ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- The Elizabethtown College women's soccer team is tied for third place in the annual Commonwealth Conference preseason poll, as selected by the league's eight head coaches and released Tuesday.
The Blue Jays return eight starters from a squad that finished 9-10-0 overall and 4-3-0 in the Commonwealth Conference last season, earning the program's sixth straight appearance in the conference playoffs and the 13th in the last 14 years.
Pacing the Blue Jay attack is sophomore
Laura Wingert, who was named first-team All-Conference after leading the squad with six goals and 14 points as a rookie. Fellow sophomore
Amy Bunting was also a first-team All-Conference pick at defender as she helped the Blue Jays record seven shutouts in 19 games, while senior
Kelly Fisher was second on the team in shots from her midfield position.
Other starters back for the Blue Jays include senior defenders
Lisa Nyman and
Paige Minka along with sophomores
Jess Mason,
Kristin Eck and
Rebekah Richards. In goal, senior
Kristen Kelly posted a 0.94 goals against average and two shutouts in nine starts, while sophomore
Jess Manchak compiled a 1.64 goals against average and had five shutouts in 10 starts.
Defending NCAA Division III champion Messiah College swept the poll with 49 points, followed by 2009 conference runner-up Arcadia University (43 points) and a tie for third between Elizabethtown and Widener University (33 points each). Rounding out the poll are Lebanon Valley College (25 points), Lycoming College (19 points), Albright College (13 points) and Alvernia University (9 points).
The Blue Jays kick off their 2010 season by hosting the Blue Jay Classic on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 4-5 with games against the University of La Verne and Bridgewater College. Conference play opens on Saturday, Oct. 2 at 4:30 p.m. against Alvernia at Ira R. Herr Field.