(HALIFAX, N.S.) The U SPORTS no. 3-ranked Cape Breton Capers women's team are the favourites to repeat as AUS women's soccer champions based on the results of the inaugural coaches' poll announced today.
With the regular season set to begin this week, the reigning Atlantic conference champions received eight first place votes from the conference head coaches for a total of 79 points.
This marks the first year for the AUS soccer pre-season coaches' poll, which was voted on by the league's ten head coaches, who were not permitted to vote for their own teams
The Acadia Axewomen received the other two first place votes to finish second in the voting with 69 points, two points ahead of the Dalhousie Tigers who came in third (69 points).
The Capers, 10-1-1 in regular season play last season, defeated the StFX X-Women 1-0 in the AUS final to capture their 10th conference banner in the past 16 seasons. Cape Breton went on to claim a bronze medal at the 2018 U SPORTS championship in Ottawa.
This year's Subway AUS championship tournament will be hosted by Cape Breton University, Oct. 31 to Nov. 3 in Sydney, N.S.
2019 AUS WOMEN'S SOCCER PRE-SEASON COACHES POLL
(First-place votes in parentheses):
1. Cape Breton (8), 79 pts.
2. Acadia (2), 69 pts.
3. Dalhousie, 67 pts.
4. StFX, 59 pts.
5. Memorial, 50 pts.
6. UNB, 38 pts.
7. Saint Mary's, 31 pts.
8. UPEI, 22 pts.
9. Mount Allison, 18 pts.
10. Moncton, 17 pts.
NOTE: Coaches ranked all opponents 1-9. First-place votes worth 9 pts., second-place worth 8 pts. etc.
The 2019 season opens this Friday with three match-ups, all of which can be seen live on AUStv at www.AUStv.ca.
For a complete look at the 2019 AUS women's soccer schedule, click here.