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Women?s Soccer Tabbed No. 6 in Preseason ACC Poll
DURHAM, N.C. – The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) released its preseason poll on Friday morning with the Duke women’s soccer team being tabbed No. 6 by a vote of the league’s 11 head coaches.
Taking the top slot is North Carolina, followed by Florida State, Boston College, Virginia, Maryland, Duke, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, N.C. State, Miami and Clemson. North Carolina received seven first place votes, while Florida State earned four.
The ACC is coming off a 2010 season that saw a league-record tying eight teams receive NCAA Tournament berths and record 14 postseason wins. Five of those teams reached at least the final 16 of the NCAA tourney and five – Boston College, North Carolina, Florida State, Virginia and Maryland – were ranked among the nation’s top 10 in both the final NSCAA and Soccer Times polls. With Boston College advancing to play in the 2010 College Cup, the ACC has placed at least one team among the final four of the NCAA Women’s Soccer Championship in 28 of the 29 years the event has been held.
Five ACC teams were listed among the top 10 of the 2011 NSCAA preseason rankings – North Carolina at No. 3, Boston College at No. 4, Florida State at No. 5, Maryland at No. 6 and Virginia at No. 10. Wake Forest was ranked 18th, and Duke received votes.
Blue Devil Head Coach Robbie Church will guide a squad which has advanced to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 in three out of the last four seasons and returns all 11 starters along with 21 letterwinners, while welcoming another standout recruiting class. In 2010, Duke registered an 11-8-4 overall record.
Duke will be led by three captains in 2011 -- redshirt senior Molly Lester, senior Ashley Rape and junior Tara Campbell. Returning starters for the Blue Devils in 2011 include Campbell, Lester, Rape, Nicole Lipp, Libby Jandl, Maddy Haller, Erin Koballa, Mollie Pathman, Laura Weinberg, Kaitlyn Kerr and Gilda Doria.
On the offensive end, the Blue Devils return 11 student-athletes who scored one or more goals last year, including the top seven scorers from a year ago. The Blue Devils’ top returning scorer’s in 2011 include Weinberg (10 goals), Pathman (8 goals), Kerr (4 goals), Lester (4 goals) and redshirt sophomore Callie Simpkins (4 goals).
For the second straight year, Duke returns its entire defensive unit led by All-ACC goalkeeper Campbell. Haller, Koballa, Jandl and Rape concluded the season as the starting back line. Campbell, a native of Cincinnati, Ohio, has totaled 14 shutouts and started all 42 matches played in goal since arriving in 2009. As a team, Duke notched 10 shutouts last year.
Other returning letterwinners for the Blue Devils include Molly Mack, Emily Nahas, Chelsea Canepa, Kim DeCesare, Natasha Anasi, Avery Rape, Alex Straton and Cody Newman. Meghan Thomas, a 6-2 goalkeeper, redshirted last season and will suit up in 2011 as well.
Duke welcomes a solid recruiting class in 2011 that includes Audrey Gibson, Katie Trees, Kelly Cobb, Ali Kershner, Anastasia Hunt, Erin O'Connor, Tabria Williford and Katy Colas. Cobb, who is a product of Chugiak, Alaska, played on the U.S. U20 National Team this summer along with Pathman.
The Blue Devils will host William & Mary on Saturday, Aug. 13 at 3:00 p.m., for an exhibition game. The contest will be free admission. The 2011 season will officially kick off on Friday, Aug. 19 against Army at 7:00 p.m. The Blue Devils will then host 21st-ranked South Carolina on Sunday, Aug. 21 at 2:00 p.m. Duke features 10 home contests this season with all matches being played at Koskinen Stadium.
For tickets to all of Duke’s home women’s soccer contests, contact the Duke Athletic Ticket Office at (919) 681-BLUE (2583) or call (877) 375-3853.
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Taking the top slot is North Carolina, followed by Florida State, Boston College, Virginia, Maryland, Duke, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, N.C. State, Miami and Clemson. North Carolina received seven first place votes, while Florida State earned four.
The ACC is coming off a 2010 season that saw a league-record tying eight teams receive NCAA Tournament berths and record 14 postseason wins. Five of those teams reached at least the final 16 of the NCAA tourney and five – Boston College, North Carolina, Florida State, Virginia and Maryland – were ranked among the nation’s top 10 in both the final NSCAA and Soccer Times polls. With Boston College advancing to play in the 2010 College Cup, the ACC has placed at least one team among the final four of the NCAA Women’s Soccer Championship in 28 of the 29 years the event has been held.
Five ACC teams were listed among the top 10 of the 2011 NSCAA preseason rankings – North Carolina at No. 3, Boston College at No. 4, Florida State at No. 5, Maryland at No. 6 and Virginia at No. 10. Wake Forest was ranked 18th, and Duke received votes.
Blue Devil Head Coach Robbie Church will guide a squad which has advanced to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 in three out of the last four seasons and returns all 11 starters along with 21 letterwinners, while welcoming another standout recruiting class. In 2010, Duke registered an 11-8-4 overall record.
Duke will be led by three captains in 2011 -- redshirt senior Molly Lester, senior Ashley Rape and junior Tara Campbell. Returning starters for the Blue Devils in 2011 include Campbell, Lester, Rape, Nicole Lipp, Libby Jandl, Maddy Haller, Erin Koballa, Mollie Pathman, Laura Weinberg, Kaitlyn Kerr and Gilda Doria.
On the offensive end, the Blue Devils return 11 student-athletes who scored one or more goals last year, including the top seven scorers from a year ago. The Blue Devils’ top returning scorer’s in 2011 include Weinberg (10 goals), Pathman (8 goals), Kerr (4 goals), Lester (4 goals) and redshirt sophomore Callie Simpkins (4 goals).
For the second straight year, Duke returns its entire defensive unit led by All-ACC goalkeeper Campbell. Haller, Koballa, Jandl and Rape concluded the season as the starting back line. Campbell, a native of Cincinnati, Ohio, has totaled 14 shutouts and started all 42 matches played in goal since arriving in 2009. As a team, Duke notched 10 shutouts last year.
Other returning letterwinners for the Blue Devils include Molly Mack, Emily Nahas, Chelsea Canepa, Kim DeCesare, Natasha Anasi, Avery Rape, Alex Straton and Cody Newman. Meghan Thomas, a 6-2 goalkeeper, redshirted last season and will suit up in 2011 as well.
Duke welcomes a solid recruiting class in 2011 that includes Audrey Gibson, Katie Trees, Kelly Cobb, Ali Kershner, Anastasia Hunt, Erin O'Connor, Tabria Williford and Katy Colas. Cobb, who is a product of Chugiak, Alaska, played on the U.S. U20 National Team this summer along with Pathman.
The Blue Devils will host William & Mary on Saturday, Aug. 13 at 3:00 p.m., for an exhibition game. The contest will be free admission. The 2011 season will officially kick off on Friday, Aug. 19 against Army at 7:00 p.m. The Blue Devils will then host 21st-ranked South Carolina on Sunday, Aug. 21 at 2:00 p.m. Duke features 10 home contests this season with all matches being played at Koskinen Stadium.
For tickets to all of Duke’s home women’s soccer contests, contact the Duke Athletic Ticket Office at (919) 681-BLUE (2583) or call (877) 375-3853.
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