Centennial Conference Preseason Poll
HAVERFORD, Pa. – The Haverford College women's soccer team was selected fifth overall in the Centennial Conference preseason poll. The Fords, who finished fourth a season ago and return nine of their 11 starters from that team, received 68 points in the voting among conference coaches. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams.
Johns Hopkins was picked as the preseason favorite with eight first-place votes. McDaniel received the final three first-place votes and was second in the poll as Swarthmore received 83 voting points to fill the third position. Gettysburg, the team which defeated Haverford in penalty kicks during the Centennial Conference first round matchup last fall, just edged out the Fords for the fourth position with 70 points.
Haverford finished the 2016 season with a 10-4-4 overall record, including a 4-3-2 mark against conference competition. The Fords have won at least 10 games in seven of the past eight seasons and made their first trip to the postseason since the 2013 NCAA Tournament last year.
The Fords had one of the strongest defensive units in the conference a season ago, allowing just 1.50 goals per game. However, they will have to cope with the graduation losses of second-team All-Centennial Conference defender Abby Letts '16 and goalie Kathy Prescott '16 who highlighted that class of six players. However, the Fords do return second-team All-CC performers Katie Safter and Kendra Griesman as part of a strong nucleus ready to continue the push up the conference standings.
Home field advantage last season was a real factor for the Fords as they went 7-1-2 on Walton Field. Walton Field will serve as host to nine women's games during the regular season this fall, including all three games against the top three picks in the conference preseason poll. Each of those three teams represented the Centennial Conference in the NCAA Tournament last year.
Women's soccer opens its season on Saturday, September 2 against nationally-ranked Arcadia as part of the annual Haverford College Kick Off Classic. The Fords start Centennial Conference play on Saturday, September 23 with a trip to Franklin & Marshall.