South Dakota State has its eyes set on playing its best soccer in late October and will again hope to contend for The Summit League Championship with the conference announcing its 2022 Women’s Soccer Preseason Coaches’ Poll and Players to Watch list on Tuesday, Aug. 16.
A year after finishing second in the league’s regular season standings and defeating Denver on its home pitch to win the tournament title, SDSU was picked to take second by a slim margin to the Pioneers in the 2022 preseason poll. The Jackrabbits garnered four first-place votes and totaled 76 points, while Denver received six first-place votes and 78 points.
Omaha was ranked third in the coaches’ poll with 63 points and South Dakota follows with 57.
South Dakota State standouts Maya Hansen and Cece Limongi were recognized as Summit League Players to Watch.
Hansen was an All-Summit League First Team honoree in 2021 and a United Soccer Coaches All-West Region Second Team choice. She led the team a season ago by scoring 35 points behind 14 goals and seven assists. Her goal and point outputs were the third highest single-season marks in program history. Hansen currently ranks third all time in Jackrabbit history with 69 career points and 28 goals in her tenure at SDSU.
The Savage, Minn., native was also announced on Tuesday as one of 41 forwards on the United Soccer Coaches’ NCAA Division I Women’s Players to Watch list for the 2022 intercollegiate season.
Limongi had a breakout season in 2021 as she started and played in all 22 of SDSU’s games with the Jackrabbits eventually advancing to the NCAA Tournament. She registered 20 points on eight goals and four assists last season with both ranking second on the SDSU squad. Her goal total was the fifth highest in The Summit League.
South Dakota State looks ahead to its season opener on Thursday, Aug. 18, at Arizona State. The Jackrabbits make their home debut on Sunday, Aug. 28, at Fishback Soccer Park hosting Bemidji State at 1 p.m. Season tickets for all 10 of the Jackrabbit home matches are available at GoJacks.com.
2022 Summit League Women’s Soccer Preseason Coaches’ Poll | |||
Rank | School | Points (1st) | 2021 Record (SL) |
1. | Denver | 78 (6) | 13-6-2 (8-0-1, 25 pts.) |
2. | South Dakota State | 76 (4) | 17-4-1 (6-2-1, 19 pts.) |
3. | Omaha | 63 | 9-8-2 (6-3, 18 pts.) |
4. | South Dakota | 57 | 10-4-4 (5-3-1, 16 pts.) |
5. | Western Illinois | 45 | 11-6-1 (5-4, 15 pts.) |
T6. | Kansas City | 37 | 6-13 (4-5, 12 pts.) |
T6. 8. 9. | Oral Roberts St. Thomas North Dakota State | 37 26 17 | 6-10-2 (3-5-1, 10 pts.) 4-12-1 (2-7, 6 pts.) 3-12-1 (3-6, 9 pts.) |
10. | North Dakota | 14 | 3-13-1 (1-8, 3 pts.) |