Women’s Soccer Picked Ninth in NE10 Preseason Coaches’ Poll
RINDGE, N.H. (August 14, 2017) – The Franklin Pierce University women's soccer team, under the guidance of first-year head coach Jonathan Garbar, has been picked to finish ninth, out of 15 teams, in the Northeast-10 Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, as announced on Monday by the Conference office.
The Ravens, who finished 12th in the league a year ago with a 7-7-2 (5-7-2 NE10) record are expected to finish in the middle of the pack and contend for a spot in the eight-team NE10 Championship in 2017. The team will have a completely revamped look under Garbar, with 12 newcomers set to join 10 returning players on the roster.
Leading the way among the returners is rising sophomore forward Sophie Cousineau (Milton, Mass.), who went for 4-2-10 to tie for the team scoring lead on the way to NE10 All-Rookie Team honors a year ago. Midfielder Nathalia Maria da Silva (Sao Paulo, Brazil) returns for her junior season, after a 3-4-10 campaign of her own a year ago, which earned her All-NE10 Second Team accolades.
Five different teams earned first-place votes in the poll, with 10 of the league's 15 coaches selecting Adelphi to finish out front. The Panthers (188 points) led the way, while American International (165 points), Saint Rose (160 points), Stonehill (144 points) and Southern Connecticut State (143 points) rounded out the top five. AIC earned two first-place votes, while Saint Rose, Stonehill and sixth-place Southern New Hampshire all garnered one each.
The Ravens will open the season on Friday, Sept. 1, when they play host to Caldwell in a non-conference game at 7 p.m. at Sodexo Field.
For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce soccer apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).