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Colgate Tops Patriot League Preseason Women's Soccer Poll
Aug. 14, 2012 2012 Composite Schedule CENTER VALLEY, Pa. - Colgate, which hosted the 2011 Patriot League Women's Soccer Tournament, has been tabbed as the preseason favorite in the League in a poll of the head coaches and sports information directors, it was announced Tuesday. The Raiders topped the preseason poll with 91 points and nine first-place votes, settling in ahead of defending champion Army, which garnered 84 points and three first-place votes. Navy finished third in the poll with 81 points and four first-place votes, while Lafayette rounded out the top four with 60 points. Those four teams qualified for last year's Patriot League Tournament. 2010 League titlist Lehigh took fifth in the poll with 49 points, while Bucknell was sixth with 36 points. American (seventh, 33 points) and Holy Cross (eighth, 14) rounded out the field of eight. 2012 marks the inaugural year of the preseason All-Patriot League team in women's soccer, which is also voted on by the head coaches and sports information directors. The defending champion Black Knights led with four selections, headed up by preseason Defensive Player of the Year junior Molly McGuigan. Colgate had three named to the squad, including senior forward Jillian Kinter, the preseason choice for Offensive Player of the Year. Kinter is the reigning Offensive Player of the Year and earned first-team All-League laurels a season ago. She finished her junior campaign with League-highs in assists (seven) and points (23), while finishing second with eight goals. Kinter, along with a handful of other offensive threats, led a prolific Raider offense in 2011 that led the League averaging 1.79 goals per contest. Her three game-winning goals were tied for fourth best in the League and were one off the lead.
Already the two-time defending Defensive Player of the Year, McGuigan enters her junior campaign seeking more individual and team hardware. She fulfilled expectations a year ago by capturing the Defensive Player of the Year nod in November after garnering the preseason distinction in August. She has played in back-to-back League title matches, and was the backbone of the Black Knights' defense in 2011 that pitched consecutive 2-0 shutouts in the League tournament en route to the title and subsequent NCAA Tournament berth. McGuigan had three teammates from Army join her on the preseason All-League squad in junior forward Kim An, junior midfielder Joey Molacek and sophomore defender Madison Oliver. Joining Kinter on the team from Colgate are sophomore forward Jenna Raepple, last season's Rookie of the Year, and sophomore midfielder Caroline Brawner. Lafayette and Navy, which met in the semifinals of last year's League tournament, each placed a pair on the team. The Leopards boasted senior goalkeeper Lauren Smedley, the reigning Goalkeeper of the Year, and junior defender Catherine Galgano, while the Mids placed junior forward Ashlynn Soellner and sophomore defender Julie Schumacher. American senior midfielder Michelle Montilio, a first-team All-League honoree last season, completed the preseason squad. The 2012 season begins Friday for six Patriot League teams. The marquee matchup of the night features Navy hosting 13th-ranked Maryland in Annapolis, Md., at 8 p.m. Five other contests are slated for Friday leading up to that primetime match, with American opening at Villanova (4 p.m.), Army visiting Vermont (4 p.m.), Bucknell entertaining Binghamton (4 p.m.), Colgate going to Buffalo (7 p.m.) and Lafayette traveling to UMBC (7 p.m.) Holy Cross will begin its season two days later when the Crusaders host Wagner Sunday at 7 p.m. The final school to open its slate will be Lehigh, as the Mountain Hawks will entertain Seton Hall Friday, Aug. 24 at 4 p.m. 2012 Preseason Poll
Preseason All-League Team
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year - Jillian Kinter, Colgate, Sr., F |
