INDIANAPOLIS – The Truman State University women's soccer team has been voted by the league coaches to win the 2017 Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Championship, it was announced by the Conference office Friday. The Bulldogs, who won the 2016 regular season crown with a 12-1-2 league record, earned five first-place votes and 187 total points in the GLVC Women's Soccer Preseason Poll.
Rockhurst University (180 points) was picked a close second despite garnering the most first-place votes with seven. Defending GLVC Champion McKendree University and last year’s preseason favorite Bellarmine University both collected 161 points to tie for third. The Bearcats nabbed two first-place votes and the Knights were tabbed with the final first-place nod. Rounding out the top-five teams was University of Missouri-St. Louis (147) at No. 5.
Truman returns to the pitch under the direction of veteran mentor Mike Cannon, who enjoyed a successful 2016 season in Kirksville after leading his squad to a 15-2-4 overall record and the top seed in the Conference Championship event after claiming its first regular season title. He was also named the Coach of the Year in the GLVC and NSCAA Midwest Region. Back on the roster in her final season is reigning GLVC Defensive Player of the Year, goalkeeper Katie Mattingly, who will lead the way with All-GLVC first-team performer Caity Schmitt on the back line.
Greg Herdlick has been leading Rockhurst since 1999 and returns in 2017 after a 17-3-2 record a year ago to go along with a 12-1-2 GLVC mark and the No. 2 seed in the league’s postseason tournament. The Hawks also appeared in the GLVC Championship Tournament finals and earned their fifth invitation to the NCAA Tournament. Returning to the pitch in Kansas City are two All-GLVC first-team members in senior forward Kaley Nieters and junior defender Jessica Smelcer.
Tim Strange leads the Bearcats into his fifth season after guiding the squad to its first league title and an appearance in the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season. He brings back the 2016 GLVC Player of the Year, Sydnee Carroll, for her junior season along with two other All-GLVC third-team honorees in senior midfielder Cheslea Whitakker and junior defender Sydnie Markowski.
Bellarmine is coming back from an 11-3-4 record last year to complement a 9-2-4 GLVC clip under the tutelage of fourth-year head coach Chris Tinuis. Despite the loss of three All-GLVC standouts that were integral to the Knights’ continued success over the last four years, they do return the GLVC’s Freshman of the Year from a year ago in forward Olivia Taylor.
Quincy University (139), University of Wisconsin-Parkside (119), Lewis University (101), University of Southern Indiana (85) and Drury University came out in spots 6-10, while Maryville University (65), University of Indianapolis (60), William Jewell College (39), University of Illinois Springfield (33) and Missouri S&T (31) respectively round out the remaining five places in the GLVC Women’s Soccer Preseason Poll.
Be sure to follow @GLVCsports on Twitter and Instagram – hashtag #GLVCwsoc – and stay tuned for select coverage throughout the season on
GLVCSN.com.
The complete poll follows below.
| 2017 GLVC Women's Soccer Preseason Poll |
| 1. Truman State |
187 (5) |
| 2. Rockhurst |
180 (7) |
| 3. McKendree |
161 (2) |
| 3. Bellarmine |
161 (1) |
| 5. Missouri-St. Louis |
147 |
| 6. Quincy |
139 |
| 7. UW-Parkside* |
119 |
| 8. Lewis |
101 |
| 9. Southern Indiana |
85 |
| 10. Drury |
67 |
| 11. Maryville |
65 |
| 12. Indianapolis |
60 |
| 13. William Jewell |
39 |
| 14. Illinois Springfield |
33 |
| 15. Missouri S&T |
31 |
*ineligible for regular season title and GLVC Tournament