KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association announced its preseason coaches’ poll for the 2024 women’s soccer season.
MIAA head coaches selected Washburn, the defending MIAA regular season champion, to finish at the top of the league again this season. The Ichabods totaled 137 points and most first-place selections with nine to secure the top spot.
Washburn took its 2023 campaign all the way to the NCAA Division II National Championship match in Matthews, North Carolina where they suffered a 1-0 loss to Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.). The defending national runners-up ended with an overall record of 21-4-1 and clinched the 2023 regular season title with a league record of 9-1-1. It was the Ichabods first MIAA championship crown since 2006.
Central Missouri was picked second in the coaches’ poll with 131 total points and three first-place votes. After three consecutive regular season titles, the Jennies finished second in the league last season with a MIAA record of 8-1-2. Central Missouri finished 16-5-2 overall last season, concluding the year in the second round of the NCAA tournament with a 3-2 overtime loss to Washburn.
UNK, in its 15th year as a program, garnered 46 points to come in ahead of fist-year Pittsburg State, Missouri Southern and Newman. Third-year head coach Rob Breton has a squad featuring 14 upperclassmen, two All-MIAA players (seniors Dolcie Hanlon and Katie Pagel) and 10 newcomers including two Division I transfers. UNK went 3-13-2 (2-7-2) last season and finished 10th in the league standings with eight points.
The Lopers begins fall camp on Monday morning and has three scrimmages before starting the season Sept. 6 in South Dakota. The practice games are next Tuesday (Aug. 20) at Hastings College, Aug. 25 at Wayne State and Aug. 31 at home vs. Augustana.
The MIAA women’s soccer season officially kicks off Thursday, September 5. To view a complete schedule of all 13 MIAA programs, click here. The MIAA Tournament is scheduled to begin Sunday, November 10 with the top four seeds hosting quarterfinal matches at home. The four remaining seeds will then travel to Wichita, Kansas for the championship’s final matches set for November 14 and 16 at the Stryker Sports Complex.
2024 MIAA WOMEN’S SOCCER PRESEASON COACHES POLL
1. Washburn [9] – 137 points
2. Central Missouri [3] – 131 points
3. Fort Hays State – 112 points
4. Northwest Missouri – 99 points
5. Emporia State – 98 points
6. Missouri Western [1] – 86 points
7. Central Oklahoma – 82 points
8. Northeastern State – 77 points
9. Rogers State – 58 points
10. Nebraska Kearney – 46 points
11. Pittsburg State – 39 points
12. Newman – 29 points
13. Missouri Southern – 20 points
[#] – Number of First-Place Votes
