BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Following a strong showing in 2016, the Lehigh women’s soccer team has been picked fifth in the Patriot League preseason poll, with seniors Alyssa Riporti and Adrian Vitello, and sophomore Sam Miller named preseason All-League honorees, as announced on Wednesday. The Mountain Hawks are eying a return trip to the league tournament where they earned the No. 3 seed and a home game in the Patriot League Quarterfinals last season.

 

Boston University topped the preseason poll with 156 points (12 first-place votes) followed by Bucknell with 152 (eight first-place votes), Navy with 121, Colgate with 119, Lehigh with 102 and Loyola with 69. The top six seeds advance to the league tournament. Army West Point was predicted seventh with 66 points, followed by Lafayette (53), Holy Cross (43) and American (19).

 

Meanwhile, Lehigh was tied with Bucknell for the most preseason All-League honorees with three. Riporti, Vitello and Miller were all named All-Patriot League following last season, Riporti and Vitello garnering first team laurels and Miller earning a spot on the second team.

 

Riporti helped anchor Lehigh’s defense, which began last season with eight straight shutouts, finishing the year allowing just 12 goals in 18 games. Starting all 36 games over the past two seasons, Riporti added a goal and assist in 2016. Vitello was a force in the midfield, scoring two goals and dishing an assist in 18 games last season (all starts). She tallied a goal and assist against Marist while scoring the first (and what proved to be game-winning goal) at Villanova. Meanwhile, Miller backstopped Lehigh’s defense; she began her career with 758:34 of shutout soccer (a top 25 individual streak in NCAA history) and finished the year with a 0.64 goals against average (second in school history) and 0.859 save percentage.

 

Lehigh opens its season on Friday, Aug. 18 when it hosts Monmouth at 6 p.m.

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Patriot League Women’s Soccer Preseason Poll

1. Boston University, 156 points (12 first-place votes)

2. Bucknell, 152 (8)

3. Navy, 121

4. Colgate, 119

5. Lehigh, 102

6. Loyola, 69

7. Army, 66

8. Lafayette, 53

9. Holy Cross, 43

10. American, 19

 

Patriot League Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Kendall Ham, Bucknell (Sr., F)

Patriot League Preseason Midfielder of the Year: Julianna Chen, Boston University (Jr., M)

Patriot League Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Rachel Bloznalis, Boston University (Gr., D)

 

Women’s Soccer Preseason All-Patriot League Team

Kendall Ham, Bucknell (Sr., F)

Maddie Mulford, Bucknell (Sr., F)

Abby Sotomayor, Colgate (So., F)

Clare Shea, Army West Point (Sr., M)

Julianna Chen, Boston U. (Jr., M)

Eliza Doll, Colgate (Sr., M)

Adrian Vitello, Lehigh (Sr., M)

Rachel Bloznalis, Boston U. (Gr., D)

Karli Cirovski, Bucknell (Sr., D)

Alyssa Riporti, Lehigh (Sr., D)

Sam Miller, Lehigh (So., GK)