Bowling Green State University Athletics
Falcons Picked to Finish Third in MAC in 2008
August 20, 2008 | Women's Soccer
Aug. 20, 2008
CLEVELAND, Ohio (BGSUFalcons.com) - The Mid-American Conference women's soccer coaches have made their predictions for the 2008 season, and the Bowling Green State University Falcons have been picked to finish third. The poll, released Wednesday (Aug. 20), is a result of voting by the league's 12 head coaches.
The third-place prediction ties for the second-highest spot ever forecasted for the Falcons in school history. BGSU was picked to finish third in 2006, and wound up in a tie for third. Last year's team was tabbed for second in the league, before finishing fourth in the regular-season standings and advancing all the way to the championship game of the MAC Tournament. The entire preseason poll history for BGSU can be found at the bottom of the page.
The Falcons of ninth-year head coach Andy Richards return 18 letterwinners, including nine starters, from last year's squad. As mentioned, the 2007 BGSU club finished fourth in the MAC. BG went 10-9-3 overall and 6-5-0 in league play last fall, advancing to the MAC Tournament final for the fourth time in five Novembers.
The 2008 edition of the Falcons will open the season on Friday (Aug. 22) at Cincinnati. The home opener is set for Sunday, Aug. 31, at BGSU faces Michigan State at Cochrane Field.
Toledo was picked to win the regular season and tournament titles. The Rockets return 18 letterwinners (eight starters) from last year's team which went 14-6-3 overall and 8-3-0 in league play. UT set school records for most wins and fewest losses in a season for both overall and in MAC play, scoring a school-record 43 goals. The Rockets figure to be led by 2007 MAC Player of the Year Molly Cornwell, who led the MAC in goals (15), assists (11) and total points (41) last fall.
Ball State was picked to finish second. Fifteen letterwinners from last season's team return for the Cardinals, who went 13-5-2 in 2007 and have posted a 26-9-5 record over the past two seasons. Last fall, the BSU defense allowed just 13 goals, the lowest total in program history for a single season. Ball State allowed just five goals to opponents in MAC play (including two to BG), tying the fewest goals ever allowed by a MAC team in a 10-plus game season.
Bowling Green, as mentioned, was picked for third in the preseason poll. The Falcons' six-woman senior class includes co-captains Brianne Eisenhard and Susan Hunter, as well as Kristin McDonald, Gina Rossi, Corbie Yee and Christy Zabek. The Falcons tied Ball State in the MAC Tournament semifinals last year, advancing past the Cards via penalty kicks. Two days later, BG battled Toledo to a double-OT draw in the championship match, before the Rockets advanced to the NCAA Championships via the PK route. BG's senior class helped the Falcons win the regular-season and tournament titles during their freshman year of 2005 (Rossi, a fifth-year senior, was a freshman on the 2004 MAC Tournament title-winning team).
In addition to the six seniors, the Falcons have seven juniors, five sophomores (including one redshirt soph) and 10 freshmen on the 2008 roster for Richards and assistants Scott Gloden and Tiffany Hansen.
Miami was picked to finish fourth behind Bowling Green. The RedHawks were followed by Ohio, while Northern Illinois and Eastern Michigan tied for the sixth spot. Central Michigan, Kent State, Buffalo, Akron and Western Michigan rounded out this year's preseason poll.
MAC regular season non-conference action begins on Friday as six schools, including the Falcons, are in action. Conference play will begin on Friday, September 26.
2008 MAC PRESEASON POLL
1. Toledo
2. Ball State
3. Bowling Green
4. Miami
5. Ohio
T6. Northern Illinois
Eastern Michigan
8. Central Michigan
9. Kent State
10. Buffalo
11. Akron
12. Western Michigan
PREDICTED TOURNAMENT CHAMPION (votes): Toledo (7), Miami (3), Ball State (1), BGSU (1).
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 (T-3rd) Tie-Fifth Eighth of 13 2005 Kent State (T-6th) Fourth First of 12 2006 Central Michigan (T-3rd) Third Tie-Third of 12 2007 Ball State (1st) Second Fourth of 12 2008 Toledo ThirdAF - poll favorite's actual finish
(Portions of this release courtesy MAC office)
