Bowling Green State University Athletics
Women's Soccer Tabbed For Sixth In The MAC
August 20, 2001 | Women's Soccer
Aug. 20, 2001
CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Bowling Green State University women's soccer team has been picked to finish sixth in the Mid-American Conference race in 2001, according to the league's 13 head coaches. The Falcons of head coach Andy Richards received 105 points in the conference's preseason coaches poll.
The Brown and Orange finished seventh in last year's regular-season race with a 5-5-1 league record, but posted a pair of MAC Tournament wins to advance all the way to the championship match. In that championship contest, BGSU lost in double overtime to Miami by a 1-0 count. The Falcons finished 10-10-1 overall in 2000, the first season for Richards and assistant coach Ashlee Orr.
Miami was picked to win the league race, followed by Central Michigan, Ohio, Eastern Michigan, Buffalo and the Falcons.
MU was picked to win the MAC Tournament by six of the league coaches, while CMU and OU earned three votes apiece and the Falcons garnered the final vote.
The Falcons return 13 letterwinners, including seven starters, from last season's squad. BGSU plays an exhibition match against visiting Detroit on Aug. 26, and the Falcons open the regular season with an Aug. 31 contest at UW-Green Bay.
The complete release distributed by the conference office follows:
Finishing with 160 of 169 possible points, Miami University was picked to win its first regular season Mid-American Conference title by the league coaches in the 2001 preseason poll, receiving nine first-place votes.
The RedHawks finished tied for third in the 2000 regular season with a mark of 7-4. After winning their first tournament championship, Miami advanced to the first round of the NCAA, before falling 4-3 in double overtime to the University of Michigan. Miami returns All-MAC first-team member Andrea Cunningham.
Central Michigan finished second in the balloting with 142 points and one first-place vote. Tying for third during the 2000 MAC season, the Chippewas concluded with an overall mark of 10-10.
Also receiving a nod for the top spot in the poll was Ohio. The Bobcats earned the third spot, garnering 134 points and two first-place votes. Ohio rounded out the three-way regular season tie for third and an entire season record of 10-9.
Eastern Michigan finished fourth in the voting with 131 points. Although the Eagles lost 2000 MAC Player of the Year, Tracey Deeter, to graduation, EMU returns three All-MAC First-Team members -- Kate Lewis, Courtney Sindelar and Amanda Kulikowski -- from a team that went 8-3 in the MAC and concluded the 2000 season in second place.
Buffalo, the defending regular season champion, finished fifth with 128 points and one vote for first-place. With a 2000 record of 8-2-1, the Bulls will return two league-leading goaltenders in Emily Cox and Jaime Adams, who both had goals against averages of 0.97.
Finishing sixth in the poll was Bowling Green, who earned 105 points. Concluding with a MAC mark of 5-5-1, the Falcons advanced in the post-season to the championship game of the MAC Tournament, before falling to Miami 1-0 in double overtime.
Western Michigan garnered 91 points to claim seventh in the poll. The Broncos finished 2000 with a 5-4-2 mark, behind All-MAC first-team member Megan Ramey, who returns to the net for the squad.
Marshall received 81 points and the eighth spot. The Herd returns MAC Newcomer of the Year in Andrea McMahon, the league leader in points per match last season with 1.88. Behind Marshall in ninth place is Kent State, who tallied 61 points, and Ball State in 10th, with 54 points.
Rounding out the 2001 coaches poll are Toledo, Northern Illinois and Akron. Toledo tallied 40 points, behind the league leader in goals, Corrie Hasenjager, who hit 15 balls past the netminders during 2000. Only one point behind is Northern Illinois, who gained 39 points. League newcomer to women's soccer, Akron, closes out the poll with 17 points.
Miami was also picked as the favorite to return as the MAC Tournament champion, receiving six votes in win the title game. Central Michigan and Ohio earned three votes apiece and Bowling Green snatched the final vote.
POLL RESULTS
1. Miami (9) 160 2. Central Michigan (1) 142 3. Ohio (2) 134 4. Eastern Michigan 131 5. Buffalo (1) 128 6. Bowling Green 105 7. Western Michigan 91 8. Marshall 81 9. Kent State 61 10. Ball State 54 11. Toledo 40 12. Northern Illinois 39 13. Akron 17Total points received listed at right,
first-place votes in parentheses
