OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City University held the runner-up spot in the preseason Sooner Athletic Conference women's soccer poll.
The Stars garnered two first-place votes from league coaches. OCU posted an 11-7-1 record last year and advanced to the SAC Tournament title match.
OCU brings back four all-conference performers from last year – midfielder Malin Andersson, defender Josefine Holmgren, defender Brenna Skillern and goalkeeper Brittany Tibbs.
Andersson, a senior from Huskvarna, Sweden, put together 11 goals, seven assists and 29 points last year.
Holmgren, a senior from Huskvarna, Sweden, Tibbs, a senior from Kansas City, Mo., and Skillern, a sophomore from Yukon, Okla., spearheaded an OCU defense that notched seven shutouts in 2009.
OCU returns five seniors, nine starters and 12 letter winners. The Stars open the season at 9 a.m. Sept. 4 at LSU-Shreveport.
“The girls had a tremendous year fighting injuries and had a poor start,” OCU coach Brian Harvey said. “They came right come playoff time, and we were the hot team. We want to get off to a good start and continue that into the playoffs.”
John Brown (Ark.), which finished in a tie atop the Sooner Athletic Conference last season, is the SAC coaches' pick to win the women's soccer title this season.
The SAC Preseason Poll, released Wednesday, has the Golden Eagles atop a poll that scattered first-place votes among four teams. John Brown was 9-1 in the SAC last season and 12-6 overall. JBU collected four of 12 first-place votes and finished with 107 points in the poll.
Oklahoma City collected 102 points. USAO has one first-place votes and had 100 points in the poll on the heels of a 13-6 2009 campaign.
Southern Nazarene drew the most interesting response. After tying JBU at 9-1 in the SAC and 17-4-1 a year ago, SNU collected the most first-place votes with five, but coaches were divided on the Crimson Storm and the team finished fourth with 94 points.
Oklahoma Baptist (12-7 in 2009) is fifth with 79 points, followed by Rogers State (13-7) with 74 and Oklahoma Christian (9-6-3) with 67.
Mid-America Christian is ranked eighth with 64 points, followed by Lubbock Christian (Texas) and St. Gregory's tied for ninth at 28. Northwestern Oklahoma State is 11th with 27 points and Wayland Baptist (Texas) rounds out the poll in 12th with 22 points.
Sooner Athletic Conference
2010 Preseason Women's Soccer Coaches' Poll
Rank School (First-Place Votes) Points 2009 Record
1. John Brown (4) 107 12-6
2. Oklahoma City (2) 102 11-7-1
3. Science & Arts Oklahoma (1) 100 13-6
4. Southern Nazarene (5) 94 17-4-1
5. Oklahoma Baptist 79 12-7
6. Rogers State 74 13-7
7. Oklahoma Christian 67 9-6-3
8. Mid-America Christian 64 8-10-1
9T. Lubbock Christian 28 NA
9T. St. Gregory's 28 4-12-2
11. Northwestern Oklahoma State 27 1-16
12. Wayland Baptist 22 3-13-1
