SANTA CLARA, Calif. (Aug. 19) — The Santa Clara women’s soccer team, coming off a 22-1-1 season which ended with the school’s sixth NCAA Women’s College Cup semifinal appearance, opens the 1999 season as the nation’s top-ranked team in the country according to the preseason poll released by Soccer America this morning. The preseason No. 1 ranking by Soccer America is the first in the program’s history.
In preseason polls released earlier this month, Santa Clara held the distinction as the nation’s top ranked team according to Soccer Buzz Magazine while holding the No. 2 position in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America preseason poll released on August 4.
Santa Clara, which returns 19 letterwinners and 10 starters from last year’s squad which finished third in the nation, opens the 1999 season Friday, August 27 at California with kick-off scheduled for 4:00 p.m.
Soccer America Preseason National Poll
1. Santa Clara
2. North Carolina
3. Notre Dame
4. Portland
5. Connecticut
6. Nebraska
7. Florida
8. Penn State
9. Hartford
10. Clemson
11. Dartmouth
12. San Diego State
13. Stanford
14. Virginia
15. William & Mary
16. Michigan
17. Vanderbilt
18. Northwestern
19. Baylor
20. BYU
