2015 NSIC Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll (Aug. 13, 2015)

The University of Minnesota Duluth upset then-No. 23-ranked Augustana (S.D.) College as the seventh seed in last year's Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference postseason tournament, and the Bulldogs were slotted into the same spot -- seventh -- in the 2015 NSIC Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll despite graduating 11 seniors including all four of the team's all-conference team selections from a year ago.

Defending league champion and preseason No. 6 Minnesota State University Mankato took home the top spot in the poll, receiving 14 first-place votes and 223 overall, nearly 20 points more than the second-place Winona State University (RV) at 204. The top two teams were also represented in the league's Preseason Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year selections as Minnesota State senior forward Korey Kronforst, she of 36 points and 16 game-winning goals a season ago, and Winona State senior defender Madalyn Jensen, an NSCAA Second Team All-Region selection in 2014 took home the honors, respectively. Winona State earned one first-place vote while third-place Augustana (S.D.) College grabbed the other. Upper Iowa University, Minot State University, and Bemidji State University round out the top six before UMD, which earned 146 points in the poll.

Junior midfielder Marissa Ganske was named the Bulldogs' offensive player to watch with the highest career point total among returners for UMD with 15 (four goals, seven assists). She's appeared in all 43 games for the Bulldogs since walking on as a first-year player in 2013. Sophomore defender Emily Fleissner appeared in 17 games including eight starts a year ago in her debut season. She averaged 57 minutes of action in UMD's two playoff matches last season.

UMD will get to work on exceeding those expectations starting next Monday, August 17 as preseason practice kicks off. The team will open the season in Sioux Falls, South Dakota when the Bulldogs take on the No. 7-ranked University of Central Missouri on Friday, Sept. 4. A full preview of the season will be released later this month.
 

2015 NSIC Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Minnesota State (14)	223
2. Winona State (1)	204
3. Augustana [S.D.] (1)	193
4. Upper Iowa	168
5. Minot State	166
6. Bemidji State	161
7. UMD	146
8. Southwest Minnesota State University	132
9. University of Mary	92
10. Concordia University, St. Paul	90
10. St. Cloud State University	90
12. Northern State	88
13. University of Minnesota, Crookston	67
14. Minnesota State University Moorhead	43
15. Wayne State (Neb.) College	36
16. University of Sioux Falls	21
( # ) - first place votes