Jackrabbits picked 2nd in Summit League preseason soccer poll

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ELMHURST, Ill. – Three-time defending league champion South Dakota State was picked second in the Summit League's Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll, announced Thursday by the organization.

Nicole Hatcher and Maggie Smither were named Players to Watch by the league.

Just two points separate the top four in the poll, as the Jackrabbits received two first-place votes and 40 total points, tied with North Dakota State. Despite garnering only one first-place vote, Denver led the pack with 41 points and Oral Roberts, which received the most first-place votes, three, was four with 39 tallies.

South Dakota and Omaha tied for fifth in the poll with 22 points, while Western Illinois (12) and Fort Wayne (eight) closed out the rankings.

"We're excited for the upcoming season and are looking forward to watching our team compete daily," head coach Brock Thompson said. "We have a lot of talent returning, and there are a lot of new faces that will be worth watching this season. As with any season, though, we talk to our team about being proud of the history and setting our minds on achieving great things, but those don't happen unless we focus on the process it takes to get there. The success of our program is a bi-product of what we focus on every day, which is true mental toughness and giving our best in every situation."

State begins a new era this season with a fresh face leading the program for the first time in its 17-year history. Thompson, a nine-year assistant, stepped into the head coach role Jan. 31, 2017, after Lang Wedemeyer stepped down. While a new captain is at the helm, the mission remains the same: build a team capable of achieving lofty goals.

The 2016 crew graduated eight seniors, including a pair of All-Summit League selections, but returns four additional all-league honorees and five seniors who combined for 14 of SDSU's 30 total goals and 11 of State's 22 total assists last year. The group has made an impact in the off- and preseasons, leading a youthful team and keeping expectations high.

Hatcher and Tori Poole are coming off standout years that saw them garner All-Summit League First Team nods, as the pair tied for the team-lead with six goals each and Hatcher added 10 assists, good enough for second all-time in school history.

Jennie Scislow started 16 games for the Jacks last season and had a pair of goals, logging over 1,000 minutes in the field.

Julia Lam was named team captain for the 2017 campaign after playing in all 21 games last year, firing 10 shots on goal from the midfield with one assist.

Bianca Madonia saw action in 15 games last year and started one game, playing 305 minutes in the field with three shots.

Goalkeepers

After splitting time in net last season, Smither steps into the role of full-time starter after enjoying a redshirt freshman season for the ages. Smither logged over 1,000 minutes between the pipes and allowed just four goals for a school record 0.34 goals against average. Beyond that, Smither with 7-2-4 on the year with shutouts in the Summit League final and NCAA Tournament first round game.

Taylor Lock comes to the Jacks as the freshman goalkeeper of the 2017 signing class, graduating from Lakeville North High School (Lakeville, Minnesota) as the Minnesota State High School League record holder in career shutouts (20).

Defenders

Sophomore Alexa Hepner enters the season as the most experienced defender for the Jacks, playing all but 51 available minutes on the back line for SDSU last season. Hepner set the school's single season record with over 1,970 minutes played and was part of a defensive unit that allowed just 15 goals on the year with 10 shutouts.

Juniors Annie Williams and Kyli Nelson split their time throughout the field last year, but enter 2017 as upperclassman defenders alongside fellow junior Kelsi Wipf.

Williams started eight games and logged 1,261 minutes in the field, recording an assist and 21 shots. Nelson started 19 games, mostly in the midfield, and played 1,480 minutes with six points (two goals, two assists), including a game-winner against North Dakota in nonconference play. Wipf made four appearances last season and will compete for playing time this year.

Freshmen Molly Ballinger (Lakewood, Colorado) and Kaitlin Zabel (Lakeville, Minnesota) close out the defender ranks as newcomers with high expectations. Zabel was a three-time All-Conference selection in high school (with All-State honors as a junior) while Ballinger ranked as the No. 8 prospect in Colorado entering her senior season.

Midfielders

The largest position group on the Jacks this season, eight returners blend with a pair of newcomers in the midfield. Poole, Scislow and Lam lead the group and look to build on successful 2016 seasons.

The remainder of the returners saw time as reserves in 2016 and will aim to break into the lineup on a more consistent basis this year.

Junior Madison Chapman appeared in 10 matches last season while sophomore Carina McLennan played in 20 games and broke into the starting lineup for the two Summit League Tournament games. She scored her first career goal last season. Fellow sophomores Darien Poelstra (16 appearances) and Shayna Stubbs (11 appearances) recorded points for the Jacks, as Poelstra netted two goals on seven shots and Stubbs had one goal.

Allie Zueger and Stephanie Dashiell are incoming freshmen for 2017 and bring solid backgrounds to the group. Zueger scored 19 goals and assisted in 30 scores in her career at Aberdeen Central High School (Aberdeen, South Dakota) while Dashiell (Papillion, Nebraska) fought back from an injury that cut her junior season short for a successful 2017 campaign.

Forwards

With just three returners in the group, several new faces will join the forward pitch in 2017. Hatcher, one of the key returners for the year, had four game-winners and tallied points in a school-record seven consecutive games in 2016 in addition to her standout performances over 20 starts (21 appearances) and joins Madonia, who has played in 35 career games, as a senior in the position group.

Hannah Evans transferred in from South Alabama for the 2016 season and played in 15 matches with a goal.

Leah Manuleleua (Manteca, California) joins the Jackrabbits after a season at San Joaquin Delta College, where she scored 21 goals and added 21 assists over 23 games. Prior to junior college, Manuleleua left Manteca High School as the all-time leader in career goals (116).

Three freshmen join the corps, as Marisa Schulz, Eleanor Dick and Rachel Hewitt are new to the program. Schulz is a speedster from Dakota Dunes, South Dakota, where she played club ball with TriState Revolution and Dakota Alliance while claiming three medals in state cross country and 10 medals in state track and field through her career. Dick (Harrisonville, Mo.) was a four-time All-Conference First Team and All-Conference Academic First Team selection, earning All-State honors in her final three seasons. Hewitt (Woodbury, Minn.) sat out her junior season and the first half of her senior year due to injury, but came back strong and led the team with five goals and three assists to earn MVP honors in 2016.

SDSU wrapped up fall camp this week and home fans will have their first look at the team Sunday at Fishback Soccer Park when the University of Manitoba comes to town for a 1 p.m. contest.

Live stats will be available, along with Sunday's contest being streamed through GoJacks.com/Watch.