RSC Women's Soccer Coaches' Preseason Poll tabs Rio Grande (Ohio) as top pick
MIDDLETOWN, Ohio -- The 2022 River States Conference Women's Soccer Coaches' Preseason Poll has selected University of Rio Grande (Ohio) as the pick to win the league this year. The RedStorm edged out Indiana University East for the top spot.
Rio Grande received 96 total votes and seven of the 11 first-place votes in the polling of the RSC women's soccer head coaches. That beat out IU East, which had 93 total votes and the remaining four first-place votes. IU East and Rio Grande met in the conference semifinals last year with the RedStorm coming away with a 1-0 win.
Rio Grande was an RSC Championship finalist last year with a narrow loss of 1-0 to Ohio Valley (W.Va.) University, which has since closed. The RedStorm leads all returning members with a mark of 10-1 RSC last year and 11-6-2 overall. IU East ended with a record of 11-7-1 overall and 8-2-1 RSC.
Point Park (Pa.) University was selected third in the poll with 76 votes. The Pioneers made the RSC semifinals last year and are coming off a showing of 8-8-3 overall, 6-2-3 RSC.
Indiana University Kokomo took fourth in the voting with 69 votes. The Cougars were 6-4-1 RSC last year before a playoff loss at Point Park in overtime.
WVU Tech placed fifth in the poll as a predicted playoff team with 62 votes. Oakland City (Ind.) University came in sixth with 57 votes and is predicted to make a return trip to the postseason as the sixth and final playoff qualifier.
The top six of the 11 teams in the conference will make the postseason with standings based on a point system with three points for a win, one for a tie and none for a loss. See below for the complete preseason poll.
2022 RIVER STATES CONFERENCE WOMEN'S SOCCER PRESEASON COACHES' POLL
(First-Place Votes in Parenthesis)
| School |
Votes |
| 1. Rio Grande (Ohio) (7) |
96 |
| 2. IU East (4) |
93 |
| 3. Point Park (Pa.) |
76 |
| 4. IU Kokomo |
69 |
| 5. WVU Tech |
62 |
| 6. Oakland City (Ind.) |
57 |
| 7. St. Mary-of-the-Woods (Ind.) |
43 |
| 8. Carlow (Pa.) |
38 |
| 9. Midway (Ky.) |
36 |
| 10. Ohio Christian |
23 |
| 11. Brescia (Ky.) |
12 |