Women’s Soccer Schedule Released as Preseason Coaches’ Poll Drops
NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Mitchell College women's soccer team will open up their 2024 campaign on the road on Sunday, September 1st, when the Mariners take on NAIA opponent Fisher College in a non-conference tilt.
With first-year head coach Jim O'Brein at the helm, the Mariners will look to build upon 2023, where they posted a 4-12-1 overall record during their first season in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC), including a 2-12-1 mark in conference play. The squad will lean on senior goalkeeper Gemma Landry (Lewiston, ME), the reigning GNAC Goalkeeper of the Year, along with the offensive attack of junior Cassandra Roman (New London, Conn.), who was second on the team in goals last season.
The Mariners will then jump right into GNAC play on Saturday, Septmeber 7th, with their home opener against Regis before traveling to Albertus Magnus on Wednesday, September 11th. Back to back home contests follow against conference opponents Rivier and Elms, before matches against Saint Joseph's College (ME), Dean, and Johnson & Wales round out the opening month. October begins with two consecutive road games, at Norwich and Emmanuel, before the Mariners host New England College and Anna Maria on October 12th and 16th respectively. Mitchell then faces Colby-Sawyer and the University of Saint Joseph on the road, before their final home game of the regular season against Lasell on Saturday, October 26th. The Mariners conclude their regular season at Simmons on October 30th.
The Mitchell women's soccer team was also tabbed to finish 15th in the conference standings, as the GNAC announced their 2024 Women's Soccer Preseason Poll on Thursday afternoon. The Mariners earned 35 points in the poll, which was conducted by the league's 16 women's soccer head coaches this past week.
Johnson & Wales topped the poll, earning 255 points, including 15 first place votes, while last year's tournament runner-up Emmanuel placed second in the poll with 226 followed by Lasell at No. 3 with 210 points. Colby-Sawyer (198 points) and Regis (189) rounded out the top five.
Rivier (188) received a first-place vote while the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) and Saint Joseph's (Maine) finished the top half of the poll with 170 and 141 points, respectively.
Rounding out the other half in the poll in order were Elms (120), Albertus Magnus (119), Norwich (91), Simmons (74), Dean (66), New England College (65), Mitchell (35), and Anna Maria (29).
The 2024 GNAC Women's Soccer season kicks off on Friday, August 30th, with teams opening their non-conference slates. The first league play date is scheduled for Wednesday, September 4th. Teams will complete a 15-game single round robin conference season with the top-10 teams at the end of the regular season earning berths into the 2024 GNAC Women's Soccer Championship Tournament. The postseason starts with a Play-In Round featuring the bottom four tournament seeds on Thursday, October 31st. The winners of those games will advance to the GNAC Quarterfinals on Saturday, November 2nd, with the winners moving on to the semifinals on Tuesday, November 5th. The tournament will conclude with the GNAC Championship match on Saturday, November 9th, with winner claiming the title of GNAC Champion and earning the league's automatic qualifier into the 2024 NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Championship.
2024 GNAC Women's Soccer Preseason Poll
1. Johnson & Wales 255 (15)
2. Emmanuel 226
3. Lasell 210
4. Colby-Sawyer 198
5. Regis 189
6. Rivier 188 (1)
7. University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) 170
8. Saint Joseph's (Maine) 141
9. Elms 120
10. Albertus Magnus 119
11. Norwich 91
12. Simmons 74
13. Dean 66
14. New England College 65
15. Mitchell 35
16. Anna Maria 29
