PITMAN, NJ --- The College of New Jersey women's soccer squad has been predicted to finish first in the NJAC standings based on a vote of the league's 10 head coaches.

The Lions, who will take the pitch for the first time since 2019, garnered eight first-place votes in the preseason polling. Montclair State was picked second as the Red Hawks earned two first-place votes. Rowan, also coming off of a yearlong layoff, was predicted third.

Rutgers-Camden, which played a strong modified spring season, was picked fourth and was named the conference's dark horse for the upcoming season. Stockton rounds out the top five predictions. Rutgers-Newark was picked sixth, followed by a seventh-place tie between Kean and William Paterson. Ramapo and NJCU round out the poll.

TCNJ enters the 2021 season ranked ninth nationally in the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll. Despite not playing in all of 2020-21, the Lions have high expectations as the 2019 squad that finished eighth nationally with a conference title was very young at the time. That group is now a large bloc of juniors and seniors, with the leadership that guided the team through the hardships of the past year and a half. Senior Amelia Curtis, who was a Second Team All-NJAC pick in 2019, looks once again to anchor the Lions' midfield. The two-way player was key on the Lions' stingy defense while chipping in two goals on the offensive side. Alexandra Ryan also has 37 career games and 25 starts under her belt in the back field. On the offensive side, three-time Rookie of the Week Gianna Coppola is now two years more experienced. Coppola registered 14 points on four goals and six assists in her rookie season. Senior Julia Obst also looks to step up offensively after scoring three goals in 2019. She has 19 career points on seven goals and five assists. The Lions will look to Alexandra Panasuk to take up full-time goalkeeping duties. She saw time in seven games in 2019, contributing to six shutouts behind former all-conference keeper Nicole DiPasquale.

Montclair State, which won the spring conference tournament title, returns a wealth of experience including three major award winners. Catherine Carnevale, a four-time all-conference midfielder who also earned Spring 2021 NJAC Midfielder of the Year honors, returns for a fifth season. The defensive mid - along with reigning Defensive Player of the Year Lexington Wolf - helped the Red Hawk squad limit opponents to just two total goals in seven spring games. Carnevale also chipped in a goal and assist on the offensive side. . The center backReigning Rookie of the Year Aileen Cahill returns after getting a taste of collegiate action in the spring. Cahill registered five points on two goals and an assist, with both goals being game winners. 

Rowan returns to the pitch for the first time since 2019, but also returns with experience up and down the field. Senior back Arianna Durling and senior mid Aiden Sheehan were both NJAC Second Team selections in 2019. Durling helped the Prof back line limit opponents to just 0.89 goals per game as a sophomore. Sheehan started all 19 games in her sophomore season and was second on the team with 18 points on six goals and six assists. Senior Jess Logan, looking for her first full season since 2018 after injury sidelined her in 2019, had started every game as a freshman when she had chipped in three goals and three assists. The Profs also picked up transfer Nina Carlson at the forward position. Carlson appeared in all 20 games for TCNJ in 2019, where she contributed 14 points on four goals and six assists as a reserve. Rowan also has 18 newcomers this season, and Head Coach Scott Leacott said his team has a huge desire after not playing at all in 2020-21.

Rutgers-Camden, the dark horse pick in the preseason poll, had a breakout spring season that saw the Scarlet Raptors win the regular season title and advance to the spring tournament final. The Scarlet Raptor defense, anchored by three-time all-conference back Breana Winder, allowed just two goals in seven spring games and posted five shutouts and looks to be the strongest unit once again this fall. Two-time all-conference forward Lauren Calabria is back. In 18 career games in Camden, Calabria has posted five goals. Sophomore keeper Chloe Beasley picked up valuable experience in her debut season in the spring as she played in six of the Scarlet Raptors’ seven games with five starts. She collected one shutout and combined with Kayla McKeever on three other team shutouts. 

Stockton put together a solid spring season, going 3-2-2. The Ospreys return a number of scoring threats, including three-time all-conference (two-time First Team pick) Salena LeDonne. LeDonne scored twice in the shortened season and overall has 58 career points on 24 goals and 10 assists. The midfield looks to be strong with two-time all-conference honoree Sydney Williams (22 career points on nine goals and four assists) and Susan Porambo (31 career points on 13 goals and five assists). Senior backs Kiersten Reszkowski and Alexa Simonetti provide experience on defense. Reszkowski is a three-time all-conference honoree, twice on the All-Conference First Team, and has also contributed offensively with 16 career points on five goals and six assists.

Rutgers-Newark returns to the pitch for the first time since 2019, and Head Coach Ariana Ruela is excited to have a solid group of returners with experience who are eager to play after not having a season in 2020-21. She will look to senior duo Ana Silveira and Sabria Glasgow, both of whom were all-conference honorees in 2019. Silveira started 15 of 18 games in 2019 at midfield, and contributed eight points on two goals and four assists. Glasgow is the leading returning scorer, having scored 13 goals and assisted on another for 27 points in 2019. Junior forward Bailey Kellenberger also brings experience. As a rookie two years ago, Kellenberger saw action in 18 games with five starts and recorded 11 points on four goals and three assists. 

Kean looks to regroup after a trying covid-affected spring season. The Cougars will look to their experienced back field, including all-conference honorees Gabi Triolo at center back and Celine Brady at the defensive mid position. Triolo was a Second Team pick in the spring while Brady earned honorable mention hoors. Senior goalkeeper Marissa Cook is also experienced between the posts, as the two-time all-conference keeper sports a career goals against average of 1.68. Offensively, Kean will look to leading returning scorer Gracie Casais, who recorded 11 points on five goals and an assist in 2019. Two-sport athlete Emily Bretschneider returns as well. Bretschneider has 10 career points on three goals and four assists. They will look to step up to replace the scoring of Mariaelena Torres, who put up 24 points in 2019.

William Paterson is another defensive-minded team that will look to find consistent scoring opportunities. The Pioneers return a handful of seniors, including Kayla Miller and Meg Ponce in the back field and Daniela Lobue in the midfield. All three earned all-conference honors in the spring. The Pioneers also welcome Felician transfer Elisa Zuta, who started 17 of 19 career games at midfield while chipping in five points on one goal and three assists. They also pick up juco transfer Alex Olsen to shore up the strong defense; Olsen comes from Rowan College at Gloucester County.

Ramapo returns with experience this season, as three of the four all-conference players from the spring are back on the pitch in Mahwah. Lauren Vladyka, a Second Team pick in the spring, is the leading returning scorer. She has 18 career points on eight goals and two assists, including 12 points on five goals and two assists in the last full season in 2019. She scored twice in the shortened spring season and was among the conference leaders. Sam Ingannamorte, a Second Team pick in the spring, chipped in a goal and assist from the midfield. Also returning is all-conference honorable mention pick Amanda Gouldsbury. She has 23 career starts in the midfield while contributing three goals and three assists for nine career points. In the back field, the Roadrunners will look to senior Katie Gwiazdowski and sophomore Shayna Kenduck.

NJCU is looking for a breakout season as the Gothic Knights return experience. Arame Diouf is a two-way threat, as she earned honorable mention all-conference in the spring for her play in the back field but also has eight career goals to her name. Sophomore Kim Brites got valuable experience in the spring when she made her collegiate debut. She earned First Team honors after scoring two goals in five spring games. Krysti Alejandro is also back in the midfield after gaining valuable experience in the shortened spring season as a rookie. She started all four games and assisted on a goal over eventual conference champion Montclair State. The Gothic Knights also welcome transfers Angie Paz and Michelle Taras. Paz is a goalkeeper from Kean and Taras will shore up the defense after playing at Union County College.

2021 NJAC Women's Soccer Preseason Poll (first place votes in parentheses)
1. TCNJ (8)
2. Montclair State (2)
3. Rowan
4. Rutgers-Camden (dark horse)
5. Stockton
6. Rutgers-Newark
7 (tie). Kean
7 (tie). William Paterson
9. Ramapo
10. NJCU