Milwaukee Voted Atop Women's Soccer Preseason Poll for 12th Straight Year

INDIANAPOLIS -- Three-time defending Horizon League champion Milwaukee was a near-unanimous choice to collect a fourth consecutive League crown, receiving seven first-place votes to sit atop the women’s soccer preseason poll. The Panthers earned the top spot with 63 points in voting conducted of the League’s nine head coaches. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own squad.

The Panthers are atop the preseason poll for the 12th straight season after capturing a share of their 11th consecutive Horizon League regular season title in 2010.

Milwaukee enters the 2011 season boasting the Horizon League’s all-time leader in goals (67) and points (151) in Sarah Hagen, who spent part of the summer with the USA Women’s Soccer U-23 team on a three-match tour of Sweden. In her three matches, the two-time League Player of the Year led the squad with four goals as the USA went 1-1-1 against Norway and Sweden.

Butler, who shared the League regular season title with Milwaukee last year and advanced the championship game, was second in the poll with 52 points. The Bulldogs return Katie Griswold, who tied for second in the League with nine goals in her sophomore year.

Wright State collected one first-place vote in taking third in the poll; the Raiders finished in the same spot a season ago and bring back 2010 First Team All-League midfielder Brittany Persaud, who was a member of the Guyana national team that qualified for the Gold Cup last fall.

Reaching the League semifinals with a young lineup last year, Detroit was tabbed fourth in the preseason poll with 41 points. The Titans welcome back two All-League honorees from a year ago in Alexandra Suschak and Kaitlyn Quarrell.

Natalie Daniels leads the attack up front for Cleveland State, who were just behind Detroit with 38 points. Daniels tied with Griswold with nine goals in 2010, finishing with 23 points.

New head coach Barry Bimbi leads Loyola onto the pitch in 2011, where the Ramblers were tabbed sixth in the poll. Valparaiso and Green Bay were close behind with 24 and 18 points, respectively.

Youngstown State rounded out the poll, picking up eight points.

The exhibition slate starts on Saturday, Aug. 6, with regular season action beginning on Friday, Aug. 19. The Horizon League Tournament will feature the top six teams in the League beginning on Tuesday, Nov. 1 at campus sites and continuing at the venue of the No. 1 seed Nov. 4-6.

2011 Women's Soccer Preseason Poll
     School (1st), Points
1.  Milwaukee (7), 63
2.  Butler, 52
3.  Wright State (1), 49
4.  Detroit (1), 41
5.  Cleveland State, 38
6.  Loyola, 31
7.  Valparaiso, 24
8.  Green Bay, 18
9.  Youngstown State, 8