COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – An upward trend is forecast for the MSU Denver women's soccer team, as league coaches have picked the Roadrunners to finish fourth this season.
The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference's preseason poll was released on Tuesday and MSU Denver, which tied for fourth last season and was the fifth seed for the league tournament, received 122 poll points, just behind preseason third choice Dixie State, which had 129.
Metropolitan State University of Denver coach
Tracy Chao enters her third season in charge of the program. She guided her initial team to a fifth-place league finish before moving up to a fourth-place tie last year.
Colorado School of Mines was the preseason choice of the coaches, receiving 13 of the 14 first-place votes. The preseason No. 15 Orediggers were 19-1-2 overall last season, including 13-0 in RMAC play. The University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, ranked 24
th nationally in the preseason poll, was picked to finish second in the RMAC.
Despite losing league co-player of the year
Reigna Banks, the Roadrunners virtually the rest of a team that posted records of 10-7-1 overall and 8-5 in the RMAC.
The strong returning cast includes goalkeeper
Erica Torres (10-7-1, 0.97 goals-against average, .824 save percentage) as well as All-RMAC second team forward
Gabriella Gamboa (six goals, three assists),
Paloma Teran (three goals, two assists), Mooney cousins Jessica (one goal, six assists) and Brooklynn (two goals, two assists), and
Taylor Reising (three goals). Defenders
Makenna Brassard and
Jordan Lewis also return to fill their critical roles.
Torres, a two-time All-RMAC honorable mention selection as well as a second-team all-league choice in 2017, and
Brooklynn Mooney were recognized as players to watch in the RMAC preseason release. Mooney was All-RMAC honorable mention last season. RMAC coaches are no longer voting on preseason all-league teams, and each school can nominate up to two players to watch.
MSU Denver hits the road for an 11 a.m. exhibition game Sunday against Laramie County (Wyo.) Community College before hosting Minot State (N.D.) in a 7 p.m. exhibition game on Aug. 23 at the Regency Athletic Complex.
The Roadrunners open the regular season with a 7 p.m. Sept. 5 home matchup against 11
th-ranked Western Washington.
