Full Rankings
KANSAS CITY, Mo.- The United Soccer Coaches Association released its women's soccer preseason poll on Tuesday afternoon, and West Chester was ranked 16
th after another stellar season in 2021, which saw the Purple and Gold return to the NCAA Tournament and advance to the Atlantic Regional Final.
West Chester finished the 2021 season with a mark of 12-5-3 after defeating Charleston (W.V.) and Kutztown in the NCAA Tournament, which allowed the Golden Rams to make the trek to Athens, West Virginia, to face top-seed Concord in the NCAA Atlantic Region Tournament final in early December. This NCAA Tournament appearance marked the 18th year in a row in which West Chester has qualified for the NCAA Tournament, which is tied for the second longest active streak in Division II women's soccer, trailing only Franklin Pierce who qualified 19 years in a row from 1992-2010. The 2021 season also marked the third time in the last four appearances that West Chester has advanced to at least the Atlantic Region Tournament final. West Chester returns a number of key members of that 2021 Regional Final team, including its three leading goal scorers from a year ago in reigning PSAC East Rookie of the Year,
Kaitlynn Haughey (Philadelphia, Pa./Penn Charter), Julia Raybold (Elizabethtown, Pa./Elizabethtown), and Maggie Lena (Santa Monica, Cal./Santa Monica).
West Chester is the second highest ranked PSAC program appearing in the poll, trailing only Kutztown, who was picked 12
th in the preseason rankings as the only two PSAC programs appearing in the Preseason Top-25.
West Chester will open its 2022 season on Thursday, August 25th vs Jefferson beginning at 1 p.m. on Rockwell Field.
