Spartans Named Seventh in SSC Preseason Poll

MELBOURNE, Fla. - Sunshine State Conference women's soccer coaches select Embry-Riddle as the preseason favorite to win the 2024 regular-season championship. With 97 points and seven first-place votes in the poll, the Eagles are favored to win the program's third regular-season championship.  

Nova Southeastern edges Florida Tech for second place, 86 to 85 points. However, the Panthers earned three first-place votes to the Sharks' one. Rollins ranks fourth with 74 points, while Eckerd rounds out the Top-5 with 62 points from the coaches. Florida Southern touches down in the center of the poll with 51 points and is trailed by Tampa (45 points) and Lynn (42 points). Saint Leo (27 points), Barry (24 points), and Palm Beach Atlantic (10 points) hold the final three positions in the poll.

2024 SSC WOMEN'S SOCCER SCHEDULE | SSC WOMEN'S SOCCER RECORDS

Florida Tech (8-1-1) and Embry-Riddle (8-1-1) shared the 2023 SSC Women's Soccer Regular Season Championship trophy, tied at the top of the league table with 25 points. The two programs tied 1-1 twice last year's regular season. It was the second regular season title for both programs. Embry-Riddle broke the head-to-head tie between the programs with a 1-0 win in the conference tournament final. The Eagles are riding a streak of four consecutive SSC tournament championships, which includes three 1-0 wins over the Panthers.

ERAU, Florida Tech, Nova Southeastern, and Rollins represented the SSC in the 2023 NCAA Postseason Tournament. Florida Tech bested Rollins in the first round, 3-0, while Nova Southeastern earned retribution over West Florida, 3-1, following a loss in 2022. In the second round, NSU upset ERAU, 1-0, and Florida Tech won, 2-1, over Lee. Florida Tech defeated Nova Southeastern, 3-1, in the Sweet Sixteen before outlasting Lenoir-Rhyne, 5-4, in the national quarterfinals. The Panther's season ended by way of a 1-0 semifinal loss to Point Loma, the eventual national champion.

Since administrators added women's soccer as a league sport in 1998, SSC teams have reached the national quarterfinals 13 times, the semifinals eight times, and the national title game three times, winning it all twice: Lynn in 1998 and Tampa in 2007.

Last season, the SSC was awarded three All-America honors in women's soccer, the most since 2019. Florida Tech's Marem Ndiongue was tabbed First Team by the D2SSC and United Soccer Coaches. Kayla Park of Rollins took home Second Team honors from the D2CCA.

The 2024 season opens on Thursday, September 5th, with seven teams in action. Conference play begins Saturday, September 21st, with eight teams in action. Florida Tech ranks 3rd, ERAU is 15th, and Nova Southeastern is 16th  in the 2024 United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division II preseason women's poll, released on Tuesday, August 6th.

Below are the full results of the 2024 SSC preseason coaches' poll. Coaches cannot vote for their teams (points: 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1, first-place votes in parentheses).

2024 SSC WOMEN'S SOCCER PRESEASON COACHES POLL

See Also:SSC All-Americans | All-SSC Teams | SSC Champions | 2023 Standings

Previous SSC Women's Soccer Polls