CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – After winning the Patriot League women’s soccer tournament title for a third-consecutive season since joining the League, Boston University has been selected to claim the crown for a fourth time as the Terriers took the top spot in the sport’s preseason poll announced on Wednesday.
Boston U. collected 16 first-place votes and totaled 160 points to be the favorite in the preseason poll, while Bucknell – the 2015 Patriot League Tournament Runner-Up, picked up the other four first-place votes and finished in second with 141 points. Navy followed with 131 points and the rest of the order featured Colgate (102), Loyola (91), Army (84), Lehigh (64), Lafayette (45), American (41), and Holy Cross (36).
With the addition of a midfielder honor in place for the 2016 season, each of the three preseason major award recipients competed in last year’s Patriot League tournament. Bucknell junior forward Kendall Ham, a 2015 first team All-League selection, garnered Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, while Boston U. senior defender Rachel Bloznalis (2015 first team All-League) was named the 2016 Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. Colgate junior Eliza Doll (2015 second team All-League) became the first women’s soccer player to earn Preseason Midfielder of the Year.
Ham, Bloznalis, and Doll were joined by eight others on the Preseason All-Patriot League Team, with both Ham and Bloznalis being one of four players representing their teams on the preseason list that included Boston U,’s Rachel Blauner (Sr., D), Julianna Chen (So., M), and McKenna Doyle (So., F); Bucknell’s Jackie Ham (Jr., D), Meghan Holtz (Jr., M), and Jessica Ratner (Sr., GK); Loyola’s Nicole Wahlig (Sr., D); and Navy’s Clare MacAdam (Jr., F).
Voting for both the preseason poll and All-Patriot League Team was conducted by the women’s soccer head coaches and sports information directors who were not permitted to vote for their own team or student-athletes.
Boston University (13-6-3, 8-0-1 Patriot League) became the first No. 1 seed in the Patriot League Tournament to win the title since Colgate defeated American 1-0 in double overtime in 2009 as the No. 1 seed. The Terriers lose last year’s Defensive Player of the Year, McKenzie Hollenbaugh, and Goalkeeper of the Year, Alyssa Parisi, but return Rookie of the Year and second team All-League selection in Doyle (6 G, 3 A). BU’s lineup will also see familiar faces on attack in Chen (1G, 2 A), Christina Wakefield (2 G, 4 A), and Erica Kosienski (4G, 1 A) in addition to Bloznalis (1 G, 4 A) and Blauner (1 G, 1 A) anchoring the defense.
Bucknell (11-6-3, 6-1-2 PL) pressured Boston U. throughout the entire championship game and kept the Terriers scoreless until 85:13 in the second half before finishing the season as the Runner-Up. The Bison, who are led by 2015 Coach of the Year Kelly Kuss, will look to make another run for the crown this season behind K. Ham (8 G, 2 A), who led the team in scoring last year. Bucknell also returns Holtz in the midfield and defensive duo of junior defender J. Ham and senior goalkeeper Ratner (0.85 GAA).
Navy (11-7-4, 3-2-4 PL) bowed out of the Patriot League Tournament with a semifinal loss to Bucknell but will look to once again contend for the title in the upcoming season. The Mids return forward MacAdam, who led the League last year with 11 goals and 26 points. On the other end of the field, Navy will look to netminder veteran Dayton Wetherby (1.16 GAA), a 2015 third team All-League selection.
Colgate’s (6-9-3, 4-4-1 PL) 2015 season came to an end in heartbreaking fashion as the Raiders didn’t advance out of the Patriot League Tournament quarterfinals when Loyola came out on top in penalty kicks, 4-3. Colgate will look to senior Sarah Coy (3 G, 2 A), who was the 2014 Offensive Player of the Year as a sophomore and a third team All-League selection last year, to help lead the team back to the tournament to contend for the crown. Doll will head up the midfield, while senior defender Emily Pullen, a 2015 third team All-League selection, will help anchor the defense.
Loyola (6-10-2, 4-4-1 PL) had its first taste of the Patriot League Tournament semifinals, since joining the League, last season after advancing in dramatic fashion on penalty kicks over Colgate, 4-3. The Greyhounds took on Boston U. on Nov. 6 at Nickerson Field and became the first team to score on the Terriers since Oct. 6 – when they fell 2-1 to Harvard. Loyola loses 2015 Offensive Player of the Year and the only unanimous first team All-League selection last year in Rosy Hayes but return senior Nicole Wahlig (second team All-League) on defense and sophomore Julianna Cabrera in the midfield.
Army West Point (4-12-2, 2-5-2 PL) will look to rebound after finishing with eight points in League play last season. The Black Knights lose three-time All-League honoree Katie Holder and will look to junior midfielder Clare Shea (2 G, 3 A) and senior keeper Jordan Cassalia (1.53 GAA) to help lead the team back into the tournament.
Lehigh (7-8-3, 2-5-2 PL) will enter the 2016 season in hopes of making the Patriot League Tournament for the first time since 2012. Freshman standout Sabrina Mertz, who led the Mountain Hawks with seven goals and three assists last season and finished fifth in the League with 17 points, returns for her sophomore season at forward alongside senior Tori Pantaleo (2 G, 1 A) and junior Grace Correll (2 G, 1 A). While a freshman or sophomore will get the nod in goal this season, after losing keeper Ani Nahapetian – who played all but 12:38 minutes last season, senior Laura Courtney (3 G, 2 A) will be back to lead the defense.
Lafayette (8-7-1, 2-6-1 PL) looks to continue its forward progress into the upcoming season with seniors Kaelin King (7 G, 4 A), who led the team in scoring and was a second team All-League selection last year, and Melissa Lynskey (5 G) back at forward. Sophomores Annika Sheehan (3 G, 1 A) and Katie Brannigan (2 G, 4 A) will help lead the midfield.
American (5-11-3, 2-4-3 PL) won the tiebreak over Holy Cross to make it back to the field of six in the Patriot League Tournament, after missing out in the 2014 season. The Eagles return senior midfielder Marley Jennings (2 G, 4 A) and senior defender Allie Day.
Holy Cross (5-8-4, 2-4-3 PL) missed playing in the Patriot League Tournament due to a tiebreak with American. Senior goalkeeper Brooke Holle (1.21 GAA) returns as does junior midfielder Christina Callahan (3 G), but the Crusaders will miss Aly Spencer (4 G, 2 A) and Annie Galvin (3 G, 3 A) who led the team in scoring last year. Holy Cross will be under new leadership in first-year head coach Casey Brown.
Nine of the 10 women’s soccer teams open the season on Friday, including six playing at home in games that will be shown on Patriot League Network. Patriot League play begins on Sept. 16 and continues through Oct. 29. The top six teams in the final regular-season standings will compete in the Patriot League Tournament, which begins with the quarterfinal round on Nov. 1 and continues as the No. 1 seed hosts the semifinals (Nov. 4) and championship (Nov. 6).
Patriot League Women’s Soccer Preseason Poll
1. Boston University, 160 points (16 first-place votes)
2. Bucknell, 141 (4)
3. Navy, 131
4. Colgate, 102
5. Loyola, 91
6. Army, 84
7. Lehigh, 64
8. Lafayette, 45
9. American, 41
10. Holy Cross, 36
Patriot League Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Kendall Ham, Bucknell (Jr., F)
Patriot League Preseason Midfielder of the Year: Eliza Doll, Colgate (Jr., M)
Patriot League Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Rachel Bloznalis, Boston University (Sr., D)
Women’s Soccer Preseason All-Patriot League Team
Kendall Ham, Bucknell (Jr., F)
Clare MacAdam, Navy (Jr., F)
McKenna Doyle, Boston U. (So., F)
Julianna Chen, Boston U. (So., M)
Eliza Doll, Colgate (Jr., M)
Meghan Holtz, Bucknell (Jr., M)
Rachel Blauner, Boston U. (Sr., D)
Rachel Bloznalis, Boston U. (Sr., D)
Nicole Wahlig, Loyola (Sr., D)
Jackie Ham, Bucknell (Jr., D)
Jessica Ratner, Bucknell (Sr., GK)