WINTHROP, Mass. - Entering its first season in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference, the Regis (Mass.) women's soccer team has been chosen to finish ninth in the conference's preseason coaches poll.
The Pride reached the semifinals in the New England Collegiate Conference a year ago, but will have a new test this season as it enters the GNAC. Against GNAC competition in 2016, Regis was a perfect 3-0, defeating Mount Ida, Anna Maria and Suffolk.
The Lasell College Lasers were selected atop the conference, garnering 10 out of 13 first place votes to edge out Johnson & Wales. Lasell has one the conference's last seven GNAC championships, most recently topping Albertus Magnus 2-1 in the championship last season. The Falcons were chosen to finish fifth.
Regis will open its season in just 10 days, when the Pride host Me.-Farmington on Saturday, Sept. 2 at Regis Stadium. The Pride will play its first ever GNAC game - not only for the team but university-wide - on Wednesday, Sept. 6 on the road against the AMCats of Anna Maria College.
2017 GNAC Women's Soccer Preseason Poll
1. Lasell (10) - 164
2. Johnson & Wales (3) - 158
3. Simmons - 127
4. Saint Joseph's of Maine - 126
5. Albertus Magnus - 125
6. Emmanuel - 103
7. Suffolk - 87
8. Saint Joseph (Conn.) - 75
9. Regis (Mass.) - 64
10. Norwich - 50
11. Rivier - 49
12. Mount Ida - 36
13. Anna Maria - 19
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