The SUNY College at Old Westbury women’s soccer team was picked fourth in the Skyline Conference Preseason Coaches’ Poll in Monday’s announcement by the conference office.
The Panthers earned 28 points, nipping Mount Saint Vincent by three for that spot in a voting compiled by the conference’s head coaches, who were not permitted to vote for their own teams.
Farmingdale State received four of the eight first-place votes and totaled 46 points as the preseason favorite. Defending tournament champion Mount Saint Mary followed with 44 points and three first-place votes and St. Joseph’s (L.I.) rounded out the top three with 36 total points. Mount Saint Vincent, picked fifth, earned one first-place vote, while Sage (22 points), Purchase (16 points) and Maritime (8) rounded out the field.
Old Westbury finished fourth (5-3) last year in the regular-season standings and hosted Mount Saint Vincent in a quarterfinal round, which saw the Panthers prevail with a 2-1 victory in overtime to advance to the semifinal round for the second straight season.
Entering his seventh season as Old Westbury’s head coach, Craig Newman and the Panthers open the 2014 campaign September 2 with a non-conference road match against York. Old Westbury’s home opener will take place September 4 against John Jay and later kick-off its seven-game conference schedule at Mount Saint Mary on September 20.
