Women's Soccer Picked Third In A-R-C Preseason Poll
Aug 12, 2019
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The American Rivers Conference announced the 2019 women’s soccer preseason poll on Monday, with the coaches picking the Spartans to finish in third place after a fourth place finish and record of 14-4-1 (5-2-1 A-R-C) in 2018.
Despite losing a trio of All-Conference honorees in Olivia Sullivan, Lauren Cangelosi and Lexus Rose due to graduation, the Spartans return a wealth of talent in 2019. UD returns three All-Conference honorees in 2019 in senior Alexa Martin (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Prairie) and juniors Victoria Roethler (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Jefferson) and Carissa Brown (Oswego, Ill./Oswego).
With eight starters returning in 2019, the Spartans were picked to finish behind only Loras, who picked up seven first place votes, and Wartburg, who grabbed the other two first place votes.
Martin comes into her senior campaign as a three year starter and team captain, earning All-Conference honors in each of her three previous season’s. In 2018, Martin played and started all 19 games, scoring two goals and dishing out five assists. Amanda Chlebek joins Martin as a team captain and three year starter heading into her final season at UD. During her junior season, Chlebek posted three goals and one assist.
Carissa Brown will look to hold down the Spartan back line for the third straight season after being Conference Defensive MVP in 2017 and First Team All-Conference in 2018. The defender from Oswego, Illinois, scored one goal in 2018 and helped UD limit opponents to just 20 goals over 19 games and just 9.4 shots per game while the UD offense took 15.5 a game.
Fellow junior, Victoria Roethler will take the net for the Spartans once again after starting 30 games in goal over 33 games played. Even after just two seasons played, Roethler sits in the top 10 in several career UD goalie rankings. She currently has the best save percentage (0.858) and goal allowed average (0.75) in program history. Roethler has recorded 12 shutouts which puts her third on the career list and has played 2863:44 minutes in net, good enough for fourth.
Rank School (1st place votes) Points 2018 Record
1. Loras (7) 63 17-4, 7-1 Conference (A-R-C Regular Season & Tournament Champion)
2. Wartburg (2) 58 13-6-1, 6-1-1 A-R-C
3. Dubuque 46 14-4-1, 5-2-1 A-R-C
4. Luther 41 7-8-3, 6-2 A-R-C
5. Coe 37 10-8-1, 3-5 A-R-C
6. Central 34 10-7-1, 4-4 A-R-C
