Tartan Women’s Soccer Ranked 8th in United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll

(KANSAS CITY, Mo.) – The Carnegie Mellon University women's soccer team will start the year ranked nationally, as the Tartans received a ranking of eight in the 2023 Preseason Top 25 Poll released by the United Soccer Coaches.

The Tartans finished the 2022 season in the Sectional Semifinal of the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament with a record of 14-3-2. The team played five nationally ranked opponents in 2022, including 10th-ranked Calvin University who they defeated 2-0 in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

Carnegie Mellon returns four members of the team who played in all 19 matches last season and three others who played in 18. The offense returns juniors Maria Askounis and Catherine MacNichol, along with sophomore Jenna Hallbeck, and will be anchored in the midfield by seniors Cecelia Dieterich and Breana Valentovish and junior Gemma Jefferson. The defense lost its All-American center back and starting goalkeeper but has experience returning in junior Avery McGuirt, senior Sarah Scoles, and sophomore Helena Locateli.

The team opens the season with a road match against Fredonia State University at the Penn State Behrend Herb Lauffer Memorial Tournament on Saturday, September 2.