Women's Soccer Picked Fifth in CCC Preseason Poll

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Roger Williams University, the 2014 defending Commonwealth Coast Conference champion, has been unanimously voted as the favorite to win the 2015 women's soccer championship after receiving all 10 first place votes for a total of 100 points in the CCC preseason poll. Endicott College earned second place with 87 points while the University of New England claimed third with 71 points. Gordon College recorded 68 points for fourth and Wentworth Institute of Technology, the 2014 runner-up, was selected fifth after receiving 57 points to round out the top billing.

Voting for the preseason poll was conducted among the league's head women's soccer coaches.

Roger Williams edged Wentworth by a 4-1 advantage in penalty kicks after a 1-1 tie through all regulation and overtime periods would not break. After claiming their first CCC title since 2012, the Hawks earned the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. In the first round of the national tournament, Roger Williams recorded a 3-0 victory over Bowdoin. In the second round the Hawks would claim a thrilling 1-0 double-overtime victory over No. 24 MIT, earning Roger Williams' first-ever Sweet 16 victory. In the third-round matchup, the 2014 NCAA runner-up, Williams handed Roger Williams a tough 3-2 loss in the final minute of play. University of New England, Wentworth and Eastern Nazarene also competed in the postseason at the ECAC tournament. The Nor'easters were tabbed the No. 2 seed, Eastern Nazarene was the No. 5 seed and Wentworth was the No. 6 seed.  UNE claimed a 5-0 victory over Emmanuel while Westfield State defeated Wentworth 3-0 and Framingham State upset Eastern Nazarene 2-1 in overtime of the quarterfinals. The Nor'easters would end Westfield's run in the semifinals after earning a 1-0 victory over the Owls. In the championship match, UNE was defeated 4-3 on penalty kicks by Framingham State after a 0-0 tie through regulation and overtime periods.

A season ago the Wentworth women's soccer team made an improbable run at the conference championship as the seventh-seeded Leopards upset second-seeded Endicott in the quarterfinals and advanced to their first Commonwealth Coast Conference Championship since 2003 after tying third-seeded Eastern Nazarene and using a 5-4 penalty kick advantage to pull off their second upset in four days. In the title game, Wentworth took a 1-0 lead in the 83rd minute before top-seeded Roger Williams evened the score with just seconds remaining in regulation and, after neither team could score in overtime, the Hawks prevailed in the shootout. Fourth-year head coach Bobby Desilets returns 16 players, including a pair of All-CCC performers in juniors Morgan Miller (Schenectady, N.Y.) and Mary Pastorelli (Whitesboro, N.Y.), as well as classmate Amanda Weinberger (Colchester, Conn.) who was the 2013 CCC Rookie of the Year. Miller, a two-time All-CCC selection as a midfielder, has been a strong midfielder throughout her career, while Pastorelli has been a mainstay on defense and helps create many offensive opportunities by taking the bulk of the team's free kicks. Weinberger tied for the team lead with 20 points a season ago (seven goals, six assists). Sophomore Emily Richard (Fremont, N.H.), who twice was named CCC Rookie of the Week last year, returns to her midfield position after recording nine points.
 
2015 CCC Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll

The 2015 CCC women's soccer campaign gets started next week with all ten teams in action. The top eight teams in the regular-season conference standings will qualify for the conference tournament, which gets underway Saturday, October 31 with quarterfinal action. The winners of the quarterfinal matchups will move on to the semifinals on Wednesday, November 4. The two semifinal victors will battle for the CCC championship on Saturday, November 7.

Wentworth opens its season on Tuesday, September 1, at Clark University.