LOUDONVILLE, NY – Reigning Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Regular Season and Tournament Champion Siena Women's Soccer will look to prove the doubters wrong again this fall. Despite returning eight of 11 starters including all three all-conference selections from this past spring's championship squad, the Saints have been pegged to finish third according to the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, as voted on by the league's 11 head coaches.
Perennial league juggernaut Monmouth, which finished third this past spring and whom Siena surpassed in the MAAC Championship Match, is the preseason favorite after receiving 110 points and five first-place votes in the polling. Quinnipiac, which finished second to the Saints last regular season, was predicted to repeat its finish while receiving 103 votes.
Meanwhile, Siena was projected to finish third with 95 points and three first-place votes in the poll. Fairfield checked in fourth (90), while Rider rounded out the top-five with 80 points. Each of the top-four projected finishers in the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll received at least one-first place vote, with the Bobcats also earning a pair of top tallies while the Stags snagged the other one.
The bottom portion of the poll featured Manhattan sixth with 62 points, followed by Niagara in seventh (53), Marist eighth (45), Canisius ninth (39), Iona 10
th (32), and Saint Peter's last (17).
Predicted to finish eighth this past spring, the Saints enjoyed a breakthrough campaign in which they captured the program's third MAAC Tournament Championship on the heels of their first-ever regular season crown. Siena finished with a 6-1-2 overall record including a 4-0-1 mark in the MAAC during an unprecedented, unique, and abbreviated spring season in which the team persevered through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Saints matched Monmouth with a league-high tying three preseason all-conference selections on the 10-member Preseason All-MAAC squad. Seniors
Leslie Adams,
Emily McNelis, and
Brianna Montinard – who each earned All-MAAC recognition this past spring – were selected to the Preseason All-MAAC Team. Reigning MAAC Rookie of the Year Rebecca Cooke of Quinnipiac was tabbed the MAAC Preseason Player of the Year.
Elected one of four team captains for the upcoming fall season, Adams is the reigning MAAC Goalkeeper of the Year and a Spring 2021 All-MAAC selection. The Collegeville, Pennsylvania native was a two-time MAAC Defensive Player of the Week (Mar. 30, Apr. 6) after making her collegiate debut this past spring. Adams achieved a 4-1-2 record while leading the MAAC and ranking 16
th nationally with a .868 save percentage. She also tied for the MAAC lead in both shutouts (three) and saves (46), and ranked 13
th nationally in saves per match (6.57).
Also named a quad-captain, McNelis is the defending MAAC Tournament MVP and was also an All-MAAC selection this past spring. The Northport, New York native was tied for second in the MAAC in both points (10) and goals (four) while starring at midfield for the Saints. McNelis was named the MAAC Offensive Player of the Week on Apr. 6.
Montinard was named the MAAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year and an All-MAAC pick last spring. The Hainesport, New Jersey native excelled in her first full season playing center back for the Saints. Montinard helped anchor a Siena defense which posted a stellar 0.74 goals against average and five shutouts over nine matches. She started in all nine contests and registered an assist, while playing in 814 out of a possible 850 minutes.
The reigning MAAC Champion Saints officially kick off the program's 42
nd varsity season when they host America East foe Binghamton in the season-opener tomorrow, Thursday, Aug. 19, at 4 p.m. at Siena Field. Siena thwarted Bryant 5-0 in the team's lone preseason tune-up this past Saturday in Rhode Island.
