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OGDEN, Utah (August 15, 2011) – The Big Sky soccer coaches have selected Northern Arizona as a slight favorite over Sacramento State to win the 2011 championship.
Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team.
Northern Arizona received three first-place votes for a total of 43 points. Last year, Northern Arizona won its first Big Sky regular-season title after 6-0-1 in conference play. Northern Arizona fell short of its third-straight conference championship title, losing to Sacramento State 1-0.
The 2010 Lumberjacks set a school record with a 12-game unbeaten streak, one shy of the Big Sky record, and broke school and Big Sky records with a six-game shutout streak that lasted 569 minutes and two seconds. NAU returns five starters and 12 letterwinners from the 2010 squad, including four players who received All-Big Sky honors. The 2010 Big Sky Newcomer of the Year forward Chelsea Bednarz is among those returning. Head coach Andre Luciano is the winningest coach and longest-tenured coach in Big Sky soccer history, and was named Big Sky coach of the year in 2008 and 2009.
Sacramento State was picked to finish second with three first-place votes and 42 total points, just one point shy of first. The Hornets won the 2010 conference tournament after defeating the Lumberjacks 1-0. Head coach Randy Dedini is the reigning Big Sky Conference coach of the year. Sacramento State is coming off its second Big Sky Conference tournament title in the last four seasons.
The Hornets return seven starters and a total of 13 letterwinners, including senior goalkeeper Savannah Abercrombie, who holds the league record with 23 career shutouts.
Northern Colorado was chosen to finish third with two first-place votes and 39 points. In 2010 Northern Colorado qualified for its second Big Sky Conference Championship since joining the league in 2006. The Bears finished 2010 with a 10-6-3 mark. Those 10 wins were the most of any Northern Colorado squad since 2002, its last year in Division II.
Portland State was picked fourth with 34 points. Portland State finished the 2010 season second overall with a 5-2-0 conference record. The Vikings have been among the Big Sky Conference’s elite the last three years winning the regular season in 2009 and finishing as runner-up in both 2008 and 2010.
Weber State was fifth with 26 points. Weber State’s 2011 roster features 11 seniors, the largest senior class in Wildcat history. The Wildcats return 10 starters from their 2010 team that finished tied for fifth place in the Big Sky Conference.
Montana was picked sixth with 19 points. The Grizzlies are under new leadership with the arrival of first-year coach Mark Plakorus from TCU. Plakorus is the league’s only new head coach.
Rounding out the poll are Idaho State (7th, 14 points) and Eastern Washington (8th, 7 points).
The first regular season matches start Aug. 19, with the first conference matches starting Sept. 30.
| Team |
Points |
|
1. Northern Arizona
|
43(3) |
| 2. Sacramento State |
42(3) |
| 3. Northern Colorado |
39(2) |
| 4. Portland State |
34 |
| 5. Weber State |
26 |
| 6. Montana |
19 |
| 7. Idaho State |
14 |
| 8. Eastern Washington |
7 |
(Number of first place votes are in parenthesis)