Women’s soccer picked sixth in MIAA preseason poll

ROYAL OAK, Mich. – The Olivet College women's soccer team has been picked sixth in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) preseason poll, announced today by the league publicist.

In voting by the league coaches, the Comets received 40 points. Defending MIAA champion Alma College was chosen as the preseason favorite with 10 points. The rest of the top five were Calvin in second (13), followed by Kalamazoo College in third (22), Adrian College in fourth (34) and Hope College in fifth (36).

Hans Morgan begins his 12th season as the head coach. Olivet graduated 10 players from last year's team, which finished in fourth-place in the MIAA standings and hosted a conference tournament game for the first time since 1998. By contrast, this year's team features just one senior in Danielle Mellor (Macomb/Regina). A captain this season, she has been a mainstay in the Comets' back line since her freshman season, playing in 54 career games and scoring 10 points (three goals and four assists). Sophomore Madison Forsyth (Macomb Twp./Henry Ford II) is the other captain.

Olivet opens the 2011 season Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 3-4, at the Rhodes (Tenn.) College Classic. On Saturday, the Comets play the host Lynx at 10 a.m., and on Saturday, they play Maryville (Tenn.) College at noon. Olivet's MIAA opener is Sept. 14 when it travels to play Saint Mary's (Ind.) College at 5 p.m. The top four teams in the regular season will advance to the 2011 MIAA Tournament.

1. Alma (6) – 10
2. Calvin (3) – 13
3. Kalamazoo – 22
4. Adrian – 34
5. Hope – 36
6. OLIVET – 40
7. Saint Mary's, Ind. – 53
8. Albion – 56
9. Trine, Ind. – 60

Number of first-place votes in parenthesis. Coaches could not vote for their own team.