RICHMOND, Va. — Elon University was picked to finish eighth in the Colonial Athletic Association preseason women's soccer coaches poll, released Tuesday.
Elon is in its first year in the CAA after an 11-year tenure in the Southern Conference. The Phoenix went 13-3-6 in the SoCon a year ago, falling to Furman University in the SoCon Tournament Championship.
Hofstra University was picked to win the league, but did not receive as many first-place votes (3) as reigning regular season champion James Madison University (4) did. James Madison was picked second, followed by the College of William & Mary close behind. The Tribe received two first-place votes, and reigning CAA champion Northeastern University got one and was slated fourth.
The University of North Carolina at Wilmington was fifth, the University of Delaware sixth and Drexel University seventh. Towson University and the College of Charleston round out the league in ninth and 10th, respectively.
In the last five years, five different teams have won the CAA title.
Elon hosts Liberty University in an exhibition Friday, Aug. 15 and opens the season at home against Jacksonville State University on Friday, Aug. 22.
CAA women's soccer preseason poll
1. Hofstra (3) 742. James Madison (4) 71
3. William & Mary (2) 70
4. Northeastern (1) 57
5. UNCW 48
6. Delaware 40
7. Drexel 31
8. Elon 23
9. Towson 21
10. College of Charleston 15
(First place votes in parentheses)
(Teams received 9 points for a first-place vote, 8 for second, etc. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team.)