WESTON, Mass. – The Regis College women's soccer team has been picked to finish fifth in the New England Collegiate Conference preseason poll, which was announced Thursday morning. Results were determined based on a vote by the league's head coaches.

Coming off of 2011 with an 8-8 overall record and 4-5 mark in conference play, the Pride will look to avenge an NECC First Round loss to Elms College and get back into the NECC playoffs this season.

Regis returns its leading goal scorer in sophomore Adena Joseph (Stoughton, Mass.), who made an immediate impact in her freshman campaign by tallying 28 points off of twelve goals and four assists. Sophomore Kristen Abreu (Woburn, Mass.) (16 points) and senior tri-captain Michelle Sirois (Easton, Mass.) (seven goals, three assists) should also pace the offense. Defensively, the Pride will look to senior tri-captain Kara Donovan (Woburn, Mass.) for leadership, after she anchored a backline that achieved seven shutouts last season.

The Lesley University Lynx, which finished last year's regular season conference play unblemished, were selected to finish first by the coaches after picking up 96 points and 8 first place votes. Mitchell, defending NECC champion Elms, and Becker came in at the second, third, and fourth spots. Newbury, Southern Vermont, Bay Path, Wheelock, and Daniel Webster rounded out the bottom five, respectively.

To view the entire NECC poll, please click here.

2012 Women's Soccer NECC Coaches Poll
(First Place Votes in parentheses)