Monmouth Women’s Soccer Selected as MAAC Preseason Favorite, Hawks’ Madie Gibson Repeats as Preseaso

EDISON, NJ – The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) announced today that Monmouth University is the 2018 MAAC Women’s Soccer Preseason favorite, based on a vote by the league’s 11 head coaches.

Monmouth claimed their second-straight MAAC Women’s Soccer Championship with a 5-1 victory over Manhattan College at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, becoming the first squad to win consecutive titles since Loyola (MD) won five-straight (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004). The Hawks redshirt-junior forward Madie Gibson repeats as the MAAC Women’s Soccer Preseason Player of the Year. The Hawks led the MAAC in shots (317), corners (115), shots on goal (137), opponent average (0.90) and goals allowed (19). Monmouth received all 11 first-place votes and 121 points overall. Quinnipiac University (9-7-3, 5-2-3) placed second in the Preseason Coaches’ Poll with 99 points overall. The Bobcats finished T3 with 18 points in the 2017 Regular Season and lost to Manhattan College in the MAAC semifinals. The Bobcats led the MAAC in goals (41), assists (53), and was second in margin of victory (0.80) and corner kicks (91) in 2017. Siena College (11-8, 6-4) was T3 to Quinnipiac to end the 2017 Regular Season and debuts third to start 2018 with 96 points. The Saints are followed by Manhattan (92), and Rider University (78) voted fifth. Fairfield University (57) comes in at sixth, Marist College (54) at seven, and Niagara University (49) eighth. Canisius College (41), Iona College (27) and Saint Peter’s (12) rounded out the final three spots in the Preseason Coaches’ Poll. Gibson earned the MAAC Preseason Player of the Year honor after an impressive 2017 season where she was tabbed 2017 First Team All-MAAC selection, 2017 MAAC All-Tournament Team, 2017 Preseason All-MAAC and Preseason Player of the Year selection. The Cape May, New Jersey native started in all 21 games last season and finished fifth overall in points (23), third in assists (9) and seventh in goals (7) in the MAAC. The forward also nailed three game-winning goals in 15 wins for the Hawks. The Preseason All-MAAC team features Fairfield’s Alex Madden, Manhattan’s Arianna Montefusco, Monmouth’s Gibson, and Quinnipiac’s Kelsey Goldring at forward. Manhattan’s Emma Saul, Rider’s Valeria Pascuet, Monmouth’s Alli Deluca, and Lexie Palladino are the selected midfielders. Marist’s Nicolle Sasso, Siena’s Amanda Holtzman, and Monmouth’s Anna Lazur make up the back line. Monmouth’s Amanda Knaub rounds out the Preseason All-MAAC team at goalkeeper. The Hawks landed five student-athletes on the list and Marist is the only other to have multiple players on the honored. The 2018 MAAC Women’s Soccer Championship takes place from October 28 to November 4, 2018. On Sunday, October 28 the No. 3 and 4 seeds will host the First Round, and No. 1 and 2 will host the Semifinals Thursday, November 1. The Highest Remaining Seed will host the Championship Game Sunday, November 4.