FLUSHING, N.Y. (Aug. 27, 2019) - After falling shy of capturing a conference title last season, John Jay College has emerged as the top choice to win the 2019 CUNYAC Women’s Soccer Championship, according to the league's preseason coaches’ poll, announced Tuesday.

The Bloodhounds finished with a total of 33 points and four first-place votes.

John Jay comes off a year in which it finished with its first winning record in program history, sporting an overall record of 10-7-2 and a 5-1 mark against CUNYAC opposition. The Bloodhounds’ historic season culminated in an appearance in the CUNYAC Championship final, where they fell to College of Staten Island, 6-2.

John Jay returns all three of its CUNYAC All-Stars from a year ago in Katie Healy, Brittany Shaneberger and Anneliese Tucci.

Healy was among the team leaders in scoring with 27 points on nine goals and a team-best nine assists. She also had one game-winner to her credit on the season.

Shaneberger was solid in goal, boasting a 10-7-1 record with a 1.78 goals-against average. She made the second-most saves (80) in the conference and ranked third amongst the league’s goalkeepers in shutouts (4).

Tucci led a defensive unit that held opponents to the third-fewest goals (39) in the CUNYAC and chipped in offensively with 14 points (6 G, 2 A). Two of her goals were game-winners.

CSI’s Samantha LaValle earned the nod as the CUNYAC Preseason Player of the Year. The junior racked up a conference-best 45 points and 22 goals in 2018, including two in the CUNYAC Championship game, to help deliver a fourth-straight CUNYAC title for the Dolphins.

City College of New York finished just below John Jay in the rankings with 30 points with one first-place vote, while Lehman College (24 points) and Brooklyn College (20 points) were third and fourth, respectively. York (12 points) and Medgar Evers (7 points) rounded out the poll.

The 2019 CUNYAC Women’s Soccer Championship will be held in early-November, with the final taking place on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 2 p.m. at Brooklyn College.

2019 CUNYAC Preseason Women's Soccer Poll
1. John Jay (Four First-Place Votes) - 33 Points
2. CCNY (One First-Place Vote) - 30 Points
3. Lehman - 24 Points
4. Brooklyn (One First-Place Vote) - 20 Points
5. York - 12 Points
6. Medgar Evers - 7 Points

CUNYAC Preseason Player of the Year: Samantha LaValle, F, Staten Island