Women's Soccer Tabbed Fifth in Horizon League Preseason Poll

Posted: Aug 05, 2011

Aug. 5, 2011

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Fresh off the best finish in school history last year, the Cleveland State women's soccer team was picked to finish fifth in the 2011 Horizon League Preseason Poll that was announced on Friday morning.

Voting was conducted by each of the league's nine head coaches and coaches could not vote for their own team.

Three-time defending league champion Milwaukee topped the poll with seven first place votes and 63 points. Butler was second with 52 points, while Wright State was third with 49 points and Detroit fourth with 41 points. Both WSU and UDM each received one first place vote.

The Vikings were fifth with 38 points and were followed by Loyola (31), Valparaiso (24), Green Bay (18) and Youngstown State (8).

CSU returns six starters from last year's team that set school records for wins in a season (9) and league wins in a season (5) en route to tying for third place in the Horizon League at 5-3, just one match behind first place Milwaukee and Butler who were both 6-2.

Headlining CSU's list of returnees is senior midfielder Natalie Daniels who ranked second in the league in points (23), third in goals (9) and sixth in assists (5) last year.

Her career totals of 16 goals, 13 assists and 45 points at CSU records.

Also back for the Vikings is junior defender Valerie Stahl, a second team All-Horizon League pick last year, and sophomore Frederike Dubeau, who was named to the league all-newcomer team last year.

Together, the duo helped the Vikings surrender just 25 goals last season, the lowest total in school history.

CSU, which opened its preseason training on Wednesday (Aug. 3) will play its first exhibition game on Sunday (Aug. 7) at Akron at 1:00 p.m.

The first regular season contest is on Friday (Aug. 19) at Kent State at 5:00 p.m.