Owls tied atop NCAC preseason poll

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) unveiled its 2023 women’s soccer preseason poll, and, according to balloting of the conference’s coaches, the Kenyon College Owls were one of three teams tied at the top of the predicted standings.

 The Owls garnered two of the eight possible first-place votes and 52 overall points, locking Kenyon into a three-way tie with Denison University (three first-place votes) and DePauw University (one first-place vote). Ohio Wesleyan University checked in at fourth with 36 points, while Wittenberg University and The College of Wooster each received a first-place vote and tied for fifth with 34 points. Oberlin College (19 points) and Hiram College (9 points) rounded out the eight-team poll. Kenyon returns six all-conference selections from its 2022 squad that captured the program’s fourth NCAC regular-season championship after compiling a 5-1-1 league record. The Owls, who went 7-6-4 overall last season, welcome forwards Talulla Sheridan (Second Team All-NCAC) and Eun Hae Lillig (Third Team) back to the pitch. Sheridan recorded four goals and one assist, while Hae Lillig netted two goals a season ago. First-teamer Sadie Gould, who led the Owls in points with 13 (6 goals, 1 assist), and Morgan Baker (Third Team), who posted one goal and three assists, return to the midfield for the Owls. Defenders Claudia Abram (Second Team) and Kit Ross (Third Team) also return after helping the Kenyon backline log six shutouts and post a team goals-against average of 1.06.