LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – Defending Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference champion West Chester University was selected to repeat that performance in 2010 as the league announced its preseason coaches’ poll Thursday morning.
West Chester (19-2-1, 11-1 PSAC East) claimed nine first-place tallies to outdistance runner-up California (Pa.), who garnered five first-place votes, in the preseason poll. Indiana (Pa.), who defeated West Chester in the second round of the NCAA Tournament a year ago, were picked third while Kutztown, who received the other first-place tally, were picked fourth. Gannon was tabbed fifth, and Mercyhurst and Slippery Rock tied for sixth in the preseason standings. Bloomsburg and East Stroudsburg tied for eighth, and Edinboro was 10th. Shippensburg was 11th, Millersville 12th, Lock Haven 13th, Mansfield 14th and Clarion 15th.
In 2010, the PSAC has gone to one single division in women’s soccer. In year’s past, the conference was split between East and West. West Chester has won the Eastern Division in each of the past five years, dating back to 2005. The last year that the PSAC was one single division (2003), West Chester tied Kutztown for the regular-season title. 2004 was the only year that West Chester didn’t win its division when the league was split into two factions.
The Golden Rams return all but two players off of last year’s club that was ranked as high as second in the country and eventually earned a first-round bye in the NCAA Tournament, after capturing their third conference postseason title in the last four years. Among the players coming back are All-America selections Lyndsie Bernardini in goal and Sarah Oswald up front at striker.
West Chester opens its 2010 slate at home on Thursday, Sept. 2 against Chestnut Hill. The Golden Rams then host WVIAC power West Virginia Wesleyan on Saturday at noon.
