Griz underdogs according to preseason poll
8/12/2010 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
If the Montana soccer team advances to the Big Sky Conference tournament for the fourth time under seventh-year coach Neil Sedgwick, it will come at the surprise of the league???s seven other coaches. Montana was picked seventh in the 2010 preseason coaches??? poll, which was released Thursday by the league office.
Northern Arizona, which has won the last two Big Sky tournaments, neither as the No. 1 seed and host, was placed atop the poll by a wide margin. The Lumberjacks, who return 10 starters from last year???s team that snuck into the tournament with a 4-3-0 league record, picked up six first-place votes and 48 points.
Sacramento State, which finished fifth last year with a 3-2-2 Big Sky record, and Portland State, which won the 2009 regular-season title with a 4-1-2 league mark and hosted last November???s tournament, picked up the remaining first-place votes.
The Hornets earned 38 points. The Vikings, who lost 2009 Big Sky Offensive MVP Dolly Enneking and Defensive MVP Cris Lewis, collected 36 points.
Weber State, which had made six straight Big Sky tournaments prior to missing last year???s postseason, was picked fourth with 30 points. The Wildcats went 2-5-0 in league matches in 2009 to tie for seventh.
The bottom half of the poll included fifth-place Idaho State (4-3-0 in league in 2009), which advanced to last year???s tournament championship match as the No. 3 seed, sixth-place Eastern Washington (4-2-1), which finished second in the regular season last year, seventh-place Montana (2-4-1) and eighth-place Northern Colorado (2-5-0).
The Grizzlies finished sixth last season; the Bears tied with Weber State for seventh.
Big Sky Conference matches start the second weekend of October. The four-team postseason tournament will be played the first weekend of November at the home of the regular-season champion.
Montana, which plays the top three teams in the poll on the road, will have an opportunity to make an early statement. The Grizzlies open the Big Sky portion of their schedule at Sacramento State and at Portland State Oct. 8 and 10.
Montana, which will be relying on a first-year goalkeeper, returns 11 players who had extensive starting experience in 2009.
2010 Big Sky Conference Preseason Poll
1. Northern Arizona (6)?? ...?? 48
2. Sacramento State (1)?? ...?? 38
3. Portland State (1)?? ...?? 36
4. Weber State?? ...?? 30
5. Idaho State?? ...?? 27
6. Eastern Washington?? ...?? 16
7. Montana?? ...?? 15
8. Northern Colorado?? ...?? 14
