UB Women's Soccer Slotted Number Three In Preseason ECC Coaches Poll

West Babylon, N.Y. - Defending East Coast Conference Champion, Mercy, squeaked by LIU Post by one point to top a preseason poll voted on by the league's coaches. The coaches also selected Molloy's Dana Poetzsch (Hicksville, N.Y.) and Mercy's Rebecca Conway (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) as the ECC Preseason Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year, respectively.

Mercy, who also begins the season ranked No. 3 in the United Soccer Coaches (USC) Division II Preseason Poll, had five first place votes to LIU Post's four to finish with 94 points and a first place spot in the ECC poll. The Mavericks finished as ECC Regular Season Co-Champions, ECC Champions, NCAA East Region Champions, and appeared in the Division II Final Four in a remarkable 2017 season. Mercy returns seven starters from last year's roster, six of whom earned All-Conference distinction a year ago  (Conway, Haley Noble, Jessica  Brandt, Trista Seara, Natalia Elizarraras, and Melissa Torres).

LIU Post received four first place votes to finish one point behind Mercy. The Pioneers were Co-Regular Season Champions a year ago and fell to Mercy in both the ECC and NCAA East Region Final. LIU Post, who also joins Mercy in the USC Division II Preseason Top-25 at No. 16, brings back All-Conference First Team honorees Julia Duffy, Gabrielle Clark, Alice Schonfeldt, Samantha Gordon, and Hillevi Eklow among seven returning starters.

Bridgeport earned the final first place vote to come in at No. 3 in the poll, while Molloy rounds out the teams expected to compete in the ECC Championship at No. 4.

After bursting onto the scene in her collegiate debut a year ago, Molloy's Poetzsch claims the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year honor. Poetzsch found the back of the net an ECC-high 16 times to also top the conference with 34 points on the season. Her offensive prowess earned her the ECC Rookie of the Year award and also a spot on the ECC All-Conference First Team and the Division II Conference Commissioner's Association (D2CCA) All-East Region Second Team.

Conway has been selected as the Defensive Player of the Year after playing an integral part in Mercy's Final Four run. The senior back was named to the NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team for her play in Mercy's semifinal contest against eventual National Champion, Central Missouri. In addition, Conway earned her second straight All-Conference Third Team honor after helping Mercy allow only 17 goals and a 0.73 goals against average over 23 games.

2018 ECC Women's Soccer Preseason Poll

( ) - first place votes