ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference has announced that the SMSU soccer team was picked 13th in the annual preseason coaches' poll. The Mustangs garnered 25 points in the voting system. Winona State University received 162 points and nine first-place votes to earn the top spot in the preseason poll.

Including the top pick as a team Winona State also received the NSIC's Preseason Offensive Player of the Year in senior Lauren Sturdivant. Maria Leider, a junior defender for Minnesota Duluth, was named the Preseason Defensive player of the Year.

Two Mustangs were named NSIC "Players to Watch" in the 2010 preseason poll. The coaches selected Kelly Fitzgerald (M, 5-7, Jr., Marshalltown, Iowa) and Tatum Borstad (D, 5-7, Jr., Coppel, Texas) as Players to Watch for the Mustangs in 2010.

Fitzgerald started all 16 games for the Mustangs in 2009 scoring two goals. She tied for the team lead in game winning goals with one and fired the most (11) shots on goal. From her defensive position, Borstad tied for the team lead with two goals on the season. The then sophomore defender added one helper and fired nine shots on goal.

Jenna Perske (D, 5-7, Sr., Sartell, Minn.) was the lone All-NSIC selection for the Mustangs in 2009. Perske picked up honorable mention honors in her junior campaign and is ready to help backstop the Mustang defense again this season.

In her third season at the helm of the soccer team, head coach Amy Olson returns 14 letterwinners from 2009. Olson has welcomed six newcomers, five freshman and one transfer for 2010.

The Mustangs open the 2010 schedule with two home exhibition games, the first coming against Colorado-Colorado Springs on Sept. 4 at 7 p.m. The Mustangs will also welcome Minot State to Marshall for an exhibition game on Sept. 15 at 7:30 p.m. SMSU's regular season schedule will get underway with a pair of NSIC matchups on Sept. 18-19 with Concordia-St. Paul and St. Cloud State.