Go to 2007 Preseason Rankings   2007 PRESEASON TOP 20 OVERVIEW #1 North Carolina (27-1 in 2006) With nine mostly healthy starters back, most would agree UNC is an easy pick as huge favorites to repeat as national champions. Yet, question marks loom and there is plenty of wiggle room for the other title contenders to sneak in and snatch the championship out of Chapel Hill. Coach Anson Dorrance must fill big offensive shoes with the departure of Honda Award winner Heather O'Reilly. Sophomore Noguiera must develop a more active role if she steps into a starting spot and rookie sensation Rachel Givan could be saddled with great pressure to score up top. The loss of midfielder Ali Hawkins to an ACL injury is an unexpected gap, but Alli Long's transfer from Penn State is an immediate band-aid. The defensive unit, which gave up just thirteen goals in nearly thirty games in 2006, is concrete even with starter Robin Gayle likely missing most of September while playing in the World Cup for Canada. Heath, Washington, Eveland, Noguiera, Harris, Smith, and Engen are now super sophs, a reminder to all that this Carolina team is still young and will need new motivation to repeat as national champs. #2 UCLA L.A. is home to major stars and the UCLA soccer program adds to that star mix with players like Kara Lang, Lauren Cheney, Danesha Adams, Christina DiMartino and Valerie Henderson all having made noise internationally on the pitch. Lang's hopeful return after Canada's play in September's World Cup should really get this squad moving at nuclear strength. The nation's top recruiting class will mostly benefit the defense in 2007 with Barnes and Wright getting early chances to show their stuff. The Bruins were shutout only twice in '06 and newcomers Sweetman and Castaneda will deepen the scoring front of DiMartino-Adams-Cheney and possibly Lang who could play anywhere on the field. Coach Ellis again must switch hats from her youth team responsibilities and try to find a way for her UCLA squad to earn that elusive NCAA title after four straight trips to the College Cup. #3 Notre Dame It's hard to forget the agony and emotions in the faces of Kerri Hanks and her teammates as the 2006 NCAA Championship wound down as Notre Dame lost to UNC. No doubt the returning Irish want that chance all over again and, with their top four scorers back, this team will be as explosive as ever. Hanks and Michelle Weissenhofer may be the best 1-2 punch in America with Cinalli back in tow and freshman Rose Augustin certain to add to the Notre Dame scoring machine. The defensive half will need some attention but a healthy Carrie Dew should team with Clark, Jones and Ford as rookie Stephanie Sohn will also jockey for a role. Coach Waldrum has two big midfield losses in Buczkowski and Krivacek so expect some shuffling from the bench and some quick minutes for rookies Lauren Fowlkes and Erica Iantorno. For fans who love fast play and high scoring attacks, this Notre Dame addition will not disappoint. The key will be getting the defense and midfield enough experience to nail down another NCAA title. #4 Portland Come Sept 1, look no further than Portland if you want to see three of the best players in the college game-Megan Rapinoe, Angie Woznuk and Michelle Enyeart. Oh yea...check back in October when perhaps the best player in college will finally be suiting up for the Pilots as senior Stephanie Lopez returns from her stint at the World Cup with the USA. With his top six scorers back plus solid striker Jessica Tsao among the top recruits, Coach Smith will be able to focus on the defense which loses keeper Alexander and back Evans. Redshirt UCLA transfer Kelsey Davis is the probable choice in goal but freshman Hailee DeYoung has all the skills to start. Rookies Jackman, Kelly and possibly Winters may all see some time in back until Lopez returns which should only strenthen this talented team come postseason. This experienced squad, with seven seniors, also returns explosive striker Chandhoke and gets one of the top midfielders in the class of '07, Elli Reed. The Pilots posted over 60 goals last year and should be even more productive this fall. That spells big trouble for the rest of the west coast and gives fans of the purple crusaders a big reason to think NCAA Championship in 2007. #5 Texas A&M The Aggies were painstakingly close to making their first College Cup appearance in 2006 but fell in the final moments to UNC in one of the greatest college games ever to be played. Despite the loss, excitement should abound in College Station as a senior class that was ranked as the nation's top recruiting group back in 2004 is more primed than ever for a College Cup showing. Coach Guerrieri returns All-Americans Ashlee Pistorius and Amy Berend, but must replace three of his top six scorers. Nine returning starters and several key substitutes should keep this program among the Top 10. Freshmen Rachel Shipley and Whitney Hooper have all the skills to step into starting roles. The defense, led by Peterson, Carmichael, Stephens and keeper Arnold, will need to be a little more consistent in 2007 after allowing over twenty goals last year. The opening day defeat of UNC in 2006 set the tone for the Aggies last season so look for the first two weeks, with four Top 25 opponents, to be key to this team's potential this fall. #6 Stanford A lofty early season ranking might raise some brows for a program who is years removed from its heyday of deep NCAA runs. A streaky team in 2006, the Cardinal has all eleven starters back and adds a couple of top recruits who figure to play right away. Sophomore Kelly O'Hara and senior Shari Summers are back as Stanford's top scorers and if other players can step up the offensive threats, Coach Ratcliffe will challenge UCLA for a Pac-10 title. Freshman Christen Press may get a chance to show early in the season until Ali Riley returns from her play at the World Cup with New Zealand. Key to this team's success might be the decision to run the two-keeper system of Erica Holland and Alex Gamble that was employed in 2006. Rookie Kira Maker will add to the goalkeeping options but the Cardinal may find more consistency with a regular netstopper. If Portland's Lopez is arguably the best college player, then Stanford's Rachel Buehler has a great opportunity to showcase her value by leading Stanford to a breakout season in her final year. Stanford's non-conference schedule, which includes seven NCAA qualifiers from 2006, is killer but should settle the question of whether this program is among the ten best in the country even before the Pac-10 season starts. #7 Florida Could this be the year that Florida breaks back into the field of legitimate College Cup contenders? Ten returning starters make that believable although the goaltending duties might be suspect. Gone is Godwin and Katie Fraine is back but it might be freshman Meghan Berlingo who gets all the pressure of carrying this Gators team from between the pipes. Fortunately, she will have great defenders ahead of her in Lauren Hyde, Shelly Lyle and Liz Ruberry while freshman Gianna Cavuoto could be a pleasant surprise. If Melanie Booth returns to the field after playing for Canada in the World Cup, the defense immediately snaps into a better position. Coach Burleigh returns two of the best offensive players in the country in Ameera Abdullah and Stacy Bishop. They netted nearly half of the Gators' points in 2006 and could see a boost from the addition of rookie Nicky Kit. Florida never put together more than a three-game win streak a year ago and posted fewer than ten shutouts. Getting hot early and keeping that momentum might be critical for a team desperate to compete at the level its in-state rival, Florida State, has done the last few years. #8 Florida State FSU may have lost more than most realize, especially offensively, but Coach Krikorian has proven you can never count the Seminoles out of the title picture. India Trotter and Sel Kuralay leave huge gaps on the scoring side and Rowland's versality and Mim's guts in goal will be hard to replace. FSU returns All-America Katrin Schmidt and Sarah Wagenfuhr on a solid back line that posted a school record fourteen shutouts in '06. The midfield will be minus Rowland, Ranck and Iturregi, but Coach Krikorian has a slew of options to join Wagenfuhr and van de Ven. Transfers Erika Sutton (San Diego St) and Lauren Switzer (UCLA) should get the early nods but freshmen McAuley, Kazbour and DaCosta all possess the talent to play big minutes for FSU. Standout left wing Yamaguchi could see more time up top where rookie Finnish star Sanna Talonen could step into the role vacated by Kuralay. Florida transfer Marriott may finally get a chance in the top third after sitting out last year and rookies Price and Lademann add more arsenal to the rebuilding Seminoles offense. With significant personnel changes, the 'Noles could struggle a little more than usual but look for this team to be as ready as any come postseason. #9 Texas Coach Petrucelli hit several gold mines in 2006, including a Big 12 tourney title and a number one seed (of four) in the NCAA tourney. And while the Longhorns advanced to the NCAA third round for just the second time, being ousted by Portland was a disappointment with such high credentials heading into postseason. Yet, that's plenty to build on and if UT can get past the losses of four of its top six scorers (Schmit, Burlingham, Fite and Foster), this team can exceed last year's results. Having senior Caitlin Kennedy back at full speed should help and All-American striker Carpenter returns after a 35-point campaign in '06. While Texas has great veteran leadership, it may be the newcomers who make or break this team. Freshmen Arlitt, Ortiz or Nicholson will have to deliver some scoring punch up top while Houston transfers Godbolt or Gaines could be immediate midfield replacements. Freshman Lee will certainly earn a major role and although the defense returns mostly intact, it's hard to imagine rookies Campanelli and Campise not earning a regular spot on this loaded squad. With big time players like All-American Moore and All-Big 12 aces Pfenninger and Logterman back in burnt orange, Texas has all the cards to nail down a possible top seed again for NCAAs. #10 Connecticut All-American Megan Schnur and All-Big East midfielder Brittany Taylor are among nine starers back for UConn. The top six scoring Huskies return, including juniors Eng and Tegeler. Newcomers Clark and Gundling could find a role in the midfield but it's the defense where rookies figure to make some noise. The Huskies registered fewer than ten shutouts last year while allowing twenty goals and freshmen Richards and Stancyzk could join the backline led by soph Lauren Ebert. Stephanie Labbe returns steady in goal as Coach Tsantiris should have one of his deepest teams in years. After being knocked out of the NCAAs in the second round a year ago, UConn should be back to form and a real threat out of the Big East. With plenty of firepower, Schnur and company shouldn't be far behind Big East rival Notre Dame's expected scoring avalanche. #11 Virginia The pesky Cavaliers are always a Top 10 threat and have pulled in some of the top recruiting classes the last few years. Yet, UVA has advanced past the NCAA third round only once in the past five years. Only once in 2006 did the Wahoos win more than two games in a row and the team was shutout seven times--so consistency and offense might be keys in 2007. Forward Rostedt is a good answer to that as the All-American led UVA in scoring last year. Frederick and Lieb are missing from the midfield but Shannon Foley returns from an injury redshirt year in '06 and redshirt freshmen Megan Ashforth and Kristen Bowers should finally be wearing orange beyond the sidelines. Coach Swanson gets several new faces to strengthen his squad including Top 50 recruits Lencyzk, Farrelly and Flanagan. The backline returns intact led by Sauerbrunn, Senty and Krzysik but could get great support from Flanagan and fellow newcomer Katie Carr. Virginia's troubles last year centered on losing a couple of games that should have been victories and failing to post any great wins over top-ranked teams. Avoiding an early season upset to an unranked team could be all this team needs to get over the hump and back into the ACC title chase and a deeper run in the postseason. #12 Penn State Erika Walsh takes over at Penn State and is immediately faced with replacing four starters from a powerhouse program that usually just moves in new players and keeps right on ticking. The midfield needs some serious reworking with the departures of Krieger, Long and Dwyer. North Carolina transfer Melissa Hayes should see more playing time here than in Chapel Hill and rookies Jessica Hermann and Bianca D'Agostino, both Top 50 recruits, should ease the loses. The Nittany Lions return their top two scorers, Aden-Buie and Schoepfer, but the offensive production drops off tremendously beyond those two. Freshman Danielle Toney brings plenty of youth national team experience and could step into a striker role immediately. Alyssa Naeher gives Coach Walsh plenty of confidence with the netminding duties after a Freshman All-American campaign and a superb summer leading the US U-20 team to the Pan Am silver medal. After mostly breezing through the Big Ten schedule the past few years, PSU may find the road a little bumpier in 2007. Yet, these Lions always roar by season's end and are always a threat to reach the College Cup. #13 Boston College Let's get the obvious out of the way--BC will sorely miss All-American defender Laura Georges. The Eagles also lose Schneck off the backline and Maurer in the midfield but back are eight of the top nine scorers off a team that posted nearly fifty goals in 2006. ACC Freshman of the Year, Gina DiMartino, leads the offense which has senior Kia McNeil up front also. Coach Kulik has a loaded freshman class which should contribute on the front line or on the wings. Freshmen Knowlton, Caldwell, Leonard and MacNeil are all prime contenders to lace up offensively for the Eagles. With Georges' graduation, BC had the fortune of landing the top recruit of '07 in defender Hannah Cerrone. The New York rookie might find her classmate, Chelsea Regan, stepping into a defensive role to join veterans McNicholas and Walden as they all play in front of solid netminder, Sarah Buonomo. Boston College again plays a less than imposing non-conference schedule with just one road game before hitting the tough ACC slate. With several new faces, that formula might serve Coach Kulik well as BC has proven it can compete in the ACC and has been just a win or two away from being among the final four teams standing at year's end. #14 USC USC may have the most to prove of all the teams ranked in the preseason as a Top 15 mark might be generous. However, the Women of Troy have pulled off wins over Santa Clara, Stanford and Colorado in the last couple of years and new coach Ali Khosrashahin hits L.A. running with high expectations. Defensively, Coach K may have little to worry about as USC posted fourteen shutouts and allowed only thirteen goals in 2006. Outside back Parker must be replaced but Holmes, Currier and McKee are back at McAlister Field and Kat Stolpa may finally return after two tough years of injuries. Kasey Johnson and Ashli Sandoval are two recruits ranked among the Top 100 in the Class of '07 and both could get a good look at the open defensive spot. Strong and Nick are two of the best midfielders in the Pac-10 and their leadership will be called on to fill the midfield and offensive punch of departed Tantillo, USC's top scorer in three of her four years at Troy. Freshman Megan Ohai could be a natural to step into Tantillo's versatile role up top while fellow newcomer Alyssa Davila could surprise and earn a spot her first year. Up top, Coach K will look to get bigger numbers out of juniors Rodriguez and Loucks as a healthier Tomer and improved Petrossi should make this squad more dangerous. USC has a perfect schedule against tough, but beatable competition heading into their last non-league game against Portland. Those four weeks should indicate just how Coach K's style will work with this team he has inherited. #15 Santa Clara Outside the Top 10 is not where you expect any Santa Clara team but questions abound for this storied program. At the end of spring traning, this team looked like College Cup contenders but injuries have stormed the squad over the summer as starters Angeli, Potts, Poach and highly regarded freshman Bednarz all appear to be out for the 2007 season. Throw in the graduations of Dalmy, Zealear and Schwarzbach and the Broncos clearly are searching for some answers to start the season. Not all news is bad as Coach Smith should have redshirts Estrada and Lewis back in tow and heralded freshman Lindsey Johnson, an injury redshirt last year, also ready to go. Going deep may be the theme of '07 as Coach Smith will have to get more out of Orand, Reynolds and the rest of the bench as well as look immediately to a top freshman class. Aside from Bednarz, that group includes four highly regarded potential starters in Baddley, Goynes, Patton and Perry. Redshirts may fill in the gaps defensively but with big losses there, Goynes and versatile Patton could add needed depth. Leading scorer Snell could get a rookie sidekick in Baddley to help carry the scoring load and Estrada's return could really open up this offense. The Broncos open with a blistering schedule that includes three Top 15 opponents in the first two weeks so expect some dings for this young team, but prepare for the magic of Coach Smith who will get this team jelling in no time. #16 Rutgers Can Rutgers repeat its magical year of 2006? With nine starters returning from a team that went 8-1-2 in Big East play, 2007 should be a telling year as to whether this program is here to stay as a national contender. The top eight scorers return and redshirt senior Domenique Esposito may be back on the pitch for even more depth. Coach Crooks can focus on the defense which was excellent a year ago with fifteen shutouts and twelve goals allowed, but will be without Brandao and Komar this season. Senior Ryan will have to provide great leadership from her defender role and newcomer Allie Hambleton may have to play big her first year. The Knights have Freshman All-American Gina DeMaio, soph Anzivino and junior Hall among the offensive sparks which should be more explosive with the additions of freshmen Rheanne Sleiman and Patricia DiPaolo. In 2006, Rutgers was great because the Knights won the games they should have and lost only to Notre Dame and Stanford. Even if this squad loses more than three games, this unit should be a tougher and better version and puts Rutgers on the map big time. #17 Illinois Two of the Illini's best scorers, Strickland and Bayne, have departed. But, All-American Masar has gone nowhere and Big Ten Freshman of the Year Chichi Nweke returns as Illinois has its top two point producers from 2006. Freshman Jordan Hillbrands may work her way into a key role on the front line although nine returning starters will give the freshmen a real challenge to earn spots. Two that might have an early edge are Danielle Kot and Cory Steigerwald who could contribute in the midfield or backline where Strikland and defender Faherty have departed. Coach Rayfield had almost no depth to pull from in 2006 but this year should be a different story. If the defense, led by All-American Zurrer and senior McDonnell, can toughen up and do better than the twenty-five goals allowed a year ago, Illinois should do better than their NCAA third round showing last season. Midfielders Weeks and Santacaterina will be crucial for the Illini's success and if the outstanding freshmen can find roles and chemistry, a Big Ten title is not out of the question. #18 West Virginia Get ready for the Mountaineers to climb higher than this early ranking. Things could get very exciting in Morgantown as ten starters return from a team that went 8-2-1 in the tough Big East but underachieved with an early exit in the NCAAs. Keeper Bannerman has graduated but the rest of the defensive unit that allowed just thirteen goals returns in whole. Coach Izzo-Brown will not have the skills Bannerman provided in goal and will have to go with inexperienced keeper Beck or freshman Butler. All-American Deanna Everett and senior Kim Bonilla lead an explosive offense that scored over fifty goals a year ago and will get more firepower from freshmen Henderson, Mischler and Kealing. Any of that trio could drop into the midfield where All-American Cicchini anchors along with Barnes, DuCote and Carolyn Blank. The biggest challenge for Coach Izzo-Brown might be finding playing time for this deep team and finding the right unit even with ten starters back. This team has all the components to be one of the best in the history of Mountaineers soccer. It really may come down to how good the goalkeeping ends up in 2007. #19 Oregon Oregon hit home run after home run in 2006 but failed to make the All-Star team of sorts. The intrigue of that success will hover strongly this year as the Ducks will have a harder time running through the Pac-10 and staking a real claim at NCAA postseason action. The loss of All-American Nicole Garbin, who established nineteen school records to earn Pac-10 Player of the Year honors, will be felt from the start. Returnees Newton and Smith will have to carry more of the scoring load which could get a bump from freshmen Jill Jensen or Jen Stoltenberg. Transfers Jenny Baker (UCF) and Jessica Goodell (Nebraska) are likely options up top to kick off the season. If Coach Erickson can solve her offensive problems, Oregon could prove it belongs among the Top 25 teams in the country. Newton, Oster and Cameron will get more pressure in the midfield now that teams will be gunning at Oregon and junior Chatfield will be pressed to equal her .82 GAA from 2006. A huge recruiting class, which also includes Sara Plutko, Kirstie Kuhns and Bree Rowe may be the key to the 2007 squad as Coach Erickson now has a good mixture of her own recruits and talent she inherited when she came to Oregon in 2005. Odds are this program will take some lumps this time around and slip from the polls, but the magic from 2006 is still in the air for now. #20 Villanova Hands down, Villanova plays the softest schedule of any team ranked in the country--that is until Big East play begins. With opponents like Robert Morris, St Peter's, Temple and Lehigh, the Wildcats should once again set themselves up with a great record and sweat out an RPI that starts to rise with wins in league play. No matter the level of competition, Villanova only lost three times last year and ten returning starters are reason to give this team early mention. Coach Clifton returns the entire defense that allowed only nine goals a year ago and is led by All-American keeper Jillian Loyden and All-Big East defender Kelly Eagan. Valerie Grow is gone from the midfield but seniors Murowski and Guthrie are ready to improve on last year's second round NCAA showing. The scoring punch of Mabery and Byrnes may get deadlier with the addition of top recruit Rachel Schuyler. Tierney, Wolner and Haroutunian are other freshmen who could work into roles in the middle of the pitch as this version of Wildcats soccer may be its deepest ever. Except for a 4-2 loss to Notre Dame, Villanova never allowed an opponent more than one goal in 2006. The defense this year should be as good and the offense should be more dangerous so expect Villanova to keep posting wins week after week. #21 Colorado Coach Hempen may have superstar Nikki Marshall and eight total starters back from a team that reached the NCAA third round, but he also brings aboard eighteen newcomers, giving Colorado a very different look in '07. This team could really be great or could hit some chemistry issues that might translate into a bumpy season. #22 Duke In many ways, last year's 9-8-4 finish was a forgettable season for a Duke team that opened near the Top 10 in most polls. The Blue Devils lose three of their top four scorers but with two straight top ten recruiting classes, this team needs to make it happen on the field. Defensively, Duke should be set. On the other end, Coach Church must find weapons beyond Gummersal and Redmond. #23 BYU BYU lost just three times last season, but finished behind Utah in the MWC race. With eight starters back and Utah rebuilding, now is the time for the Cougars to get their conference crown back and that should signal national presence as well. Forward Katie Larkin is the spark to this squad which must find replacements for middies Bowman and Cuthbert. Expect at least four recruits to earn key roles this season. #24 Tennessee Losing three starters usually isn't too bad for most programs, but losing a player like Ali Christoph is nearly a nightmare. Yet, Coach Kelly has put Tennessee on the map to stay and leading scorers Rossi and Imgram are back in Knoxville. With ten additions, Kelly finally has some depth that has been missing in recent years. If the Vols can improve defensively, the SEC title is not out of reach. #25 Long Beach St The Beach has been hovering around ready to make its splash for the last three years or so and 2007 could be the time. The competition in the Big West has improved so much that any league favorite has to be a legitimate NCAA contender. With nine starters, including standouts Silos and Bolt, the 49ers are real Top 25 material. Coach Ingrassia has a loaded arsenal of field and bench players that should give him all the tools to finally make the NCAAs. #26 Kansas After slipping out of the NCAA picture the last two years, look for an improved Jayhawks team to come soaring back into excellence in 2007. Freshmen Emily Cressy and Katie Williams lead a rookie class that will join nine starters ready to put Kansas soccer back into the Big 12 chase. The offense disappeared at times last year and if Coach Francis can solve that problem, watch this Kansas team climb high into the national rankings. #27 William & Mary After going 16-1-4 last year, respect is thrown William & Mary's way with a preseason ranking despite the loss of four starters including defensive stalwarts Young and Bowers. All-American Zimmeck returns up top but must do so without sidekick Katie Hogwood. Mataya is one of three senior starters on a team of veterans loaded with confidence after last season's great run. Coach Daly has a tougher schedule ahead this time, but as a result, the Tribe may be better served come postseason. #28 Clemson The Tigers quietly worked their way to the 2006 NCAA quarters after a slow start to the season and a middle of the pack ACC finish. They did so by turning up the defensive heat late in the year and standing behind Ashley Phillips' play in net. She is back as are eight other starters including 95% of Clemson's offense. All-ACC midfield Courtney Foster is also back after an injury redshirt a year ago so Coach Bramble has a team primed for a better ACC finish. #29 Oklahoma State One of last season's great success stories, OSU will be hard pressed to match the 17-3-3 mark from 2006. One of the nation's best leads the Cowgirls as All-American Yolando Odenyo returns as top scorer. Striker Rosholt is one of four regulars gone from last year's squad but Radtke and Jackson are senior leaders capable of another great Big 12 campaign. Coach Carmichael's team was outplayed at times last year but put a lot of gutsy performances on the pitch and walked away surprising winners at times. That grit will be needed again if the Cowgirls are to duplicate last year's magic. #30 Marquette Five senior starters return for Coach Roeders who has four spots open including those left by second leading scorer Connelly and defensive mid Michelle Pitzl. Roeders used a lot of players last year and that depth gets bigger with a big and talented freshman class. Rookies Victor, Lynch and Malone-Povolny should come off the bench early as the Golden Eagles have plenty of targets to be among the best in the Big East again.