Tampa Women's Soccer Listed at No. 4 in SSC Preseason Poll

MELBOURNE, Fla. - Sunshine State Conference women's soccer coaches have chosen Nova Southeastern University as the preseason favorite in 2018. The Sharks are picked to repeat as league champions after receiving 97 total votes and eight first-place votes in the poll. The University of Tampa was selected fourth in the poll after finishing the 2017 campaign with a 9-6-3 overall record.

VIDEO: 2018 Women's Soccer Season Outlook interviews with head coaches

Coaches gave NSU an 11-vote edge over Barry University for first place in the poll. The Buccaneers tallied 88 votes and a first-place vote. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University finished third with 67 total votes and a first-place vote. Florida Tech and the University of Tampa tied for fourth at 64 total votes, while FIT captured the final first-place vote.

Nova Southeastern claimed the 2017 SSC regular season championship, its first outright and second overall (2010). In the conference tournament, it was six-seeded Florida Tech that overcame long odds to capture SSC tournament championship. The title is the first postseason conference championship for Florida Tech. Barry owns the most SSC regular season titles at nine, while Tampa leads the league with six conference tournament championships.

In the NCAA tournament, Lee University eliminated the Panthers in the first round and the Sharks in the second round. Barry (3), Lynn (1), and Tampa (1) boast all five of the SSC's women's soccer national championships. The Spartans won the league's most recent title in 2007.

Nova Southeastern boasts a No. 23 ranking in the 2018 United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division II preseason women's poll. The ranking was announced Tuesday, August 7th.

Five SSC squads are set to compete in non-conference action on Thursday, August 30th to open up the 2018 season. The conference schedule starts with a five-game slate on September 15th.

2018 SSC WOMEN'S SOCCER PRESEASON COACHES POLL

*First Place Votes