For the first time in program history, the North Dakota State women’s soccer team was voted Summit League preseason favorites in a poll of the league’s head coaches.
The Bison are coming off their first regular-season title since 2009, finishing with an unbeaten league record of 7-0-1.
NDSU picked up seven first-place votes in the poll for a total of 63 points. South Dakota State, champions of the last two Summit League tournaments, collected the other two first-place votes and finished second in the poll. Oral Roberts (3rd) and Denver (4th) round out the top four spots of the league’s preseason poll.
| 2016 Summit League Women’s Soccer Preseason Coaches’ Poll | |||
| Rank | School | Points (1st) | 2015 Record (SL) |
| 1. | North Dakota State | 63 (7) | 13-6-1 (7-0-1, 22 pts.) |
| 2. | South Dakota State | 56 (2) | 12-6-3 (5-1-2, 17 pts.) |
| 3. | Oral Roberts | 49 | 10-8-2 (6-2-0, 18 pts.) |
| 4. | Denver | 45 | 4-12-1 (4-4-0, 12 pts.) |
| 5. | South Dakota | 35 | 8-12-0 (5-3-0, 15 pts.) |
| 6. | IUPUI | 26 | 6-9-3 (1-5-2, 5 pts.) |
| 7. | Omaha | 24 | 5-11-2 (2-6-0, 6 pts.) |
| 8. | Fort Wayne | 18 | 4-13-2 (2-5-1, 7 pts.) |
| 9. | Western Illinois | 8 | 2-15-0 (1-7-0, 3 pts.) |
