CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. (August 20, 2008)- The East Coast Conference released its preseason women’ssoccer polls today, placing the C.W. Post Pioneers in the top slot. Sophomore Pioneer Anna Svensson (Stockholm, Sweden) receives ECC nods while being selected as the 2008 preseason Defensive Player of the Year. Dowling’s Vanessa Moreira was named the preseason Offensive Player of the Year.
Svennson was an ECC All-Conference Second Team selection and held a starting position in all 21 games for C.W. Post. She topped off her debut year with two goals and an assist, including eight shots on goal.
The Pioneers are looking for another repeat of last season, as they finished 17-1-3 overall with a 9-1 clip in the conference. The Pioneers nabbed the postseason conference title and split the regular season crown with Bridgeport. The Purple Knights were given the No. 2 spot in the preseason poll, while Dowling was awarded the No. 3 position.
C.W. Post captured the 2007 East Coast Conference tournament championship title with a 5-0 win over Dowling College in the finals. In the process, the Pioneers matched their single-season total wins record set in 1999 with 16 wins and advanced to the third round of the 2007 NCAA Championships before losing to West Chester, 5-3, in a penalty kick shoot-out.
The Pioneers hope to maintain their newly coveted position throughout the season under the direction of head coach Mark Dawson. They kick off their season in the Nike Kickoff Classic at Assumption College on Aug. 29 against The College of Saint Rose.
2008 Women’s Soccer Preseason Poll
1. C.W. Post
2. Bridgeport
3. Dowling
4. Adelphi
5. Queens
6. Molloy
7. NYIT
8. St. Thomas Aquinas
9. Mercy
10. Concordia
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Vanessa Moreira, JR, F, Dowling
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Anna Svensson, SO, D, C.W. Post