Westminster soccer: Griffins ranked 22nd in NAIA Women's Soccer Preseason Poll

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Westminster College women's soccer team will start the year ranked No. 22 in the NAIA Women's Soccer Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll, the national office announced Tuesday. This marks the first time in school history Westminster made the Top 25 in the preseason poll.

Westminster received 186 points in the poll of NAIA coaches to put them in the poll for a fourth consecutive release. The Griffins slipped three positions from the school record No. 19 position they finished the 2011 season with. Frontier Conference rival Carroll College sits in the No. 25 slot after receiving 101 points, while Rocky Mountain College is among the others receiving votes with three points.

The Griffins are coming off a 2011 season where they went 12-7-2 and qualified for the NAIA National Championships for the first time in school history. They return 18 players from the co-Frontier Conference championship team that set a school record for wins.

For the fourth-straight year, Lee (Tenn.) lands at No. 1 in the Preseason Top 25 Poll. The Lady Flames, who won their fourth-straight national championship last December, collected all 20 first-place votes and 560 points to earn top honors.

Westminster begins this season on Aug. 24 when the team hosts Avila (Mo.) at Dumke Field.