DePaul University Athletics
Julianne Sitch Named Preseason All-BIG EAST
8/5/2005 12:00:00 AM | WOMEN'S SOCCER
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Connecticut and defending national champion Notre Dame have been picked to capture the 2005 BIG EAST Women’s Soccer regular season divisional titles as voted by the conference head coaches, who were not permitted to vote for their own teams. The Huskies were selected to finish the regular season atop Division A, while the Fighting Irish were chosen to garner the Division B title.
Notre Dame, who captured the 2004 NCAA College Cup title, was a unanimous pick to grab the 2005 title with 15 first place votes. The Irish will look to win the BIG EAST regular season crown for the third consecutive season. Katie Thorlakson and Erika Bohn will lead this year’s Notre Dame squad. Thorlakson was selected as the conference’s Preseason Offensive Player of the Year while Bohn earned BIG EAST Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year honors. The duo is joined on the All-BIG EAST Preseason Team by teammates senior forward Candace Chapman and junior midfielder Jen Buczkowski. The Irish finished the 2004 season with a 25-1-1 record, with the only loss being to Connecticut in the BIG EAST Championship finals.
Connecticut captured last season’s BIG EAST Championship crown and earned 13 first place votes in the preseason poll. Connecticut will be led by sophomore Meghan Schnur, who was selected to the All-BIG EAST Preseason Team. The Huskies completed 2004 with an 18-7-1 record and advanced to the third round of the NCAA tournament before being eliminated by Notre Dame.
Villanova senior Laura Koch was selected as the league’s Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. In 2004, Koch helped to anchor a defense that allowed just 16 goals in 22 games (0.70 goals against average). Koch’s abilities helped to secure a second place prediction, and the remaining first place vote for the Wildcats in the Division B preseason poll.
West Virginia received three first place votes and was selected to finish second to Connecticut in Division A. The Mountaineers will be led by senior Marisa Kanela and sophomore Ashley Banks. Kanela, a second team all-region and All-BIG EAST honoree in 2004, was West Virginia's leading scorer last season, tallying 11 goals and four assists for 26 points. Banks, the 2004 BIG EAST Co-Rookie of the Year, earned freshman All-America accolades for an eight-goal, eight-assist freshman campaign.
Louisville and DePaul, both newcomers to the BIG EAST this season, each placed a member of its squad on the All-BIG EAST Preseason Team. Jamie Craft, a junior for the Cardinals, posted four goals in 2004, earning first team All-Conference USA and all-region honors. DePaul senior Julianne Sitch was named to the All-BIG EAST Preseason Team after a nine goal, seven assist performance in 2004.
Also picked to the preseason all-conference team are Rutgers senior midfielder Zoe Avner and St. John’s junior forward Natasha Lee. Avner, an All-BIG EAST Third Team selection last fall, registered two assists last season. Lee, recorded a team-best 58 shots at the net last year, connecting six times, including two game-winners and garnering multiple postseason honors.
The BIG EAST will sponsor 16 teams for women’s soccer in 2005, making it the largest women’s soccer conference in the nation. With the addition of five new schools, the BIG EAST returns to divisional play. The 16-team field will be divided into two divisions, Division A and Division B. Each team will play seven opponents from within its division as well as four opponents from the other division. All games against conference opponents, regardless of division affiliation will affect the overall conference record. BIG EAST conference play begins Aug. 31 when Villanova visits Georgetown.
The 2005 BIG EAST Women’s Soccer Championships will feature 10 of the league’s 16 teams. The top three teams in each division earn a first-round bye to the quarterfinals. The first round and quarterfinal games will be held on the campus of the higher seeded team. First round games will be held Oct. 26-27, with the quarterfinals following on Oct. 29-30. Marquette’s Valley Fields will serve as host for the ‘05 semifinal round (Nov. 4) and the championship match (Nov. 6). Selection and seeding are based on regular season conference records.
| Division A | Points | 2004 | 2004 | 2004 |
| 1. Connecticut (13) | 118 | 18-7-1 | 8-2-0 | 2nd |
| 2. West Virginia (3) | 108 | 15-6-0 | 7-4-0 | 3rd |
| 3. Syracuse | 80 | 8-9-2 | 2-7-1 | T9th |
| 4. Marquette | 77 | 12-8-1 | --- | --- |
| 5. St. John's | 68 | 10-9-1 | 4-5-0 | 8th |
| 6. Pittsburgh | 51 | 6-10-1 | 2-7-1 | T9th |
| 7. USF | 39 | 5-9-2 | --- | --- |
| 8. Providence | 27 | 5-13-0 | 2-8-0 | T11th |
| Division B | Points | 2004 | 2004 | 2004 |
| 1. Notre Dame (15) | 120 | 25-1-1 | 9-0-1 | 1st |
| 2. Villanova (1) | 102 | 14-6-2 | 5-4-1 | T5th |
| 3. Rutgers | 93 | 9-10-1 | 4-5-1 | 7th |
| 4. Georgetown | 68 | 9-9-1 | 5-4-1 | T5th |
| 5. Louisville | 62 | 12-5-3 | --- | --- |
| 6. DePaul | 49 | 9-9-2 | --- | --- |
| 7. Seton Hall | 44 | 7-9-2 | 2-8-0 | T11th |
| 8. Cincinnati | 29 | 4-14-0 | --- | --- |
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year
Katie Thorlakson, Sr., F, Notre Dame*
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Laura Koch, Sr., B, Villanova
Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year
Erika Bohn, Sr., Notre Dame
Preseason All-BIG EAST Team^
Katie Thorlakson, Sr., F, Notre Dame
Laura Koch, Sr., B, Villanova
Erika Bohn, Sr., GK, Notre Dame
Meghan Schnur, So., MF, Connecticut
Marisa Kanela, Sr., MF, West Virginia
Jen Buczkowski, Jr., MF, Notre Dame
Ashley Banks, So., F/MF, West Virginia
Candace Chapman, Sr., F/D, Notre Dame
Jamie Craft, Jr., F, Louisville
Natasha Lee, Jr., F/MF, St. John’s
Zoe Avner, Sr., MF, Rutgers
Julianne Sitch, Sr., MF, DePaul
^ - Due to a tie in voting an extra member has been added to the preseason team
* - unanimous selection
