With 63 total points and five first-place votes, Denver was selected to hold the top spot in The Summit League women’s soccer preseason coaches’ poll released Monday by league officials.
The Pioneers were six points clear of fellow 2018 co-champion South Dakota State (57 points) and held the top spot for the second-consecutive year.
The Jackrabbits, who owned the remaining two first-place votes, will host the 2019 Summit League Championship in Brookings on Nov. 7 and 9. SDSU and DU finished with identical 7-1 records in 2018, but a head-to-head win by the Jackrabbits during the regular season earned them the top seed a year ago and right to host the event again in 2019.
South Dakota (37 points) was picked to finish fifth after missing out on postseason play by a single point in head coach Michael Thomas’ first season with the program.
