NORMAL, Ill. - The Illinois State soccer team has been tabbed as the preseason favorites in the Missouri Valley Conference after a vote by the conference's seven head coaches. Kristin Cooley, Anna Stinson and Rachel Tejada were also named to the preseason all-conference team.
The Redbirds received five first-place votes and accumulated a total of 47 points. Missouri State, who the Redbirds defeated in last year's conference tournament title match 5-0, were voted in second place with 43 points and featured one first place vote. The Bears were followed by Creighton, with Northern Iowa being voted fourth and receiving the other first-place vote. Drake, Indiana State and Evansville rounded out the poll.
"Preseason polls are typically based on last year's performance," head coach Drew Roff said. "Being number one in the preseason poll shows that people think we should have a good team again this year and that we have some good returning players. However, every team in the conference is starting in the same place. The one at the end is what we're all striving for."
Cooley, a senior center-back from Carmel, Ind., has started 54-straight games for the Redbirds dating back to her 2009 freshman season. She was an All-MVC Freshman Team selection in 2009 and was voted second team all-conference last season. Cooley has tallied two goals and eight assists throughout her career.
Stinson is coming off a sensational sophomore season that saw her make the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-Great Lakes Region Second Team and earn First Team All-MVC honors while scoring five goals and dishing out nine assists. As a freshman in 2010, Stinson was honorable mention all-conference and an all-freshman team performer with two goals and two assists.
Tejada earned Valley player and freshman of the year honors, after breaking the MVC and ISU record for goals in a single-season with 21, in addition to registering nine assists. Tejada was also named to Soccer America's All-Freshman First Team and the NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region First Team. She ranked third nationally in goals and was fourth in the country in goals per game (1.105), points per game (2.68) and total points.
Junior forward Kyla Cross, senior midfielder Rachel Bostick, and sophomore back Gabbi McArtor were recognized as preseason all-conference by College Sports Madness, in addition to Cooley, Stinson and Tejada. Cooley, Cross, Stinson and Tejada all made the first team, while Bostick and McArtor made the second team. Tejada was chosen as offensive player of the year, while Roff was tabbed as coach of the year.
After going 1-0-2 in three exhibition matches, the Redbirds officially open the season Friday at Southeast Missouri State at 6:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on the WJBC/Country Financial Illinois State Radio Network, with pregame coverage beginning at 6:20 p.m. Then, the Redbirds return home to face 19th ranked Illinois Sunday at 1 p.m. Promotions for the match include Pack the Field, Last Blast Before Class and Youth Soccer Day. Pregame audio coverage will begin at 12:50 p.m.
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