United Soccer Coaches Preseason Top 25 Poll

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Colorado School of Mines women's soccer will open the 2019 season at #15 in the United Soccer Coaches' Preseason Division II poll.

The Orediggers, who were #13 in preseason a year ago before spending the entire regular season in the top 10, went 19-1-2 in 2018 which included a perfect 13-0-0 RMAC record. Mines won the RMAC regular-season and tournament double as they advanced to their 11th consecutive NCAA Tournament.

It marks the eighth consecutive season that Mines has been ranked in the preseason poll. Since the start of the 2013 season, the Orediggers have been nationally ranked in 64 of a possible 72 polls, including every poll of 2018.

Two of Mines' 2019 regular-season opponents appear in the preseason top-25 with Western Washington, who visits Stermole Stadium on Sept. 25, checking in at #11 and RMAC foe UCCS, who comes to town Oct. 18, at #24 in a rematch of the 2018 RMAC Tournament final. Other notable ranked teams include #1 Grand Valley State and South Central regional teams West Texas A&M at #10 and Dallas Baptist at #17.

Head Coach Kevin Fickes brings back key players all over the field including leading returning scorer Nicole LaTourette (8G, 2A in 2018) and all-American goalkeeper Shannon Mooney (0.38 GAA, .860 SV%). Although the Orediggers will have holes to fill on defense and in the midfield, they return six players with starting experience in outside backs Lindsey Tornabene and Mickey Hostetler, center back Samantha Scott, and midfielders Giselle Sawaged, Chaney Brugman, and Emma Peterson; up front Mines will have returning goalscorers in Kaylee Kennedy, Eliot Edwards, Audrey Shin, and Meg Zimmerman to pair with LaTourette. Mines will also mix nine freshmen and three rising redshirt freshmen into the squad this year.

Mines opens the season at home Sept. 6 against Chico State at 7 p.m.