NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - For the seventh consecutive year, the Dayton women’s soccer team has been chosen as the Atlantic 10 Conference preseason favorite in a vote conducted by the league’s 14 head coaches.
The Flyers, who defeated regular season champion, La Salle, 2-1 for the 2014 Championship crown, garnered 11 first-place votes. The Explorers ranked second in the predicted order of finish with three first-place votes, followed by VCU rounding out the top three.
Dayton (12-9-2; 5-2-1 A-10) returns a bulk of its starting lineup, including 2013 Offensive Player of the Year, Ashley Campbell, 2014 Midfielder of the Year, Nicole Waters, 2014 Most Outstanding Player (Championship) Erin O'Malley, and a pair of All-Rookie selections in Alexis Kiehl and Nicolette Griesinger. The Flyers will look to defend their A-10 Championship and add a fifth title in seven years.
The Explorers (14-6-2; 8-0-0), who ranked second, won their third regular season title in four years in 2014 and made a fourth consecutive NCAA appearance. La Salle will look to replace its most successful class in program history, including 2014 Offensive Player of the Year and All-American, Kelsey Haycook, and First-Team selections, Maryam Huseini, Kerri Aiken and Jessica Wiggins. The Explorers welcome six incoming freshmen to the program under reigning A-10 Coach of the Year, Paul Royal.
The Rams (10-5-5; 6-2-2) finished third in the preseason voting. VCU earned the two seed in the 2014 A-10 Championship and fell to eventual champion, Dayton, in the semifinals. The Rams will lean on its seven seniors, including goalie Emma Kruse, Sharon Wojcik and Gabby Dyer.
The league’s head coaches also voted for a twelve-member Preseason All-Conference Team.
The top eight teams will compete in the 2015 Atlantic 10 Women’s Soccer Championship, which will be held Nov. 5-8 at Davidson's Alumni Soccer Stadium in Davidson, N.C.
2015 Atlantic 10 Preseason TeamForwardsAshley Campbell, Dayton
Alexis Kiehl, Dayton
Meaghan Carrigan, Richmond
Ashley Riefner, Richmond
Midfielders
Nicole Waters, Dayton
Erin O'Malley, Dayton
Emily Gingrich, Saint Joseph's
Defenders
Paige McDowell, La Salle
Nicolette Griesinger, Dayton
Rebekka Sverrisdóttir, Massachusetts
Goalkeepers
Miranda Horn, George Washington
Emma Kruse, VCU
*a tie in the voting resulted in a twelve-member team
| 2014 Overall Record, A-10 Record |
Total Points (1st Place Votes) |
| 1. Dayton (12-9-2; 5-2-1) |
193 (11) |
| 2. La Salle (14-6-2; 8-0-0) |
178 (3) |
| 3. VCU (10-5-5; 6-2-2) |
163 |
| 4. George Washington (12-6-1; 4-3-1) |
142 |
| 5. Richmond (9-9-2; 3-3-2) |
125 |
| 6. Rhode Island (12-5-2; 4-3-1) |
118 |
| 7. Saint Joseph's (11-9-0; 4-4-0) |
111 |
| 8. Saint Louis (8-10-0; 3-5-0) |
109 |
| 9. Massachusetts (5-9-5; 3-3-2) |
84 |
| 10. George Mason (4-11-2; 2-4-2) |
74 |
| 11. Fordham (8-9-1; 2-5-1) |
58 |
| 12. Duquesne (5-10-3; 2-5-1) |
53 |
| 13. Davidson (5-12-2; 2-5-1) |
36 |
| 14. St. Bonaventure (7-11-1; 2-6-0) |
26 |