ALBANY – The College of Saint Rose women’s soccer team is ranked #3 in the 2010 NSCAA/Adidas NCAA Division II preseason poll. The Golden Knights have now been ranked among the nation’s top-10 squads in the preseason for three consecutive years. Saint Rose was ranked #4 a year ago and #9 at this juncture in 2008.
Defending national champion Grand Valley State (MI) stands atop the preseason rankings followed by West Florida. Cal State Dominguez Hills and Carson-Newman (TN) are ranked fourth and fifth respectively. Northeast-10 Conference rival Franklin Pierce stands at #11.
Ten starters are among 20 returning letterwinners from last year’s 24-1 Saint Rose club that fell one victory shy of setting an NCAA II single-season record. The Golden Knights were also ranked as high as #2 in the country for six consecutive weeks, advanced to their second consecutive national semifinal, and finished third in the country with a 0.357 team goals-against-average.
Saint Rose furthermore became only the third team in NE-10 history (1985) to win three consecutive postseason league championships. The Golden Knights were the seventh team to post an unblemished conference record last season, but the first to register a 15-win (15-0) total.
Additionally, 15th-year head coach Laurie Darling Gutheil was named the 2009 NSCAA/Mondo National Coach of the Year. In the past eight seasons, she has led Saint Rose a 135-27-14 record and seven NCAA Tournament appearances. The Golden Knights have also been recognized by the NSCAA for academic excellence throughout each of the past 10 seasons.
Looking ahead, Saint Rose will play its inaugural campaign on the Dr. R. Mark and Kathleen Sullivan Field at the Plumeri Sports Complex this fall. The Golden Knights will christen their new home on Friday, September 3 when Holy Family visits for a 4:00 pm match. Mercy arrives on Monday, September 6 for a 1:00 pm Labor Day matinee. Saint Rose then begins its quest towards a fourth straight conference postseason title with an encounter at UMass Lowell on Friday, September 10. The Golden Knights visit Franklin Pierce on Saturday, October 23 at 12:00 pm in Rindge, NH.
2010 NSCAA/Adidas Preseason Poll