Bowling Green State University Athletics
Falcons Tabbed For Fifth-Place Tie
August 17, 2004 | Women's Soccer
Aug. 17, 2004
CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Mid-American Conference women's soccer coaches have made their predictions for the 2004 season, and the Bowling Green State University Falcons have been picked to finish in a fifth-place tie. The poll, released Tuesday (Aug. 17), is a result of voting by the league's 13 head coaches.
The Falcons of fifth-year head coach Andy Richards return 19 letterwinners, including 10 starters, from last year's squad. BGSU placed eighth in the final 2003 standings with a 5-5-2 MAC ledger, but advanced all the way to the championship match of the MAC Tournament. The Falcons finished with an overall mark of 8-12-3 last fall.
The 2004 edition of the Brown and Orange will open the season on Friday, Aug. 27, hosting the Falcon Classic. BGSU will play Duquesne that afternoon, before hosting Pittsburgh two days later at Cochrane Field.
Defending MAC Tournament champion Western Michigan was picked to win the regular-season title. The Broncos will return 14 letterwinners, including nine starters, and were also selected by seven coaches to win the conference tournament. WMU will be led by 2003 All-MAC Second-Team selections Katie Ruzinsky and Michelle Palazzolo. Ruzinsky scored three goals and assisted on five, while Palazzolo scored five points on two goals and one assist. Sophomore defender Chantel Robinson will try and repeat an outstanding freshman campaign. The 2003 All-MAC Freshman team selection led the conference in assists (13) and assists per game (0.57). Robinson also ranked third in the MAC in points (27) and fifth in points per game (1.17). WMU led the MAC last year in points (122), goals (43) and goals per game (1.87).
Ohio is picked to finished second during the regular season and was picked by three coaches to win the conference tournament. The Bobcats return 14 letterwinners, including eight starters. Among those returnees is first-team All-MAC selection Kendra Hornschemeier and second-team selection Tiffany Horvath. Hornschemeier finished second in the MAC with eight assists on the year, while Horvath was selected as the MAC Freshman of The Year after finishing last season ranked sixth in the conference in goals (9) and points (23).
Eastern Michigan is tabbed to finish third. The Eagles welcome back 11 letterwinners, including seven starters. 2003 All-MAC second team selection Trisha Roberts will provide leadership along with senior Nikki Allen. Roberts scored three goals and assisted on one, while Allen ranked among the conference leaders in saves (64), shutouts (two) and goals against average (1.07). Sophomores Shannon McIntyre and Cyndi Mullins were both selected to the 2003 All-MAC Freshman team and will hope to pick up where they left off last season. McIntyre scored nine points on four goals and one assist, while Mullins had a hand in 10 goals by scoring eight, including three game-winners, and assisting on two.
Miami was picked by the coaches to finish fourth. The RedHawks welcome back 17 letterwinners, including nine starters. Senior forward Ashley Swinehart picked up 2003 MAC Player-of-the-Year honors after leading the MAC in scoring with 34 points (16 goals, 2 assists). The two time All-MAC first-team selection will be joined by sophomore forward Kathleen Vistica. Vistica scored 19 points for the RedHawks after scoring six goals and dishing out seven assists. Sophomore midfielder Amy Prevallet will be back after being named to the 2003 MAC All-Newcomer Team. The Fairfax Station, Va., native collected four assists last season.
Bowling Green and Ball State each received the same number of votes to tie for fifth place. The Falcons also received two votes to win the conference tournament after falling to WMU in last year's title game. Junior All-MAC First-Team selection Samantha Meister and senior Kristy Coppes will lead 19 BGSU returning letterwinners in 2004. Meister had conference rankings of fourth in points (26), seventh in points per game (1.13) and fourth in goals (10) at season's end. Coppes scored 10 goals on 33 shots and finished the season with 21 points. The Falcons led the MAC in assists (38) and assists per game (1.65), while ranking second in the conference in points (106).
Ball State will have 16 letterwinners returning, including seven starters. The Cardinals will be led by two-time MAC first team selection Dee Nocero. Nocero paced Ball State last fall with seven goals, including six game-winning scores. The Kirtland, Ohio, native added four assists and fired 27 shots on goal. Nocero will be joined by All-MAC freshman team selections Amy Holst and Sarah Maxwell. Holst ranked fifth in the MAC with six assists and three game-winning goals, while Maxwell started in all 20 of BSU's contests.
Due to a change in polling procedures implemented at the Directors of Athletics' meeting in July of 2003, the MAC announces only the top six selections.
2004 MAC PRESEASON POLL
1. Western Michigan 2. Ohio 3. Eastern Michigan 4. Miami 5. Bowling Green Ball State
MAC PRESEASON POLL HISTORY
Year Poll Favorite (AF) BGSU Picked... BGSU's Actual Finish 1997 Northern Illinois (1st) Tie-Fifth Eighth of 8 1998 Northern Ill. (T-1st) Ninth Sixth of 11 1999 Ohio (5th) Sixth 10th of 12 2000 Eastern Michigan (2nd) Eighth Seventh of 12 2001 Miami (3rd) Sixth 12th of 13 2002 Miami (1st) Ninth Fourth of 13 2003 Ohio (T-5th) Fourth Eighth of 13 2004 Western Michigan Tie-FifthAF - Actual finish
(Portions of this release courtesy MAC office)
