 8 California Baptist, and Westmont, while the HAAC schools include No. 6 Graceland (Iowa), No. 19 Benedictine (Kan.) and No. 24 Lindenwood (Mo.). Indiana Wesleyan made the biggest jump in the poll from last season, moving up from No. 23 to No. 16.
The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences, independents and unaffiliated groups. The first regular season Top 25 poll will be announced on Sept. 8.
Notes: Lindsey Wilson has been ranked in the top five for the past 29 consecutive weeks dating back to Sept. 20, 2006… Lee University has been rated in the top five for 22 consecutive weeks… Azusa Pacific University has held a top five ranking for 21 consecutive weeks… Martin Methodist College has been ranked for 16 consecutive weeks.
http://naia.cstv.com/sports/w-soccer/spec-rel/081809aac.html