The Northern Athletics Conference released coaches’ polls for six of the league’s fall sports. AU is well-represented in each of the polls, as the Spartan women’s soccer and women’s golf teams were picked first, the men’s soccer, women’s tennis and men’s golf teams were selected third in their respective polls and the volleyball team was selected to finish sixth.
The Spartan women’s soccer team was picked first by the league’s coaches with 162 points and eight of the possible 13 first-place votes. Edgewood College was second in the poll with 159 points and four first-place votes, Dominican was third with 137 points and the remaining first-place vote. AU was 16-6 last season and has captured the first three NAC championships in women’s soccer with a 34-1 overall record. LINK TO THE OFFICIAL NAC RELEASE.
The 2009 Northern Athletics Conference women's golf preseason coaches' poll has not one, but two favorites for the upcoming season as both Aurora University and Edgewood College received an equal 58 points in the poll. AU received four of eight first place votes, compared to Edgewood's two. Concordia University Wisconsin received the remaining first place votes and was finished third in the poll with 41 points. LINK TO THE OFFICIAL NAC RELEASE
The AU men’s soccer team was selected third in the men's soccer coaches’ poll with 118 points and one first-place vote. Dominican University, winner of the last three Northern Athletics Conference titles, has been chosen to win the 2009 NAC men's soccer championship, according to the preseason coaches' poll. Dominican received 11 of the 12 first place votes for 143 poll points. Concordia University Wisconsin was picked second in the poll with 123
points. LINK TO THE OFFICIAL NAC RELEASE
Edgewood College is the coaches' pick to win the 2009 NAC women's tennis title, according to the preseason poll. Edgewood, winner of last year's NAC championship, tallied 10 of 12 first place votes for 142 poll points. Concordia University Wisconsin (9-7, 8-2 NAC), who won the prior two NAC championships, was picked second with 124 points and a first place vote. The Spartans (8-4, 9-1) were picked third with 119 points. LINK TO THE OFFICIAL NAC RELEASE
Lakeland College, two-time defending Northern Athletics Conference champion, is the coaches' preseason pick to win the 2009 NAC women's volleyball title. The Muskies received six first place votes in the poll for 158 points, edging out Concordia University Wisconsin which received 155 points and three first place votes. Concordia University Chicago was chosen third with 140 points and a first place vote. Benedictine University (17-16, 7-5) received one more point than Dominican University (16-15, 7-5) for the fourth and fifth spots in the poll. Both teams were in a three-way tie for fourth place last season along with MSOE (16-15, 7-5), who was picked eighth in the poll. The Spartans of Aurora University (7-24, 6-6), the 2006 NAC Champion, was tabbed sixth with 84 points, while Wisconsin Lutheran College (19-12, 5-7) was seventh with 82. LINK TO THE OFFICIAL NAC RELEASE