Westfield, Mass.— Westfield State, the 2018 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Women Soccer Tournament champions, has been selected by the eight coaches from around the conference to defend their back-to-back tournament wins during the 2019 campaign.

 

The Owls landed in first with four first place votes for 50 points in this year’s poll. Last season, they finished 4-1-2 in conference play. In her first season with the Owls, Jenn Rennich led the team with 26 points on eight goals and 10 assists, including three game-winning goals. Her efforts earned a spot on the All-Conference team.  

 

In the second spot is 2018 regular season champion Worcester State with 42 points. The Lancers were 7-0 last season. Back on the pitch is 2018 MASCAC Offensive Player of the Year Ali Maldonado who finished with nine goals and five assists for 23 points along with four game-winning goals.

 

Right behind in third with 41 points is Bridgewater State. The Bears  finished with a 5-1-1 mark during league action in 2018. Last season Emma Sanders led the team with 22 points on six goals and 10 assists with one game-winner and a successful penalty kick. 

 

Sitting in fourth with 28 points is Salem State. The Vikings were 3-3-1 during MASCAC play. Katie Brown is back after nettingeight goals for 16 points with a game-winner and helping the Vikings to a spot in the MASCAC Tournament title game. 

 

Framingham State comes in the fifth spot with 23 points. The Rams went 4-3 in conference action in 2018. During her first season in goal, Madison Brown tallied 8 saves, a 2.64 GAA, .739 save percentage with four wins, including two shutouts.

 

Fitchburg State is up next in sixth with 20 points. The Falcons collected two wins last season during league action. Goalie Sarah Hemmings in 16 games for the team finished with 113 saves, 2.70 GAA and .734 save percentage with two shutouts.

 

Finishing out the 2019 women’s soccer poll in seventh and eighth are MCLA and Massachusetts Maritime with 14 and 6 points, respectively. Returning in goal for the Trailblazers is 2018 MASCAC Defensive Player of the Year Megan Richardson. She led the conference in saves with 149, second-best save percentage at .851 and third-best GAA at 1.53. For the Buccaneers,  Anna Deely is back after netting four goals and an assist for nine points last season.

 

The MASCAC women’s soccer teams will start the 2019 campaign this weekend with non-conference play.

 

(First Place Votes In Parentheses)

 

1. Westfield State               (4)     50 points

2. Worcester State              (2)     42 points

3. Bridgewater State           (2)     41 points

4. Salem State                             28 points

5. Framingham State                    23 points

6. Fitchburg State                         20 points

7. MCLA                                       14 points

8. Massachusetts Maritime              6 points