Great Midwest Athletic Conference women's soccer head coaches believe Ashland University's side will be the one to earn the league's title this fall.
The 2024 Great Midwest Athletic Conference women's soccer coaches preseason poll was announced on Wednesday (Aug. 14) afternoon, and the No. 9-ranked Eagles are the league favorite in 2024 after receiving nine first-place votes and 130 voting points.
Northwood is slotted at No. 2 (two first-place votes, 121 voting points), while Cedarville is third (one first-place vote, 116 voting points).
The Eagles in 2023 finished with a 19-1-4 overall record and an 11-0-3 mark in the Great Midwest. The 19 wins tied a program record, and the team earned 19 shutouts in 24 games.
Ashland also reached the Sweet 16 of NCAA Division II, hosting three NCAA postseason games at Ferguson Field in the process. For six weeks last fall, the Eagles were the top-ranked team in the United Soccer Coaches (USC) poll for the first time in program history.
Fourth-year head coach
Cayleb Paulino returns all seven of the all-league honorees from a fall ago – Defensive Player of the Year and first-team senior midfielder
Merrik Mihalek, fellow first-teamers
Julianna Williams (senior defender),
Dani Hicks (junior forward) and
Mackenzie Simon (fifth-year goalkeeper), and second-teamers
Myah Giordullo (senior defender),
McKinley Mendenhall (senior forward), and
Allison King (fifth-year forward).
Ashland will go to The Ohio State University on Aug. 25 at 6 p.m. for an exhibition game, then open the 2024 season at No. 7 Grand Valley State on Sept. 5 at 3 p.m.
2024 GREAT MIDWEST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE WOMEN'S SOCCER COACHES PRESEASON POLL
(first-place votes in parenthesis)
| PLACE / TEAM |
VOTING POINTS |
| 1. ASHLAND UNIVERSITY (9) |
130 |
| 2. Northwood (2) |
121 |
| 3. Cedarville (1) |
116 |
| 4. Findlay |
101 |
| 5. Thomas More |
90 |
| 6. Walsh |
83 |
| 7. Ohio Dominican |
78 |
| 8. Tiffin |
62 |
| T9.Ursuline |
42 |
| T9. Malone |
42 |
| 11.Lake Erie |
37 |
| 12. Kentucky Wesleyan |
34 |
