Women’s soccer picked third in Horizon poll

((Contributed by Wright State Sports Information))

Currently under construction, Wright State's new soccer field is on schedule to be ready for the 2011 season.

The Wright State women’s soccer team was picked third in the Horizon League Preseason Poll, which was released Friday by the league office. Voting was conducted by the nine head coaches in the league.

The Raiders, under seventh-year head coach Pat Ferguson, finished 11-9 overall last season, marking their sixth straight season with 10 or more wins, and tied for third in the league standings with a mark of 5-3.

11-time regular-season champion Milwaukee, who has also won the last three tournament titles, was the preseason pick with Butler second and the Raiders third. The rest of the poll had Detroit fourth followed by Cleveland State, Loyola, Valparaiso, Green Bay and Youngstown State.

The Raiders return 17 letterwinners from last year’s squad, led by two 2010 First Team All-Horizon League selections in senior forward Brittany Persaud and junior defender Lauren Patterson.  Persaud, who was also named Second Team All-Great Lakes Region, led the squad with six goals and 10 assists, with the 10 assists tying her with Sharon Roscoe (2001) for the most ever by a WSU player in a season.  Patterson, who was also chosen to the league’s All-Tournament Team, scored four goals, two of those game-winners.

Senior forward Bekah Bonny, who recorded three goals and two assists last season, was named Second Team All-Horizon League and sophomore goalkeeper Brooke McCurdy was chosen to the All-Newcomer Team as she posted 1.30 goals against average with 86 saves.

Persaud and McCurdy were a part of the inaugural Dayton Dutch Lions FC Women’s W-League team this summer along with senior forward Morgan Butler, senior midfielder Jen Agueci and sophomore midfielder Sarah Gross.

Wright State opens the exhibition portion of its schedule on Saturday as the Raiders visit IPFW for a 6:00 contest.  WSU then heads to Miami on Friday, August 12, for a 4:00 match before opening the regular-season on Friday, August 19, for another 4:00 game at Ohio.  The home opener for WSU is on Sunday, August 21, against Canisius starting at 1:00.

The following is the 2011 preseason Horizon League women’s soccer poll:
2011 PRESEASON HORIZON LEAGUE WOMEN’S SOCCER POLL