Flashes picked fourth in Mid-American Conference preseason poll
8/13/2024 3:17:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Kent, Ohio- The Golden Flashes have been selected fourth in the annual Mid-American Conference pre-season coaches' poll.
The Flashes took home 88 points putting them behind Western Michigan (116 points, eight first place votes), Ball State (101 points, one first place vote), and Ohio (90 points, one first place vote).
Kent State was also one of the five teams given a vote to win the conference tournament title and earn an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament. Other teams receiving votes were Western Michigan (six), Ball State (two), Buffalo (two), and Bowling Green (one).
The Flashes went 12-7-2 last season and 7-4-0 in conference play. Earning the fourth seed in the MAC Tournament the Flashes beat Northern Illinois (at home), regular season champions Western Michigan, before falling to Ohio in the Championship game. Kent State returns seven of their 11 starters and including 84% of their goals and 75% of their assists.
Senior midfielder, Alisa Arthur, and junior defender, Kelsey Salopek, look to build off their exceptional 2023 season which culminated in both earning All-MAC first team and United Soccer Coaches all-region selections. Sophomores Alanna Raimondo and Josie Morgan look to continue their strong play that saw them land on the All-MAC Freshman team.
2024 MAC Women's Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll
First Place votes in ( ) | *Coaches were not able to vote for themselves
1. Western Michigan (8) - 116 points
2. Ball State (1) - 101 points
3. Ohio (1) – 90 points
4. Kent State (1) - 88 points
5. Buffalo – 86 points
6. Bowling Green (1) - 84 points
7. Northern Illinois - 60 points
8. Toledo – 50 points
9. Miami – 47 points
10. Eastern Michigan – 29 points
11. Akron – 23 points
12. Central Michigan – 18 points
Tournament Champion: Western Michigan (6), Ball State (2), Buffalo (2), Kent State (1), Bowling Green (1)
Kent State opens the season on Thursday, Aug 15 against Cleveland State at Dix Stadium. The MAC portion of the schedule will kick off on Thursday, Sept. 19 at Toledo.
Be sure to follow Kent State Soccer on Instagram, X and Facebook for more news and information about the team and promotions throughout the 2024 season.
