Ôªø Patriot League Women’s Soccer Conference Preview 2015

It was a two-horse race for the 2014 Patriots League title in 2014, with the regular season league winner being beaten by the No. 2. Are there more surprises in store for the 2015 season? Read on and find out. PRESEASON CONFERENCE RANKINGS

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Colgate

COACH: Cathy Brawn (25th year) 2014 RECORD: 14-3-2, (7-1-1 PL) IMPACT PLAYER: SR./GK. Brenna Mason OUTLOOK: The Raiders won their 12th regular season crown in 2014, but couldn't get it done for the second  time in as many years, falling to Boston University in the Patriot League Championship Game.  Now Colgate will gun for its 13th PL title, and 11th during the Kathy Brawn era. To do so, it returns 2014 Goalie of the Year  Brenna Mason, and a 2013 Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year in Sarah Coy, who led the Raiders with 18 points from eight goals and two assists in 2014.  Mason, will need to be spot in net if the Raiders want to return to its 16th title game appearance in the 25-year history of the league. [divider]

Boston U

COACH: Nancy Feldman (21st year) 2014 RECORD: 14.5-3, (6-1-2 PL) IMPACT PLAYER: SR./FOR. Jenna Fisher OUTLOOK: The 2014 Patriot League champs upset No. 1 seed Colgate on their way to earning a bid to the NCAA Tournament First Round. A total of  five Terriers earned a spot on the All-PL Team,  including 2014 Most Valuable Offensive Player Jenna Fisher, who will return in 2015. Fisher led the team with 17 points, including a team-high seven goals. In the midfield the Terriers will be led by Alexandra Cooper, who was key in helping her team hold opponents to under one goal per game in 2014. Finally, the BU defense will again be tough in 2015, with a backline anchored by 2014 Rookie of the Year Alivya Wimmer. Once again the Terriers look stacked and could find themselves vying for a second straight title in 2015. [divider]

Navy

COACH: Carin Gabarra (22nd year) 2014 RECORD: 12-4-5, (6-1-2 PL) IMPACT PLAYER: SO./FOR. Clare MacAdam OUTLOOK: Navy will feel the blow of losing Jade Seabrook, who will go down as the most decorated soccer player, male or female, in the history of the Patriot League.  Trying to fill that void will be young Clare MacAdam, who in her freshman season played all 21 games and finished with 14 points on six goals and two assists. Her six goals were tied for fourth best in the Patriot League. The Midshipman scored an average of 1.81 goals per game in 2014, and with all of their top helpers graduating, MacAdam will need the help of  Meghan Hegarty, who  started in 19 games as a midfielder in 2014.  With so many players graduating, the Midshipmen may need to settle for a better-than-average rebuilding year at best. [divider]

Army

COACH: Marci McDermott (3rd year) 2014 RECORD: 7-9-3, (4-2-3 PL) IMPACT PLAYER: SR./FOR. Katie Holder OUTLOOK: The Cadets finished fourth in the Patriot League in 2014, and went to the Patriot League Tournament  for the second season in a row since head coach Marcia McDermott took over. During a season of ups and downs, Army produced two All-Patriot League honorees in first-team selection Katie Holder and rookie third-team pick Clare Shea. Both will be relied upon to take the Cadets to the next level in 2015. Holder, Army's offensive leader in 2014, netted six goals, 12 points and three game winners as a starter in all 19 games. She will need to be on it, if the Cadets make any noise in 2015. [divider]

Bucknell

COACH: Kelly Kuss (1st year) 2014 RECORD: 10-9-2, (4-4-1 PL) IMPACT PLAYER: SO./FOR. Kendall Ham OUTLOOK: The Bison have a new coach in 2015. Kelly Kuss takes over a team that is coming off a 10-9-1 season and a berth in the Patriot League Tournament semifinals where they were eliminated by top-seeded Colgate. And while Kendall Ham, the Bison leading scorer from 2014 comes back, Bucknell is far from returning to its prior season's level in 2015, as they lose a solid core of support players from last season. [divider]

Loyola

COACH: Naomi Meiburger (2nd year) 2014 RECORD: 6-9-4, (2-3-4 PL) IMPACT PLAYER: SR./FOR. Charlotte Miller OUTLOOK: New Greyhounds’ coach Naomi Meiburger guided her team to its first-ever Patriot League Tournament match, facing the Naval Academy in the quarterfinals of the 2014 tournament. The end result was  a 4-1 loss. Loyola will not return its top scorer in 2015, and will have to make due with a very young squad that posses only five seniors. Among them All-Patriot League Second Team forward Charlotte Miller who tied for second on the team in points, recording two goals and four assists last season. It will be an interesting year for the Greyhounds, who should expect a lot of ups and downs. [divider]

Lehigh

COACH: Eric Lambinus (5th year) 2014 RECORD: 4-7-5, (2-3-4 PL) IMPACT PLAYER: SR./DEF. Paige Elliott OUTLOOK: The Mountain Hawks are trying to put a dismal 2014 season behind them, by wrapping up a strong spring, which included an undefeated record. Lehigh got a lot of highlights from its rising senior class this spring, which includes defender Paige Elliott. Elliott had a strong comeback season in 2014, starting 15 games as a key member of a defense which held opponents to just 16 goals in 16 games. That defense will be critical this year, if the Mountain Hawks want to build off a 2014 campaign, which saw the them post their longest-ever unbeaten streak to begin league play. They tied defending Patriot League champion Boston University and finished the season with six shutouts during that span. [divider]

Holy Cross

COACH: Darren Gallagher(7th year) 2014 RECORD: 10-5-3, (2-5-2 PL) IMPACT PLAYER: SO./FOR. Aly Spencer OUTLOOK:  In 2014, the Crusaders rolled up their most wins since 2000, and the third most in program history. Holy Cross also finished its non-conference slate undefeated with an 8-0-1 overall record . As a team, the Crusaders scored 27 goals and allowed only 15 goals, recording 10 shutouts. Holy Cross returns seven starters in 2015, including Rookie of the Year Aly Spencer, who recorded 11 goals and three assists for 25 total points to lead the team. The Crusaders also return their top goal scorers in senior Annie Galvin, sophomore Caitlin Harty, senior Sarah Price and sophomore Alex Weyrauch. With this line up, Holy Cross is the sleeper team of Patriot League in the upcoming season. [divider]

Lafayette

COACH: Mick Statham (10th year) 2014 RECORD: 5-11-1, (2-6-1 PL) IMPACT PLAYER: JR./GK. Danielle Sedillo OUTLOOK: The Leopards return seven starters from a team that performed about as good as its record indicates. If not for the effort  of  goalkeeper Danielle Sedillo, who made 64 saves on the season, Lafayette may have fallen to dead  last in the standings. There was also Kaelin King came through game after game, scoring three of the Leopards 15 goals on the year. Without much else to rely on, it's likely to be another long season for Lafayette. [divider]

American University

COACH: Anabel Hering (3rd year) 2014 RECORD: 3-15-0, (0-9-0 PL) IMPACT PLAYER: SR./GK. Charlene Belanger OUTLOOK: It's hard to win games when you don't score goals. That's exactly what happened to the Eagles, who scored just .7 goals per game in 2014. American will return nine starters from last season, including Danielle Beard and goalkeeper Charlene Belanger, who will play in their fifth years at AU. Belanger played in 15 games in 2014, allowing  26 total goals while making 77 saves. She also posted two shutouts. Meanwhile, Beard, played on a solid  backline in all 18 Eagles games last season, and will be expected to help keep opponents off the scoreboard this season if AU wants to improve on last year's record.