AMCC Women's Soccer Preseason Poll

2008 WOMEN'S SOCCER
PRESEASON COACHES' POLL

FROSTBURG STATE CHOSEN
TO REGAIN AMCC TITLE

Frostburg State University has been selected by the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference coaches to win their sixth league title in 2008. Penn State Behrend, the two-time defending champion, was ranked #2, with Medaille College at #3. Frostburg State and Penn St. Behrend have each won five AMCC crowns. The Bobcats' last title came in the 2005 campaign.

Preseason Player of the Year honors were awarded to Penn State Behrend midfielder Nikki Frisbee (Valencia, PA/Mars). The senior captain was the AMCC Player of the Year in 2007, leading her team to the league championship for the second straight year. Frisbee was Behrend's best scorer last season, and ranked #4 in goals (12) and points (27) in the AMCC.

This season the conference welcomes Franciscan University of Steubenville to its ranks; the Barons are entering year two of NCAA provisional membership. The AMCC kicks off conference play on Saturday, September 27, and the championship will be Saturday, November 8, hosted by the number #1 seed. The winner will receive the AMCC's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

AMCC WOMEN'S SOCCER POLL
2008 Preseason Rankings*

1. Frostburg State (2)
2. Penn State Behrend (1)
3. Medaille (4)
4. Penn State Altoona (3)
5. La Roche (5)
6. Pitt-Greensburg (6)
7. Pitt-Bradford (8)
8. Hilbert (9)
9. Franciscan (N/A)
10. Mount Aloysius (10)

* Number in parentheses is order of regular season finish in 2007

Preseason Player of the Year
NIKKI FRISBEE, PENN ST. BEHREND

FRANCISCAN UNIVERSITY Head Coach Patrick Doering (5th year) 2007: 7-8-2 overall
Senior M Kendra Evangelho (New Bedford, CA/Bullard)...Team MVP in 2006, setting a school record for goals scored with 17...returned late in the 2007 season from an injury to contribute 4 goals and 4 assists...senior captain. Junior D Tana Vyvlecka (Kearney, NE/Home schooled)...Last season's co-MVP with 2 goals as a defensive leader...team captain in 2007
FROSTBURG STATE UNIVERSITY Head Coach Brian Parker (7th year) 2007: 8-1 AMCC, 16-5-1 overall
Sophomore F Lauren Russell (Waldorf, MD/Westlake)...AMCC Newcomer of the Year scored 8 goals in league play against 5 different opponents to rank second in AMCC goals and points per game...13 goals on the season with 7 assists...first team All-AMCC, NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region second team last season. Junior M Lauren Lentine (Princeton, NJ/West Windsor-Plainsboro North)...Scored 6 goals with 3 assists as a center mid in 2007...All-AMCC honorable mention in 2007.
HILBERT COLLEGE Head Coach James Ruggiero (10th year) 2007: 1-6-2 AMCC, 4-12-2 overall
Senior F/M Tricia Knight (Sardinia, NY/Pioneer)...Two-time all-conference selection...started all 18 games last season...Hawks' leading scorer with 9 goals and 6 assists as central midfielder. Junior M Maggie Fage (Delmar, NY/Bethlehem)...Team Leader...started all 18 games...marks key central player on the opponent side...contribute 1 goal and 2 assists as a defending midfielder...selected to all- conference sportsmanship team.
LA ROCHE COLLEGE Head Coach Miguel Lozano (12th year) 2007: 5-4 AMCC, 11-8-1 overall
Junior D Jessica Leo (Freedom, PA/Ambridge)...First team all-conference defender last season. Junior F LaRissa Pallone (Pittsburgh, PA/Perry)...Led the Redhawks in scoring last year with 10 goals and 6 assists (26 points)...second team all-AMCC in 2007.
MEDAILLE COLLEGE Head Coach Matt Andrews (1st year) 2007: 6-3 AMCC, 14-6-1 overall
Junior F Danielle Radlich (Clarence, NY/Clarence)...First team all-conference and first team D3Kicks.com all-region selection last season...led the AMCC in points (54), goals (23), and shots (124), and was second in assists (8)...team captain. Sophomore M Katie Bush (Jamestown, NY/Jamestown)...Second team all-conference in 2007...ranked second on the team in points (23), goals (9), assists (5) and shots (37).
MOUNT ALOYSIUS COLLEGE Head Coach TBA (1st year) 2007: 0-9 AMCC, 1-15 overall
Junior M Emily Baer (Meyersdale, PA/Meyersdale)...Team’s leading scorer in 2007 with 4 goals.
PENN STATE ALTOONA Head Coach Tim Wassell (2nd year) 2007: 6-2-1 AMCC, 13-6-1 overall
Sophomore D Amanda Ebersole (Sunbury, PA/Skikellamy)...First team all-AMCC defender as a freshman...started 19 games. Sophomore M Natalie Sheehan (Johnstown, PA/Westmont Hilltop)...Appeared in 14 games in her first season, scoring 6 goals and adding 2 assists...named to All-AMCC honorable mention team.
PENN STATE BEHREND Head Coach Patrick O'Driscoll (5th year) 2007: 8-0-1 AMCC, 11-7-3 overall
Senior M Nikki Frisbee (Valencia, PA/Mars)...2007 AMCC Player of the Year...team captain...led the Behrend Lions to the conference title last season...Behrend's scoring leader and ranked #4 in goals (12) and points (27) in the AMCC. Junior GK Kayla Frost (Ventia, PA/Peters Twp.)...First team All-AMCC last year...three-time AMCC Goalkeeper of the Week and two-time ECAC Goalkeeper of the Week...led the conference with 9 shutouts and ranked #2 in save percentage (.813).
PITT-BRADFORD Head Coach Mike Idland (1st year) 2007: 2-7 AMCC, 3-13-1 overall
Senior F Jordan Ercolani (Larksville, PA/Wyoming Valley West)...The Panthers' scoring leader last season with 8 goals and 2 assists (18 points)...second team All-Conference in 2007.
PITT-GREENSBURG Head Coach Harry Jennings (1st year) 2007: 4-5 AMCC, 6-13-1 overall
Senior M Haley Gearhart (Apollo, PA/Kiski)... Scored 2 goals and 1 assist in the 2007 season. Sophomore M Colleen Burick (Erie, PA/Iroquois)...The Bobcats' second leading scorer last season with 3 goals and 3 assists.