Spartans Tabbed to Finish 4th in SSC Preseason Poll

MELBOURNE, Fla. - Sunshine State Conference women's soccer coaches select Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University as the preseason favorite to win the 2022 regular-season championship. With 97 points and eight first-place votes in the poll, the Eagles are expected to win the program's second regular-season championship. 

Rollins College lands in second place with 81 points from conference coaches. Florida Tech comes in third with 77 points and one first-place vote. The University of Tampa landed just ahead of Nova Southeastern University, 71-70, for fourth place. The Spartans also pulled in the remaining two first-place votes.

2022 SSC WOMEN'S SOCCER SCHEDULE

Palm Beach Atlantic University sits in the middle of the poll (62 points) and is followed by a tie in the voting between Barry University and Lynn University (44 points). Saint Leo University (22 points), Eckerd College (18 points), and Florida Southern College (18 points) hold the final three positions in the ranking.

Embry-Riddle won both the regular-season title and tournament championship in 2021, marking the first regular-season and second postseason title for the Eagles. ERAU and Florida Tech represented the SSC in the 2021 NCAA Postseason Tournament. The Eagles fell to West Florida in the second round, 1-0. The Panthers survived penalty kicks against Mississippi College, Lee, and West Florida to reach the national quarterfinals. After a 1-1 tie at the end of overtime against Lenoir-Rhyne, Florida Tech's season ended in PK's.

Since administrators added women's soccer as a league sport in 1998, SSC teams have reached the national quarterfinals 12 times, the semifinals seven times, and the national title game three times, winning it all twice: Lynn in 1998 and Tampa in 2007.

The 2022 season opens on August 25th with five teams in action, while four more teams get underway the next day. Conference play begins Saturday, September 10th with a four-game slate. Florida Tech ranks 18th, and ERAU is receiving votes in the 2022 United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division II preseason women's poll, which was released on Tuesday, August 2nd.

Below are the full results of the 2022 SSC preseason coaches' poll. Coaches are not allowed to vote for their teams (points: 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1, first-place votes in parentheses).

2022 SSC WOMEN'S SOCCER PRESEASON COACHES POLL

See Also:SSC All-Americans | All-SSC Teams | SSC Champions |2021 Standings

Previous SSC Women's Soccer Polls