CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- The American Rivers Conference released its 2023 women's soccer preseason coaches poll on Tuesday, Aug. 15 and Wartburg was voted to finish third overall, totaling 52 points.

Complete poll:

2023 American Rivers Conference Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll
Rank	School (1st place votes)	Points	2022 Record
1.	Loras (8)	64	18-1-3 overall, 8-0 A-R-C (Conference Champions)
2.	Simpson	54	12-6-1 overall, 6-2 A-R-C
3.	Wartburg (1)	52	16-3-2 overall, 6-1-1 A-R-C
4.	Luther	44	8-8-4 overall, 3-3-2 A-R-C
5.	Dubuque	33	6-5-7 overall, 3-2-3 A-R-C
6.	Central	31	9-6-3 overall, 3-3-2 A-R-C
7.	Nebraska Wesleyan	20	6-9-1 overall, 2-6 A-R-C
8.	Coe	17	1-15-1 overall, 1-7 A-R-C
9.	Buena Vista	9	4-12-1 overall, 0-8 A-R-C

 

3rd		Wartburg College Head Coach: Emily Ryan (2nd season, 16-3-2 record) 2022 Record: 16-3-2 overall, 6-1-1 A-R-C 2022 Conference Finish: 2nd NCAA Tournament (Last Appearance/Total Appearances): 2022/10 Returning All-Conference: Avery Mize (2022 Honorable Mention, D, Jr.) Starters Returning: 4 Starters Lost: 7 Emily Ryan - "We are excited to get going again. We have a motivated group of returners ready to lead the many new faces joining our program. The A-R-C continues to showcase a high level of talent and we are looking forward to another competitive season."
	Players to Watch (Returners Only)	2022 Statistics
	Avery Mize - D (Jr.)	21-games started // 1,882-minutes
	Lauren Kirkle - D (Jr.)	21-games played // 5-goals // 4-assists // 1-game winner
	Greta Rothe - M (So.)	20-games played // 2-goals // 2-assists
	Mya Jansen - F (So.)	21-games started // 2-goals // 5-assists

Wartburg is led by head coach Emily Ryan, who enters her second year at the helm of Wartburg women's soccer in 2023. The Knights finished the 2022 season with an overall record of 16-3-2 and a mark of 6-1-1 in the A-R-C to finish second in the conference. The Orange & Black will return four starters from a season ago. Wartburg hosted rounds one and two of the NCAA Tournament last season, which marked the 10^th total NCAA Tournament appearance for the Orange & Black.