Bridgeport Women's Soccer Picked To Defend Conference Crown In Preseason Vote Of League Coaches

Central Islip, N.Y. - After capturing an East Coast Conference Championship and advancing to the NCAA Final Four in 2015, the Bridgeport women's soccer team begins the season as the favorite to win another ECC title in a polling of the conference's coaches.  Senior midfielder Bella Mitrevski (Rochester, N.Y.) from Roberts Wesleyan has been named the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, while Nicola Worthington (Chorley, England), also a senior midfielder for Bridgeport, takes home the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year honor.
    
Coming off the most successful season in program history, Bridgeport earned seven of nine first place votes to top the poll with 75 points. The Purple Knights, who were unbeaten in ECC play on their way to a second ECC title in three years, also won the NCAA East Region Championship and advanced to the NCAA Final Four for the first time in program history. Bridgeport, who begins the season ranked No. 4 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Division II Preseason Poll, returns nine starters from last year's squad including Worthington. The Purple Knights also add transfer Idoia Agirre, who was a 2015 Division II All-American at Anderson University, to the mix.

LIU Post, coming off a 14-4-3 record and a second straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament, were the runner up in the poll after receiving the final two first place votes. Mercy and Roberts Wesleyan, at No. 3 and No. 4, round out teams slotted to make the conference tournament. Mercy has made the ECC Championship each of the last two seasons, winning it all in 2014. Roberts made the ECC Championship and NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history a season ago.

Mitrevski earns the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year honor after earning the postseason award in 2015. A three-time All-Conference selection, Mitrevski put together the best season of her career in 2015. She tallied 18 goals and nine assists for 45 points, all of which ranked in the top three in the ECC. Her points per game total of 2.25 ranked eighth in all of Division II, as well. Mitrevski's standout season earned her numerous honors, including spots on the NSCAA and Division II Conference Commissioners Association (DIICCA) All-Region Teams, and the DIICCA All-America First Team.

Worthington, the conference's reigning Defensive Player of the Year, has earned the Preseason award as well. A three-time All-Conference First Team pick, Worthington helped Bridgeport allow only 11 goals in 24 games on the year. This led to the Purple Knight's ranking in the top-10 in all of Division II with a 0.45 goals against average and a shutout percentage of .708.

2016 ECC Women's Soccer Preseason Poll

( ) - first place votes