Ohio Wesleyan Selected As Women's Soccer Preseason Favorite

2012 NCAC Preseason Women's Soccer Coaches' Poll 

Ohio Wesleyan emerged as the favorite in the 2012 North Coast Athletic Conference women's soccer preseason poll based on balloting from the league coaches.

The Battling Bishops, who are the defending NCAC tournament champions, earned six of a possible nine first-place votes from league coaches to compile 76 total points. Allegheny, which finished as NCAC co-champions with OWU a year ago, earned one first-place vote and finished second in the poll with 68 points, while Denison garnered the final two first-place votes and finished third with 61 points. DePauw racked up 50 total points to finish fourth on the poll, followed by Wooster (47), Kenyon (43), Wittenberg (31), Hiram (17) and Oberlin (12).

Ohio Wesleyan, which is 208-66-26 (.737) during the 15-year tenure of head coach Bob Barnes, will be vying for its 10th NCAC women's soccer title all-time this fall. On the defensive side of the ball, the Bishops will once again rely on junior goalie Hannah Zacharias (Marysville, OH/Marysville) who allowed just 17 goals in 1952:21 minute of action in 2011 for a goals-against-average of 0.78, while senior Jessie Huschart (Columbus, OH/Hilliard Davidson) returns this fall as the leading point scorer from a year ago after totaling 16 points with four goals and eight assists.

Founded in 1983, the North Coast Athletic Conference is made up of ten academically selective colleges and universities - Allegheny College, Denison University, DePauw University, Hiram College, Kenyon College, Oberlin College, Ohio Wesleyan University, Wabash College, Wittenberg University and the College of Wooster, along with affiliate member, Earlham College (field hockey).  The NCAC sponsors 23 championship sports, 11 for men and 12 for women.