IRVING, Texas - Defending champion Rice has been selected the preseason favorite to win the 2015 Conference USA title, as voted by the league's coaches, Old Dominion was picked to finish ninth. Reigning C-USA Offensive Player of the Year Lauren Hughes of Rice and Owl teammate Jenny Fichera have been voted the Preseason Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year, respectively.
ODU head coach Angie Hind returns All Conference USA defender Natalie Johnson, as well as Madison Hogan who was selected to the C-USA All Freshman Team a season ago. The Lady Soccer Monarchs will take on Towson at the ODU Soccer Complex on Aug. 14 in the team’s only exhibition match. Old Dominion opens up the regular season at VCU on Aug. 21, before the home opener against Canisius on Aug. 23.
Preseason Team Video: https://youtu.be/zCQ6ugc-1bE
Hughes earned top offensive honors in 2014 after leading C-USA in goals (14) and points (35). Both marks tied the Rice single-season records in the respective categories. For her career, Hughes has scored more goals (32) and registered more points (82) than any other Owls’ player in school history, while her 18 assists are tied for third all-time. Hughes led Rice to its second C-USA tournament crown and back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2005 season. She notched the game-winners in the quarterfinals and semifinals of the C-USA Championship, which capped off a stretch of seven straight games with a goal.
Fichera anchored a Rice defense that posted 11 shutouts last season, including five in league play and all three championship victories. The incoming junior has started every game of her collegiate career. Senior forward Holly Hargreaves joins Hughes and Fichera on the preseason team. Hargreaves chipped in with 23 total points last season on 10 goals and three assists en route to earning an NSCAA All-Central Regional second-team accolades.
North Texas, who claimed the 2014 C-USA regular-season title, also placed three on the all-preseason team as the No. 2 pick in the preseason poll. Two-time All-Conference USA first-team selection Rachel Holden is joined by seniors Jackie Kerestine and Karla Pineda. Kerestine led the conference in shutouts (13), goals-against average (0.51) and save percentage (.902), ranking fifth nationally in the latter category. She enters her senior season already holding the school record for career saves with 280 and the C-USA single-season GAA record. Pineda guided the Mean Green to its first C-USA title with 29 points on 11 goals and seven assists. The junior was especially dangerous from set plays, tallying eight scores and three helpers from set pieces.
Charlotte earned the third-most votes from the coaches and are represented on the preseason team by sophomore Martha Thomas, the 2014 C-USA Freshman of the Year. Thomas was named to the 2014 NSCAA All-Central Region first team, the only freshman among the three squads in the region.
UTEP was picked to finish fourth, followed by Marshall in the fifth spot. Both squads were represented by a player as Miner junior midfielder Aleah Davis and Thundering Herd senior midfielder Kelly Culicerto made the list. Davis, a 2014 Second-Team All-C-USA selection, notched five goals overall on the season and a team-high three in league play. Culicerto posted new career highs in points (18) and goals (8) during her junior campaign.
FIU and Florida Atlantic each boast an all-preseason selection. FIU redshirt senior Marie Egan was the anchor of FIU's defense in 2014, helping the Panthers accumulate six shutouts from the center back position. Florida Atlantic midfielder Claire Emslie enters her senior season with 22 career goals to rank seventh place in program history and just six shy of the school record. She led the Owls in 2014 with five goals and three assists.
Rounding out the preseason team is Louisiana Tech junior forward Kathryn Sloan. An All-Conference USA second-team selection a year ago, Sloan led her team in points (28) and goals (11), was second in assists (6), and finished in the top six in the conference in those three categories.
The top eight teams at the conclusion of the regular season will earn a spot in the 2015 Conference USA Women's Soccer Championship, hosted by FIU Nov. 4-8. The league's 21st season kicks off Friday, Aug. 21.
2015 C-USA PRESEASON OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Lauren Hughes | Rice | Sr. | F | Ottawa, Canada
2015 C-USA PRESEASON DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Jenny Fichera | Rice | Jr. | D | Ann Arbor, Michigan
2015 C-USA PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
Martha Thomas | Charlotte | So. | F | Weston, Florida
Marie Egan | FIU | Sr. | D | Littleton, Colorado
Claire Emslie | Florida Atlantic | Sr. | M | Penicuik, Scotland
Kathryn Sloan | Louisiana Tech | Jr. | F | Kansas City, Missouri
Kelly Culicerto | Marshall | Sr. | MF | Charlotte, North Carolina
Rachel Holden | North Texas | Jr. | F | Lancaster, Texas
Jackie Kerestine | North Texas | Sr. | GK | Euless, Texas
Karla Pineda | North Texas | Sr. | MF | Houston, Texas
Jenny Fichera | Rice | Jr. | D | Ann Arbor, Michigan
Holly Hargreaves | Rice | Sr. | F | New Hope, Pennsylvania
Lauren Hughes | Rice | Sr. | F | Ottawa, Canada
Aleah Davis | UTEP | Jr. | MF | Hewitt, Texas
2015 C-USA PRESEASON POLL
(as selected by C-USA coaches)
1. Rice
2. North Texas
3. Charlotte
4. UTEP
5. Marshall
6. FIU
7. Florida Atlantic
8. Middle Tennessee
9. Old Dominion
10. WKU
11. Louisiana Tech
12. UAB
13. UTSA
14. Southern Miss
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