REDLANDS, Calif. - The Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Women's Soccer Preseason Polls were announced this week, which were voted upon by the league's member head coaches.
The University of Redlands, who finished 5th in the final 2021 SCIAC polls, are slated to land in 6th place here in 2022 after accumulating 38 points. They trail Occidental College (5th – 45 Points) and Claremont-M-S (4th – 51 Points). The Bulldogs though have a sizable advantage over the bottom three teams, which include Whittier College (7th – 38 Points), University of La Verne (8th – 23 Points), and Caltech (9th – 11 Points).
The Maroon and Grey look to replace their lone All-SCIAC representative in Eva Vlassopoulos (1st Team). Vlassopoulos, who is now playing professionally in Greece was also named to the United Soccer Coaches All-West Region 2nd Team. Last year she led the team in scoring (8) with the 10th most single-season goals in program history, totaled 17 points, 53 shots, 26 shots on goal, and was tied with Peyton Fendrich and Nolan Mendonca in game-winning goals (2). Vlassopoulos ended her career tied for seventh in career goals (20), tied for ninth in career points (48), and ninth in the 10 goal/5 assist club (20/8).
Moving into 2022 the Bulldogs return three of their top four goal scorers (Fendrich, Malia Kuhl, and Tori Zielinski), their top three assisters (Sami Salinas, Kuhl, and Fendrich), and their starting goalkeeper Courtney Stewart who led the U of R in minutes (1,118:44), saves (71), and wins (6).
The 2022 SCIAC women's soccer season is set to begin the weekend of September 1 with all nine programs in action. Conference action is set to begin September 14 with four SCIAC matches.
2022 SCIAC Women's Soccer Preseason Poll
1. Pomona-Pitzer, 81 points (9)
2. Cal Lutheran, 72 points
3. Chapman, 55 points
4. CMS, 51 points
5. Occidental, 45 points
6. Redlands, 38 points
7. Whittier, 29 points
8. La Verne, 23 points
9. Caltech, 11 points
Note: (first-place votes)