The University of North Georgia women's soccer team came in at No. 19 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America's (NSCAA) NCAA Division II preseason poll. The Nighthawks were 21st in the final poll of the 2014 season.
"It's always an honor for our program to get national recognition," head coach Chris Adams said. "I look forward to seeing how high this year's team can climb and where we end up at season's end."
UNG returns five of its top six goal scorers from last season's squad which fell just short of the Round of 16, dropping its NCAA Second Round game at Lenoir-Rhyne in penalty kicks. The 2015 squad features 11 newcomers, including four transfers, adding talent and depth to a roster that has 16 players returning from last season.
2014 national champ, Grand Valley State, leads the first poll of the year with Rollins, the College of Saint Rose, Colorado School of Mines, and Columbus State rounding out the top five.
North Georgia and Columbus State were the only Peach Belt Conference programs to make the initial poll with Lenoir-Rhyne (11) being the only other team from the Southeast Region to claim a preseason ranking.
The Nighthawks will play two exhibition games - at Georgia Southern and a home match vs. Shorter - before opening the 2015 slate on the road against the Blazers of Valdosta State on Friday, Sept. 4 at 5 p.m.
