Red Devils Picked Ninth in SLIAC Women’s Soccer Poll

ST. LOUIS, Mo. – The Eureka College women's soccer team has been selected to finish ninth in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in 2017, according to a preseason poll conducted by league coaches. Five-time defending champion Webster received eight first-place votes and was picked to defend its crown.

Webster's 80 points topped the poll. The Gorloks have won or shared five straight regular-season titles and has also claimed four of the last five SLIAC Tournament crowns. Crosstown rival Fontbonne received 73 points and the other two first-place votes to be selected to finish second. Westminster, Spalding and Greenville rounded out the top half of the voting.

Principia was voted sixth, followed by Blackburn, MacMurray, Eureka and Iowa Wesleyan.

The top four teams in the final SLIAC regular-season standings will qualify for the league's annual postseason tournament. The highest seed hosts each match. The semifinals are scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 2 and the title match for Saturday, Nov. 4.

The Red Devils, in search of their first-ever SLIAC Tournament bid, are scheduled to begin their 11th season of women's soccer on Wednesday, Sept. 6 against Rockford at Traister Field at 4 p.m. EC will play its first match on the new artificial surface at McKinzie Field on Thursday, Sept. 14 at 7 p.m. against Lincoln Christian. The contest against the Red Lions will be Eureka's first home match under the lights in program history.