Lady Blues picked 6th in MIAA Coaches Poll

Aug. 3, 2004

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- The Washburn Lady Blues were picked sixth in the MIAA Coaches Poll that was released today by the MIAA Offices. The Lady Blues, will start their third season of competition this fall when the open up the 2005 campaign against Minnesota-Moorhead in Crookston, Minn. on Aug. 27.

The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association women's soccer coaches have selected six-time champion Truman State University again as the favorite to defend their title in 2005.

The Bulldogs are the only team to win the MIAA championship, as the sport enters its seventh year of conference sponsorship. Truman claimed five of a possible seven first-place votes (coaches are not allowed to vote for their own team), for 41 points. The Bulldogs advanced to the NCAA Division II postseason in 2004 for the fourth consecutive year, falling in the regional final to Nebraska-Omaha.

Missouri Southern garnered the remaining three first-place votes to earn second place in the poll with 41 points. Southwest Baptist, which became the first MIAA school other than Truman to make the NCAA postseason in 2004, was third with 31 points.

The Bearcats have a new coach in Benjamin Wade, but lost through transfer the MIAA Most Valuable Player (Pip Meo to Kennesaw [Ga.] State) and their first NSCAA Division II All-America (Vanessa Toll to North Carolina). MIAA Freshman of the Year Hayley Moorwood also left SBU to return home to New Zealand.

Emporia State, with Ross Fogel stepping in as the Hornets' third coach in three seasons (Kara Lowery is now an assistant at Kansas), edged Central Missouri State for fourth with 28 points to the Jennies' 27. Washburn was next with 23 points, with Northwest Missouri State chosen seventh with 17 points.

Missouri Western begins competition in 2005 under former Ottawa (Kan.) head coach Chip Wiggins, replacing the departed Missouri-Rolla. Wiggins has brought in 11 players with collegiate experience to try and have the Griffons finish better than their eighth-place prediction.

2005 MIAA Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll

School Pts.
1. Truman (5) 47
2. Missouri Southern (3) 41
3. Southwest Baptist 31
4. Emporia State 28
5. Central Missouri State 27
6. Washburn 23
7. Northwest Missouri State 17
8. Missouri Western 10

Points awarded on a 7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis.
Coaches could not vote for their own school.