NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - For the eighth 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. In addition,
Alexis Kiehl was named to the A-10 Preseason team for the second consecutive season.
The Flyers earned 185 votes and eight first place votes to take the top spot in the rankings.
"Our goals are always to win the league, win the league tournament and be playing in the NCAA," said UD Head Coach
Mike Tucker. "As far as expectations, I think we will be a much better defensive team this year; a lot harder to break down. We have a lot of personality in the attack. We want to develop an equal personality in the defensive end where we're just as tough and opponents know they are going to have a very difficult time putting the ball in the back of the net.
"We're really skillful. We're really athletic. And we're really dedicated," Tucker added. "Hopefully, all those things equal success."
George Washington ranked second in the predicted order of finish with five first-place votes, followed by VCU rounding out the top three.
Dayton (10-9-1; 8-2 A-10) will look to remain among the top teams in the league, despite graduating
Ashley Campbell and
Nicole Waters, the A-10's Offensive Player and Midfielder of the Year from last season. The Flyers return nine starters, including
Alexis Kiehl,
Nicolette Griesinger,
Nadia Pestell,
Sidney LeRoy,
Erin O'Malley,
Libby Leedom,
Meghan Blank,
Abby Weigel and
Beth Kamphaus, who contributed 19 goals and 14 helpers offensively. Dayton finished second in the regular season standings in 2015, and will aim to clinch a 12th regular-season title and 10th A-10 championship crown.
The league's head coaches also voted for a thirteen-member* Preseason All-Conference Team.
The top eight teams will compete in the 2016 Atlantic 10 Women's Soccer Championship, which will be held Nov. 3-6 at Rhode Island's Soccer Complex in Kingston, R.I.
Dayton opens its regular season this Friday at Cincinnati at 7 p.m. at Gettler Stadium.
2016 Atlantic 10 Preseason Team
Forwards
Alexis Kiehl, Dayton
Katie O'Connor, Duquesne
Julia Suarez, VCU
Midfielders
Linnea Faccenda, Duquesne
Alex Myers, George Mason
Sofia Pavon, George Washington
Emily Gingrich, Saint Joseph's
Defenders
Nicole Bates, Fordham
Ally Doyle, Fordham
Deja Davis, La Salle
Paige McDowell, La Salle
Kacey Bright, Saint Louis
Goalkeeper
Miranda Horn, George Washington
*a tie in the voting resulted in a thirteen-member team
| 2015 Overall Record, A-10 Record |
Total Points (1st Place Votes) |
| 1. Dayton (10-9-1; 8-2) |
185 (8) |
| 2. George Washington (15-5; 10-0) |
173 (5) |
| 3. VCU (8-9-3; 6-2-2) |
153 |
| 4. La Salle (9-9-3; 5-4-1) |
134 |
| 5. Saint Joseph's (13-7; 7-3) |
133 |
| 6. Duquesne (12-10-1; 5-5) |
132 |
| 7. Fordham (13-7-2; 6-3-1) |
112 |
| 8. George Mason (9-9-2; 4-5-1) |
111 |
| 9. Massachusetts (6-8-4; 3-5-2) |
82 |
| 10. Saint Louis (8-9-2; 2-6-2) |
76 |
| 11. Richmond (5-12-1; 3-6-1) |
73 |
| 12. Rhode Island (3-15-1; 0-10) |
46 |
| 13. Davidson (7-12; 3-7) |
32 |
| 14. St. Bonaventure (6-11-2; 3-7) |
28 |
