Full Release
RICHMOND – Senior
Hannah Lopiccolo of the Northeastern women's soccer team was named the CAA Preseason Player of the Year, joining senior
Kayla Cappuzzo, junior
Hannah Rosenblatt and junior
Nathalie Nidetch as Preseason All-CAA selections, as announced Friday following a vote by the league's 10 head coaches. Northeastern was also picked as the league's unanimous choice to repeat as CAA champions in the annual preseason coaches' poll.
Northeastern's first CAA Preseason Player of the Year since Veronica Napoli in 2011, Lopiccolo enters her senior season as the 11th-highest scorer in the NU record books with 41 career points in 62 games. Lopiccolo chipped in four goals and five assists in 2016 and earned First-Team All-CAA honors for the third straight year.
The Huskies' potent strike-force of Cappuzzo and Rosenblatt combined for 18 goals and 12 assists a season ago in helping NU to its third CAA crown in the last four years. Rosenblatt's 13 goals were the third-most in a single season in program history, while Cappuzzo's eight assists set a new program benchmark. Cappuzzo enters her senior year needing four more helpers to break the program's career assist record of 19 held by alumna Liz Dyjak.
An Honorable Mention Preseason All-CAA choice, Nidetch will look to build on a stellar 2016 campaign during which she posted a 1.00 goals against average, 102 total saves and helped keep eight clean-sheets.
The Huskies open the regular season on Friday, Aug. 18 against Stony Brook at Parsons Field. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.
| 2017 CAA Women's Soccer Preseason Poll |
| Rank |
Team |
Points |
| 1. |
Northeastern |
81 |
| 2. |
William & Mary |
69 |
| T-3. |
Drexel |
56 |
| T-3. |
James Madison |
56 |
| 5. |
Hofstra |
48 |
| 6. |
UNCW |
46 |
| 7. |
College of Charleston |
36 |
| T-8. |
Delaware |
20 |
| T-8. |
Elon |
20 |
| 10. |
Towson |
18 |
| 2017 Preseason All-CAA Women's Soccer Team |
| Name |
Team |
Pos. |
Class |
| Haley Crawford |
James Madison |
F |
Sophomore |
| Kayla Cappuzzo |
Northeastern |
F |
Senior |
| Vanessa Kara |
Drexel |
F |
Junior |
| Hannah Rosenblatt |
Northeastern |
F |
Junior |
| Sarah Segan |
William & Mary |
F |
Sophomore |
| Hannah Lopiccolo |
Northeastern |
M |
Senior |
| Shaelyn McCarty |
Drexel |
M |
Junior |
| Rachel Moore |
William & Mary |
M |
Senior |
| Madeline Anderson |
Hofstra |
D |
Junior |
| Elyse Branton |
William & Mary |
D |
Senior |
| Meredith Tunney |
College of Charleston |
D |
Junior |
| Christiana Ogunsami |
Drexel |
GK |
Senior |
Preseason Player of the Year: Hannah Lopiccolo, Northeastern
Honorable Mention All-CAA: Kendall Ballotti, Elon; Grace Bennett, Elon; Maddie Bove, Towson; Maddie Brill-Edwards, College of Charleston; Haley Kent, William & Mary; Mackenzie Kober, William & Mary;
Nathalie Nidetch, Northeastern; Serenity Waters, UNCW
