West Chester Selected Second in the East Division of the PSAC

KUTZTOWN, Pa. – On the heels of an 11-2 season and a second straight NCAA playoff berth, West Chester University was selected to finish in second place in the Eastern Division of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) in a poll of the head coaches in the league.

The announcement came during PSAC Media Day for the Eastern Division schools inside the Georgian Room on the campus of Kutztown University Monday afternoon. Two-time defending Eastern Division champion, Bloomsburg, was chosen to finish in first place in the preseason poll. The Huskies finished 9-0 in the PSAC in 2014. East Stroudsburg and Shippensburg were picked to tie for third while the host of media day, Kutztown, was slated fifth. In a tie for sixth place, Lock Haven and Millersville followed with Cheyney rounding out the East in eighth.

Coming off a 9-2 season, Gannon was selected to win the West after finishing in second last season. The PSAC Championship Game, which features the winners of each division, will take place during the last week of the regular season. In 2014, Slippery Rock defeated Bloomsburg to take home the conference title.

The Purple & Gold were chosen as runners-up in the PSAC preseason poll. The Golden Rams last won the Eastern Division in 2008 when they fell to California, Pa., in the PSAC Championship Game. West Chester's 18 PSAC titles is tied with rival Bloomsburg for the most in conference history.

"Yeah, we are excited," said head coach Bill Zwaan, who enters his 13th season at the helm. "I don't think the spring went quite as we had hoped. We had a lot of guys out with injuries. I want to see us comeback and, right from the get-go, be enthusiastic and fight hard in practice and push each other to get back to the level that our practices have been the last couple of years."

"I'm too excited," said senior wide receiver/running back Eddie Elliott (Bethlehem, Pa./Freedom). "We have younger kids looking up to the seniors, and you have to be the best example you can be for those players."

"I think our defense will be pretty good this year," said senior defensive back Brandon Pepper (Levittown, Pa./Pennsbury). "We have a strong front seven. Even though we lose a couple of good linebackers, we have some guys who have been waiting to play. Yeah, we lose Al-Hajj Shabazz, and replacing somebody of his caliber is tough. But, we have a lot of guys with experience in the backfield that are ready to step up."

West Chester commences the 2015 campaign coming off its second-straight appearance in the NCAA playoffs, compiling 11 wins and a postseason win over Slippery Rock.

West Chester was ranked 16th nationally in Lindy's Preseason Rankings and 18th by The Sporting News. The Golden Rams open its 2015 season at home against Lenoir-Rhyne University on Thursday, Sept. 3 at 6 p.m. for a non-conference matchup with the Bears at John A. Farrell Stadium. That game will be aired live on SportsFever TV Network and carried nationwide on ESPN3.
 
PSAC East Division Preseason Poll
1.    Bloomsburg
2.    West Chester
T-3. East Stroudsburg
T-3. Shippensburg
5.     Kutztown
T-6.  Lock Haven
T-6.  Millersville
8.     Cheyney
 
PSAC West Division Preseason Poll
1. Gannon
2. Slippery Rock
3. Mercyhurst
4. California
5. IUP
6. Seton Hill
7. Edinboro
8. Clarion