Washington University Men’s Soccer Ranked 6th, Women 9th, in NSCAA/adidas Preseason Top-25 Poll

Washington University Men's Soccer Ranked 6th, Women 9th, in NSCAA/adidas Preseason Top-25 Poll St. Louis, Mo., August 14, 2008 — Washington University in St. Louis will begin the 2008 season with both the men's and women's soccer teams ranked in the top 10 in the NSCAA/adidas preseason top-25 poll, as announced by the association's Web site. The WU men are ranked No. 6 in the preseason poll, while the women's team is ranked ninth.         In 2007, the Washington University's men's team enjoyed its most successful campaign under head coach Joe Clarke, posting a 16-5-2 overall record and advancing to the NCAA Sectional Finals, where it fell to eventual national runner-up Trinity University, 2-1. The team's 16 wins was the most for the program since 1995, the last time it made an appearance in the sectional finals.         Washington U. returns eight starters from the 2007 squad, including junior goalkeeper John Smelcer, freshman forward Harry Beddo, senior forward Marshall Plow and junior forward John Hengel.         Smelcer started in goal for all 23 of the Bears' contests a year ago, posting a 0.66 goals against average while recording 10 shutouts. His 0.66 GAA ranks as the fifth-best single-season mark in school history, and his 0.61 career GAA ranks third all-time at Washington U.         Beddo earned second-team all-UAA honors last year, leading Washington University in scoring, netting nine goals and tallying 22 points. Plow, an honorable mention all-UAA selection, finished the season with four goals and four assists, while Hengel tallied the second-highest point total on the team, with six goals and a team-high five assists.         The women's team finished 2007 with a 17-4 overall record, tying the program-best win total, and advanced to NCAA Sectionals. The Bears posted a 5-2 record in UAA play, capturing their fifth conference championship in school history. The 2008 season will be the first for new WU women's soccer head coach Jim Conlon.         Conlon comes to the Danforth Campus after spending the last eight seasons at the helm of the men's and women's soccer programs at Wartburg College. He replaces Wendy Dillinger, who spent six years as the head coach before taking the same position at Iowa State University.         WU returns 23 letterwinners and seven starters from last year's squad, including junior forward Caryn Rosoff, junior defender Libby Held and senior midfielder Caitlin Malone.         Rosoff, a second-team All-America selection and the 2007 UAA Most Valuable Player, led the Bears in goals (10) and points (28). Malone was Washington University's second-leading scorer, netting nine goals and tallying 22 points. Held, a first-team all-UAA selection in 2007, helped anchor a Bears' defense that allowed just 14 goals all season, also posting 10 shutouts.         The women take the field for their 2008 season opener on Friday, Aug. 29, at 8 p.m., against Calvin College on Francis Field in St. Louis, Mo. The men also begin the 2008 campaign on Friday, Aug. 29, when they will face the University of the South in Birmingham, Ala., at 5 p.m. (ET). Vincent Novicki Assistant Sports Information Director Washington University in St. Louis http://bearsports.wustl.edu