SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – With 60 total points and six first-place votes, North Dakota State narrowly edged South Dakota State for the top spot in The Summit League women's soccer preseason coaches' poll released Tuesday by league officials. The Jackrabbits were just one point short of the Bison in a vote by all nine of the league’s head coaches.
NDSU will be looking to clinch back-to-back regular season titles for the first time in program history and get back to the tournament title game for the first time since 2017. Last season, the Bison finished with a 10-5-4 record and a 6-1-1 mark in league play at the helm of the 2024 Summit League Coach of the Year, Mike Regan.
South Dakota State, the 2023 and 2024 Summit League Tournament champions, secured the second spot in the preseason rankings after the Jackrabbits received three first-place votes. Head coach Brock Thompson and the Jackrabbits will be in search of their second tournament title three-peat in program history (2014-2016).
Denver rounded out the top three in this year’s poll with 50 total points. Oral Roberts (43), who has made the tournament title match in two of the last three seasons, was fourth, while Omaha (38), South Dakota (26), St. Thomas (22), North Dakota (16) and Kansas City (10) capped off the 2025 Summit League women’s soccer preseason coaches’ poll.
| 2025 Summit League Women’s Soccer Preseason Coaches’ Poll |
| Rank |
School |
Points (1st) |
2024 Record (SL) |
| 1. |
North Dakota State |
60 (6) |
10-5-4 (6-1-1, 19 pts.) |
| 2. |
South Dakota State |
59 (3) |
15-2-2 (5-2-1, 16 pts.) |
| 3. |
Denver |
50 |
11-6-2 (5-1-2, 17 pts.) |
| 4. |
Oral Roberts |
43 |
9-8-5 (3-2-3, 12 pts.) |
| 5. |
Omaha |
38 |
10-3-5 (4-1-3, 15 pts.) |
| 6. |
South Dakota |
26 |
3-9-6 (1-3-4, 7 pts.) |
| 7. |
St. Thomas |
22 |
5-9-3 (1-5-2, 5 pts.) |
| 8. |
North Dakota |
16 |
4-8-6 (0-4-4, 4 pts.) |
| 9. |
Kansas City |
10 |
7-8-3 (1-7, 3 pts.) |
Players to Watch
Note: Players to Watch nominated by league’s head coaches
Amaya Garrett | North Dakota State | Junior | Defender/Midfielder
• 2024 All-Summit League First Team, 2024 CSC Academic All-District Team, 2023 Summit League All-Newcomer Team, 2023 Summit League Honor Roll
• Started in all 19 matches for the Bison in 2024, logging 1,661 minutes of action
• Led the Bison back line to eight clean sheets last season
Morgan Russman | North Dakota State | Sophomore | Forward
• 2024 Summit League Offensive Player of the Year, 2024 Summit League Newcomer of the Year, 2024 Top Drawer Soccer Freshman Best XI Second Team, 2024 United Soccer Coaches All-West Region Team, 2024 All-Summit League First Team
• Broke a NDSU Division I era freshman record with 11 goals on 68 shots
• Notched four game-winning goals in Summit League play, including the go-ahead score against St. Thomas to clinch the regular season championship for the Bison
Hailee Christensen | South Dakota State | Sophomore | Midfielder/Forward
• 2024 Summit League All-Tournament Team, Summit League Academic Honor Roll
• Registered 22 matches played, including 18 starts in her debut season
• Finished the year second on the team with four goals and three assists to total 11 points
Lauren Eckerle | South Dakota State | Senior | Defender
• 2024 Summit League Honorable Mention, 2024 Summit League Academic All-League Team, 2024 CSC Academic All-District, three-time Summit League Academic Honor Roll, two-time Summit League Commissioner’s List of Academic Excellence, 2022 Summit League All-Newcomer Team
• Recorded a career-high 1,584 minutes last season
• Summit League Defensive Peak Performer of the Week following a pair of shutouts (10/7/24)
Brooke Ahern | Denver | Senior | Forward
• Transferred from Arizona where she made 10 appearances and five starts during the 2024 season
• Logged seven shots, including three on target in her first four matches played last season
• Totaled 278 minutes for the Wildcats a season ago
Hannah Tate | Denver | Redshirt Junior | Midfielder/Defender
• 2024 All-Summit League Second Team
• Played in a career-high 19 matches and made a career-high 16 starts for the Pioneers in 2024
• Finished third in shots (38) and SOG (12) amongst her Pioneer teammates
Carson Arne | Oral Roberts | Senior | Midfielder
• 2024 Summit League All-Tournament Team, 2024 Summit League Academic All-League Team
• Saw action in 22 matches for the Golden Eagles, starting 18 of them (both career-highs)
• Recorded the game-winning goal vs. Kansas City on 10/17/24, which led to her collecting the Summit Standout award
Alani Chaple | Oral Roberts | Senior | Defender
• 2024 Summit League Honorable Mention
• Started all 22 matches for ORU
• Tallied one goal, one assist, and two shots on goal in 2024
Maggie Gundersen | Omaha | Senior | Defender
• Started all 18 matches for the Mavericks in 2024, logging a career-high 1,309 minutes
• Recorded one assist and seven shots during her junior campaign
• Scored first career goal against Oklahoma on Sept. 17, 2023
Alyssa Kellar | Omaha | Redshirt Senior | Forward
• 2024 All-Summit League First Team, 2023 Summit League All-Newcomer Team
• Collected a career-high 15 points on a career-best six goals and three assists in 2024
• Started all 18 games this past season with 1,295 minutes played
Ashby Johnston | South Dakota | Graduate | Forward
• Two-time All-Summit League Second Team (2023, 2024)
• Led South Dakota in goals during 2023 (8) and 2024 (4)
• Tied 10
th in Coyote history for SOG (53) and goals (18), tied 7
th for game-winning goals (5)
Mali Van Meeteren | South Dakota | Junior | Midfielder
• Recorded 17 starts for the Yotes in 2024 and a career-high 1,367 minutes of action
• Registered her first career assist on 9/8/24 against Portland State
• Played a career-high 101 minutes at South Dakota State (11/1/24) last season
Olivia Rowe | St. Thomas | Graduate | Goalkeeper
• Secured 50 saves in 2024, including a season-high eight saves against Drake on Aug. 15
• The Tommies’ netminder has 10 career shutouts in her time from 2023-2024
• Recorded a career 0.747 save percentage in the net for St. Thomas
Tatum Trettel | St. Thomas | Redshirt Junior | Forward
• Completed the 2024 season with three goals and one assist to gather seven points
• Played 17 games with six starts and a career-high 753 minutes last season
• Ranked second amongst the St. Thomas front line in points and goals
Charlie Basinet | North Dakota | Sophomore | Forward
• Appeared in all 18 matches for the Fighting Hawks, making three starts during her freshman season
• Knocked in her first career goal in her collegiate debut against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (8/15)
• Completed her debut season with three goals and six points, both good for fifth on the team
Grace Miller | North Dakota | Sophomore | Goalkeeper
• 2024 Summit League All-Newcomer Team, 2024 Summit League Honorable Mention, Ranked #94 on the Top Drawer Soccer Top 100 Freshman list
• Started all 17 matches for North Dakota, logging 1,347 minutes
• Ranked second among Summit goalkeepers with 89 saves and added two shutouts during her freshman campaign
Ashley Koch | Kansas City | Junior | Forward
• Summit League Offensive Peak Performer (Aug. 19), Summit League Commissioner’s List of Academic Excellence
• Made five appearances and one start for the Roos, logging 190 minutes
• Collected her first goal in a Kansas City uniform at Marquette on 8/18/24
Madelyn Muhr | Kansas City | Senior | Defender
• Recorded 16 starts and 18 appearances during her junior season
• Notched the first goal (game-winning) of her career in a victory over Southern Illinois on Aug. 29, 2024
• Ranked fourth amongst the Roos in minutes played (1,377)
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