MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee women's soccer team has been picked by league coaches to finish second in the upcoming Horizon League regular season, according to the results of the preseason poll announced today by the league office.
 
The Panthers tallied five first-place votes and 108 points in the coaches' poll to hold down the runner-up spot, just behind the 115-point total of Oakland, who also received five first-place votes.
 
Despite being Horizon League Tournament champions for a fourth consecutive year and appearing in the NCAA Tournament for the 15^th time in program history a year ago, Milwaukee was not selected for the top spot for the first time in six seasons – a spot they have held in the league poll 19 times since 2000, as well as an amazing run of 13 straight from 2000-2012.
 
A new era begins tomorrow, with head coach Kevin Boyd making his debut leading the way against Wake Forest. Along with a new coach, the roster will also have a new look after the Panthers lost 12 players to graduation or transfer and will now be able to count on just two returning starters on the field following a stellar 19-2 campaign that set school records for overall wins (19) and winning percentage (.905), as well as longest-ever win streak (14). After a season in which the Panthers set the school record for points (206) and assists (80), and finished second in all-time goals for a season (63), just 28.7 percent of those points are set to return to the field starting tomorrow.

Northern Kentucky finished in third place, earning 96 points, while Cleveland State was a distant fourth with 74 points.
 
Green Bay leads the next grouping in fifth with 65 points, followed closely by Wright State in sixth (60 points), IUPUI in seventh (55), Purdue Fort Wayne in eighth (51), and Youngstown State in ninth (49, with the Penguins picking up the remaining first-place vote).
 
Detroit Mercy (28) and Robert Morris (25) rounded out the poll.
 
Fall 2022 #HLWSOC Preseason Poll
Pl.   Team – Pts. (First-place votes)
1.         Oakland (5) – 115
2.         Milwaukee (5) – 108
3.         Northern Kentucky – 96
4.         Cleveland State – 74
5.         Green Bay – 65
6.         Wright State – 60
7.         IUPUI – 55
8.         Purdue Fort Wayne – 51
9.         Youngstown State (1) – 49
10.        Detroit Mercy – 28
11.        RMU – 25