MANSFIELD, Mass. – The Southern New Hampshire University women's soccer team was picked third in the NE10 Preseason Coaches' Poll on Thursday.
Adelphi University, an NCAA national semifinalist a year ago, collected eight of a possible 10 first-place votes and 98 total points to take the top spot, while Franklin Pierce University gathered a first-place vote and 88 points to place second, just ahead of the Penmen, who had the two remaining first-place votes and 87 points. Saint Anselm College was picked fourth with 66 points, with Southern Connecticut State University (58) edging Bentley University (57) for fifth place. Assumption University (44) and Pace University (39) slotted in seventh and eighth, respectively, while, American International College (31), Saint Michael's College (25) and the University of New Haven (12) rounded out the poll.
Head coach Elie Monteiro will begin his 11th season leading the Penmen, who are coming off a 2023 campaign in which they went 10-5-5, were narrowly felled by Adelphi in the NE10 semifinals (1-0) and earned their sixth straight NCAA berth, eventually dropping a 2-0 decision to the top-ranked College of Saint Rose in the second round.
Southern New Hampshire brings back three of its top-five leading scorers from a year ago, including leading scorer, junior Carly Schofield (Plymouth, Mass.), who claimed an NE10 All-Conference First Team accolade after notching 20 points on nine goals and two assists. Fellow NE10 First Teamer, graduate student Alyssa Anderson (Londonderry, N.H.), who scored five goals and handed out a pair of helpers for 12 points last season, is back, as well. Junior Georgia Greene (Clifton Park, N.Y.; 4g, 2a, 10p) also returns. The Penmen defense should be formidable with graduate students Kassidy Michael (Manheim, Pa.; NE10 Second Team) and Lea Baum (Londonderry, N.H.), and senior Lauren Conti (Schenectady, N.Y.), all back in the fold. Also returning is sophomore goalkeeper Claudia Keith (Danvers, Mass.), who played every second in net last season and went 10-5-5 with a 1.08 goals-against average (GAA) and .800 save percentage,
SNHU will open the season Friday, Sept. 6 (12 p.m.) with the first of its 15 matches against the University of Bridgeport at Queens (N.Y.) College's Varsity Soccer Field. The Penmen then take on Mercy University at Queens on Sunday (Sept. 8) at 3 p.m. SNHU plays the first of its eight home matches Friday, Sept. 13 (7 p.m.) against Wilmington (Del.) University at Ouellette Stadium.
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2024 NE10 Preseason Women's Soccer Coaches' Poll
1. Adelphi – 98 (8)
2. Franklin Pierce – 88 (1)
3. Southern New Hampshire – 87 (2)
4. Saint Anselm – 66
5. Southern Connecticut – 58
6. Bentley – 57
7. Assumption – 44
8. Pace – 39
9. American Int'l – 31
10. Saint Michael's – 25
11. New Haven – 12
