The Great Lakes Valley Conference released its preseason women’s soccer coaches’ poll for the 2019 season Thursday afternoon, with University of Southern Indiana Women’s Soccer coming in sixth with 163 points (one first-place vote). The Screaming Eagles tied for first in the 2018 GLVC regular season before reaching the conference final four, ending the season with a 12-5-3 overall and 9-3-1 league marks.
The GLVC regular season will feature a 15-match, round-robin schedule based on eight pairs of travel partners. The regular-season champion, along with the next seven best teams based on conference winning percentage, will earn a berth to the eight-team GLVC Women’s Soccer Championship Tournament. The top four seeds will host on-campus November 10 with the winners advancing to the Woehrle Athletic Complex in Jeffersonville, Indiana, for the semifinals and finals on Nov. 15 and 17.
Truman State University collected 206 total points for the top spot in the GLVC Women’s Soccer Preseason Poll, gathering five first-place votes. McKendree University was second with 200 points and a league-best six first-place votes.
The 2019 USI squad is comprised of 32 players – 20 returning players and redshirts and 12 newcomers. The Eagles have four seniors in 2019.
USI returns a pair of All-Region performers in junior defender Madelyne Juenger (Columbia, Illinois) and junior midfielder/forward Maggie Winter (St. Louis, Missouri).  Juenger is a two-time All-Region defender who also tied for second in scoring last year with eight points on one goal and a team-high six assists, while Winter led USI in scoring with 19 points on seven goals and five assists.
USI Women’s Soccer opens the 2019 schedule hosting Purdue University Northwest at Strassweg Field. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m.
2019 Women’s Soccer Preseason Poll (1st-Place Votes)Â
1.  Truman State     206 (5)
2.  McKendree            200 (6)
3.  Bellarmine             187 (2)
4.  Quincy          170
5.  Rockhurst           169 (1)
6.  Southern Indiana   163 (1)
7.   Maryville                162
8.  Lewis                   128
9.  Lindenwood            125 (1)
10.  Indianapolis            102
11.  Illinois Springfield   68
Missouri-St. Louis   68
William Jewell     68
14.  Missouri S&T           45
15.  Drury            39
16.  Southwest Baptist   20
