PHILADELPHIA TOPS 2010 CACC PRESEASON POLL
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (August 16, 2010) – After picking up eight of 13 first-place votes and 160 points, Philadelphia University tops the 2010 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Women's Soccer Preseason Poll, according to balloting conducted by the league's head coaches. Holy Family University was picked second with 149 points, while Georgian Court University was just one vote behind in third place with 148 points.
Philadelphia will be led by head coach George Dunbar, who returns to the pitch for his 11th season. The Lady Rams went 13-5-3 overall last season and shared the conference regular-season championship with a 10-2 record. The team fell, 1-0, to Holy Family in the semi-finals of the conference tournament. Philadelphia returns CACC Rookie of the Year, forward Trisha Sileo, CACC first team goalie, Kelli Kowalewski and All-Tournament selection, forward Gabrielle Haden. As a freshman last season, Sileo ranked third in the conference with 32 points and 14 goals. Kowalewski led the league in goals-against average (0.62) and save percentage (.907) in 2009.
Holy Family won the 2009 CACC Tournament Championship as the No. 4 seed, registering 1-0 victories over Wilmington, Philadelphia and Georgian Court. The Tigers have won four of the last seven titles, also securing championships in 2003, 2005 and 2007. The Tigers collected one first-place tally and 149 votes in the poll. Returning to help lead the Tigers will be junior goalie Gina Mansi, who was named CACC Tournament MVP last season after registering three shutouts. Also back is sophomore Megan Tole, who scored the lone goal in last season's championship game, and first team All-CACC midfielder Lindsay Fisher.
Georgian Court, which picked up three first-place nods in the poll, advanced to the last two CACC Tournament championship matches, winning the title in 2008 and falling to Holy Family last season. The Lions tied for the conference regular-season championship with a 10-2 mark in 2009. GCU went 15-8 overall and returns first team All-Conference picks Kelly Lyons and Denisha Thomas. Lyons, a rising junior, led the conference in points (49), goals scored (21) and game-winning goals (7) last season, while tying for fourth with seven assists.
Chestnut Hill enjoyed its best season as a member of the CACC last season, finishing 11-8-2 overall and 8-3-1 in conference play to finish third in the regular-season standings. The Griffins were led by sophomore forward Lauren Riiff, who totaled 12 goals and two assists (26 points) en route to CACC Player of the Year accolades. Riiff was also selected to the Daktronics All-East Region team. Junior midfielder Tara Morey and sophomore defender Lauren Brown were named to the All-CACC second team and Seamus O'Connor was named the CACC Coach of the Year.
Wilmington rounds out the top five with 123 points after going 9-7-2 overall last season and 8-3-1 in conference action. The 2010 season commences on Thursday Sept. 2 with seven CACC teams opening their campaigns. The CACC Tournament will be held at Georgian Court on Nov. 1, 4 and 6 in Lakewood, N.J.
