EDISON, New Jersey – Marist Women's Soccer was predicted to finish fourth in the 2019 MAAC Preseason Poll, the conference announced on Tuesday morning.  
 
The fourth-place showing, voted on by the conference's head coaches, is the highest for the Red Foxes since they were picked fourth in 2014. In the past two seasons, Marist has either matched or exceeded its preseason ranking.
 
Last year, after slotting in seventh before the first whistle, the Red Foxes finished the regular season in second place and advanced to the MAAC Semifinals. Marist Head Coach Leigh Howard was tabbed as the MAAC Coach of the Year. Junior defender Nicole Sasso (All-MAAC Second Team) and redshirt sophomore midfielder Kristen Prevosto (All-MAAC Rookie Team) are the team's returning postseason award winners from 2018.
 
This year, the Red Foxes retain 73 percent of its offense from a season ago. Overall, 22 student-athletes return to the fold, along with eight newcomers.
 
Marist begins the year at Towson on Sunday, August 25 at 3:00 pm. Following a four-game road trip, the Red Foxes host old MAAC rival Loyola (MD) on Sunday, September 8 at 1:00 pm for the team's home opener.
 

Preseason All-MAAC Team
Player	Position	Institution
Madie Gibson*	Forward	Monmouth
Kelsey Araujo	Forward	Niagara
Annie Ibey	Forward	Niagara
Jill Conklin	Midfield	Monmouth
Lexie Palladino	Midfield	Monmouth
Valeria Pascuet	Midfield	Rider
Selena Salas^	Midfield	Quinnipiac
Niamh Cashin	Back	Rider
Anna Lazur	Back	Monmouth
Jess Johnson	Back	Monmouth
Sarina Jones^	Back	Monmouth
Amanda Knaub	Goalkeeper	Monmouth

 
Preseason Player of the Year
Madie Gibson – Monmouth
* = Unanimous selection
^ = Wild card selection (Two wild cards due to a tie in voting)
 

Preseason Coaches' Poll
Monmouth (11)	121
Quinnipiac	96
Siena	89
Marist	86
Rider	81
Niagara	69
Fairfield	54
Manhattan	50
Canisius	32
Iona	28
Saint Peter's	20