CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Results of the 2022 American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) Women's Soccer Preseason Poll, as voted on by the league's head coaches:
| 2022 American Rivers Conference Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll |
| Rank |
School (1st place votes) |
Points |
2021 Record |
| 1. |
Loras (8) |
64 |
21-1-2 overall, 8-0 A-R-C (Conference Champions) |
| 2. |
Wartburg (1) |
54 |
15-4-1 overall, 7-1 A-R-C |
| 3. |
Simpson |
51 |
13-6-1 overall, 6-2 A-R-C |
| 4. |
Luther |
41 |
9-10 overall, 4-4 A-R-C |
| 5. |
Dubuque |
39 |
8-9 overall, 4-4 A-R-C |
| 6. |
Central |
29 |
9-8-1 overall, 3-5 A-R-C |
| 7. |
Nebraska Wesleyan |
19 |
5-11 overall, 2-6 A-R-C |
| 8. |
Coe |
18 |
3-14-1 overall, 2-6 A-R-C |
| 9. |
Buena Vista |
9 |
1-15 overall, 0-8 A-R-C |
The Loras College Duhawks, 2021 Conference Champions, are the coaches' choice to win the 2022 American Rivers Conference Women's Soccer title. Loras was chosen first on eight ballots (coaches do not vote on their own team) and earned 64 points to take the No. 1 ranking in the Coaches' Preseason Poll. Wartburg College, who finished second in 2021, were picked second and earned 54 points, taking one first-place vote. Simpson College garnered 51 points to earn third in the poll and the Luther College Norse tallied 41 points as the coaches' pick for fourth-place. Coming in as the fifth-place selection was the University of Dubuque with 39 points. Central College rounds out the top six with 29 points. Nebraska Wesleyan University finishes seventh, Coe College eighth, and Buena Vista University in ninth.
United Soccer Coaches/D3soccer.com Preseason Poll: At this time, no rankings have been dropped by D3soccer.com. Loras debuted at No. 3 in the United Soccer Coaches Division III preseason poll.
New Coaches:
- James Culotta, Coe College -- Culotta takes over the head coaching duties after serving as an assistant coach at Marian University in Wisconsin. Last fall, Culotta helped the program earn its most conference wins since 2012, while three players earned all-league honors. He brings seven years of coaching experience across various club, high school and college programs, including stops at UW-Platteville and Ohio Wesleyan University.
- Emily Ryan, Wartburg College -- Ryan comes to Wartburg from the University of Dubuque where she served as the assistant coach. Prior to joining the Spartans program, Ryan served as the head coach at UW-Platteville. In her time at UW-Platteville, the Pioneers had the program's best season in school history in 2018 with a program-high fourth-place regular season finish in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC). In 19 games, the Pioneers recorded 48 goals (a 21-goal improvement from the previous season), 30 assists, and five shutouts, while shattering four program records. Two Pioneers earned All-WIAC honors, and one was named United Soccer Coaches Third-Team All-North Region.
The Schedule: Buena Vista kicks off the 2022 season on Monday, August 29 when they travel to Yankton, South Dakota to take on Mount Marty from the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC). Thursday, September 1 will see seven more members of the league take the pitch for the start of the 2022 season. Simpson will host Illinois Wesleyan out of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) and Wartburg will travel to Northfield, Minnesota to take on St. Olaf out of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC). Central will play host to Augustana (Illinois) out of the CCIW while Luther travels to Carleton from the MIAC. Loras will host St. Norbert out of the Northern Athletic Collegiate Conference (NACC) and Dubuque will travel to Grinnell to take on the Pioneers out of the Midwest Conference. Nebraska Wesleyan will play host to Mount Marty to round out the contests on September 1. Coe will begin their 2022 campaign on Saturday, September 3 when they travel to face Grinnell.
The eight-game round robin American Rivers Conference schedule begins Saturday, September 24 with four games. Buena Vista will host Wartburg for the opening of league play, while Coe will travel to Indianola for a match-up with Simpson. Dubuque will make the trip to Decorah to kick off conference play against Luther and Loras is set to host Nebraska Wesleyan. Central begins league action on Saturday, October 1 with a road trip to the University of Dubuque.
Conference Tournament: At the conclusion of the regular season conference schedule, the top six teams move onto the 2022 American Rivers Conference Tournament. The tournament begins Saturday, October 39th with the 4/5 seeds and the 3/6 seeds meeting at the higher seeded home pitch. On Wednesday, November 2nd the winner of the 4/5 opening round game will travel to the No. 1 seed, while the 3/6 winner will make the trip to the No. 2 seed. The semifinal winners will face-off on Saturday, November 5th (at higher seed home venue) for the tournament title and the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
| 1st |
|
Loras College
Head Coach: Matt Pucci (7th season, 86-16-7)
2021 Record: 21-1-2 overall, 8-0 A-R-C
2021 Conference Finish: 1st
NCAA Tournament (Last Appearance/Total Appearances): 2021/15
Returning All-Conference: Payton McDonnell (2021 Defensive MVP, 2020, 2019 First Team, MF, Sr.), Abby Eriksen (2021, 2020, 2019 First Team, MF, Sr.), Olivia Lansing (2021, 2020 First Team, D, Sr.), Megan Wick (2021 First Team, GK, Sr.), Ryleigh O'Brien (2019 First Team, F, Sr.)
Starters Returning: 8
Starters Lost: 3
Matt Pucci - "We're excited to get going again!" |
| Players to Watch (Returners Only) |
2021 Statistics |
| Payton McDonnell - MF (Sr.) |
24-of-24 games started // 4-goals // 24-assists // 1-game winner |
| Abby Eriksen - MF (Sr.) |
23 games started // 11-goals // 3-assists // 4-game winners |
| Olivia Lansing - D (Sr.) |
24-of-24 games started // 1-goal // 1-assist // 1-game winner |
| Megan Wick - GK (Sr.) |
562 minutes played // 16-saves // 6-0 record |
| Ryleigh O'Brien - F (Sr.) |
9-goals // 4-assists // 4-game winners |
| 2nd |
|
Wartburg College
Head Coach: Emily Ryan (1st season)
2021 Record: 15-4-1 overall, 7-1 A-R-C
2021 Conference Finish: 2nd
NCAA Tournament (Last Appearance/Total Appearances): 2021/9
Returning All-Conference: Kate Luers (2019, 2020, 2021, F, Sr.), Sarah Campbell (2019, 2020, 2021, D, Sr.), Gabby Corday (2019, 2020, 2021, MF, Sr.), Joy Smith (2019, 2020, 2021, F, Sr.), Katie Berglund (2020, 2021, F, Sr.), Marissa Lopez (2018, 2020, 2021, GK, Sr.)
Starters Returning: 8
Starters Lost: 3
Emily Ryan - "We have some great experience returning to Wartburg this fall, and they are a great group of returners leading the way into the season. We are excited to get rolling. The conference continues to get stronger, and we are looking forward to a competitive season." |
| Players to Watch (Returners Only) |
2021 Statistics |
| Marissa Lopez - GK (Sr.) |
19-of-20 games started // 77-saves // .648-GAA |
| Kate Luers - F (Sr.) |
18-games started // 9-goals // 3-assists // 3-game winners |
| Joy Smith - F (Sr.) |
20-of-20 games started // 12-goals // 2-assists // 5-game winners |
| Sarah Campbell - D (Sr.) |
19-games started // 5-goals // 4-assists |
| Gabby Corday - MF (Sr.) |
19-of-20 games started // 4-goals // 1-assist // 2-game winners |
| 3rd |
|
Simpson College
Head Coach: Jeremy Reinert (4th Season, 31-24-7)
2021 Record: 13-6-1 overall, 6-2 A-R-C
2021 Conference Finish: 3rd
NCAA Tournament (Last Appearance/Total Appearances): 1999/1
Returning All-Conference: Megan Roberts (2019, 2020 Honorable Mention, 2021 First Team, F, Sr.), Cassie Nash (2020, 2021 First Team, F, Sr.), Abby Cozzoni (2020 Honorable Mention, 2021 First Team, D, Sr.), Lizzie Arnburg (2020 Honorable Mention, 2021 First Team, D, Sr.), Brenny Frederick (2021 Honorable Mention, GK, Jr.), Brooklin Froehlich (2019 Honorable Mention, D, Sr.)
Starters Returning: 10
Starters Lost: 1
Jeremy Reinert - "We feel that we have a team capable of winning a championship this season. That being said, there is so much talent across the league, there will be several teams capable of that accomplishment. It's going to be a tight race in one of the strongest DIII conferences in the nation." |
| Players to Watch (Returners Only) |
2021 Statistics |
| Hailey Kowzan - MF (Jr.) |
18-of-20 games started // 5-goals // 7-assists |
| Cambri Mason - MF (Sr.) |
908-minutes // 1-goal // 1-assist |
| Maddie Hays - D (So.) |
19-of-20 games started // 5-goals // 1-assist // 2-game winners |
| Julia Wagoner - MF (Jr.) |
19-games played // 1-goal |
| Brenny Frederick - GK (Jr.) |
18-games started // 72-saves // .783 SV% // 4-shutouts |
| 4th |
|
Luther College
Head Coach: Hollie Gray III (3rd season, 13-14)
2021 Record: 9-10 overall, 4-4 A-R-C
2021 Conference Finish: t-4th
NCAA Tournament (Last Appearance/Total Appearances): 2016/1
Returning All-Conference: Ella Smith (2021 First Team, D, Sr.), Maggie Haller (2021 First Team, F, Jr.), Emma Lin (2021 Honorable Mention, MF, Jr.)
Starters Returning: 8
Starters Lost: 3
Hollie Gray III - "This season is sure to be an extremely competitive one as the conference as a whole returns a lot of talent. We return a group of extremely competitive and motivated players along with the addition of quality new faces who are ready to drive our program forward towards new heights." |
| Players to Watch (Returners Only) |
2021 Statistics |
| Ella Smith - D (Sr.) |
18-of-19 games started // 1-goal // 5-SOG |
| Emma Lin - MF (Jr.) |
19-of-19 games started // 1-goal // 2-assists // 11-SOG |
| Maggie Haller - F (Jr.) |
15-games played // 13-goals // 5-assists // 5-game winners |
| 5th |
|
University of Dubuque
Head Coach: Jason Berna (22nd season, 218-149-28)
2021 Record: 8-9 overall, 4-4 A-R-C
2021 Conference Finish: t-4th
NCAA Tournament (Last Appearance/Total Appearances): 2014/2
Returning All-Conference: Brooke Brodzinski (2021/20 First Team, 2020 OMVP, 2019 Honorable Mention, F, Sr.), Baylee Vincent (2020 First Team, 2021 Honorable Mention, MF, Sr.), Emma Kober (2021 Honorable Mention, F, Jr.)
Starters Returning: 5
Starters Lost: 6
Jason Berna - "Going to be another competitive year in the A-R-C and our conference will be tough top to bottom!" |
| Players to Watch (Returners Only) |
2021 Statistics |
| Brooke Brodzinski - F (Sr.) |
13-games played // 3-goals // 6-assists |
| Baylee Vincent - MF (Sr.) |
10-games started // 5-goals // 8-SOG // 2-game winners |
| Virginia Speltz - D (So.) |
None available |
| Emma Kober - F (Jr.) |
17-of-17 games started // 7-goals // 3-assists // 3-game winners |
| Samantha Scodeller - MF (So.) |
6-games started // 3-goals // 1-assist // 6-SOG |
| 6th |
|
Central College
Head Coach: Michael Kobylinski (12th season, 111-64-19)
2021 Record: 9-8-1 overall, 3-5 A-R-C
2021 Conference Finish: 6th
NCAA Tournament (Last Appearance/Total Appearances): 0
Returning All-Conference: Abby Frey (2021 Honorable Mention, MF, Jr.), Kaitlyn Isom (2021 Honorable Mention, D, Jr.)
Starters Returning: 7
Starters Lost: 4
Michael Kobylinksi - "We are excited to compete in one of the toughest leagues in the nation. We feel we have a great nucleus of talented players returning combined with a very promising incoming class. We have some wonderful leadership on this team who are ready to enjoy this season on and off the field." |
| Players to Watch (Returners Only) |
2021 Statistics |
| Abby Frey - MF (Jr.) |
14-games played // 4-goals // 5-assists // 3-game winners |
| Kaitlyn Isom - D (Jr.) |
17-of-18 games started // 2-goals // 13-SOG |
| Rachel Daniels - MF (Sr.) |
18-of-18 games started // 3-goals // 2-assists |
| Bridget Lynch - D/MF (Sr.) |
13-games played // 1-goal // 2-SOG |
| Alyssa Knuth - D (Sr.) |
18-of-18 games started // 1-goal // 2-assists // 4-SOG |
| Grace Coates - F (So.) |
17-games played // 8-goals // 1-assist // 4-game winners |
| 7th |
|
Nebraska Wesleyan University
Head Coach: Jen Dyson (5th season, 27-28 record)
2021 Record: 5-11 overall, 2-6 A-R-C
2021 Conference Finish: 7th
NCAA Tournament (Last Appearance/Total Appearances): 0
Returning All-Conference: None
Starters Returning: 6
Starters Lost: 5
Jen Dyson - "I am looking forward to seeing this new team compete after graduating a large, impactful group. Conference play is always something to look forward to in knowing each and every game is a battle in the American Rivers Conference!" |
| Players to Watch (Returners Only) |
2021 Statistics |
| Megan Cooper - F (Sr.) |
15-of-16 games started // 2-goals // 2-assists / 8-SOG |
| Hannah Rhodes - MF (Sr.) |
None available |
| 8th |
|
Coe College
Head Coach: James Culotta (1st season)
2021 Record: 3-14-1 overall, 2-6 A-R-C
2021 Conference Finish: 8th
NCAA Tournament (Last Appearance/Total Appearances): 1997/1
Returning All-Conference: None
Starters Returning: 6
Starters Lost: 5
James Culotta - "We are excited to get going this year and establish our new culture and playing style. We have a group that has been committed to the process and want to push on and improve. We know the A-R-C is a quality conference with strong opponents, but we are embracing that challenge and looking forward to playing our best soccer in October." |
| Players to Watch (Returners Only) |
2021 Statistics |
| Alyssa Costantino - D (Sr.) |
16-games started // 1,415 minutes |
| Bri Ellsworth - F (Sr.) |
17-games played // 2-assists |
| Amanda Hiebert - F (Jr.) |
12-games played // 3-goals // 1-assist // 6-SOG |
| 9th |
|
Buena Vista University
Head Coach: Benton Frayne (4th season, 3-38)
2021 Record: 1-15 overall, 0-8 A-R-C
2021 Conference Finish: 9th
NCAA Tournament (Last Appearance/Total Appearances): 0
Returning All-Conference: None
Starters Returning: 5
Starters Lost: 6
Benton Frayne - "Excited for the upcoming season with 14 new athletes from last year's squad. We are going to miss our senior leadership from last season, but we believe in our group for the 2022 season." |
| Players to Watch (Returners Only) |
2021 Statistics |
| Maddie Burr - D (Jr.) |
14-games started // 1,061 minutes |
| Amanda Brich - F (Jr.) |
14-games started // 1-goal // 7-SOG |
