WEST BABYLON, N.Y. – Mercy College took the top spot in the 2023 ECC Women's Soccer Preseason Poll, as voted on by the league's nine head coaches and announced on Tuesday morning. In addition, Mercy senior forward Kayla Camacho (Valley Stream, N.Y.) and Molloy senior back Sarah Tappeto (Merrick, N.Y.) were honored with selections as the ECC Preseason Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year, respectively.
Mercy received eight of nine first-place votes to take the top spot in the poll with 80 points. The Mavericks return three of their top five goal scorers and eight players who started as least 10 matches for the 2022 squad that earned the program's first ever outright ECC Regular-Season Championship, won the program's third ECC Championship, and reached the NCAA Championship Second Round for the third consecutive season.
Reigning ECC Goalkeeper of the Year Kamy Anaya, reigning ECC Rookie of the Year forward Ancksu Dixon, and fellow All-Conference honorees Camacho, midfielders Skyler Schwenkler and Jennifer Silva, and backs Tyra Anderson and Madison Rosa are among key returnees for the Mavericks, who begin the season having received votes in the United Soccer Coaches Division II Top 25 poll.
Receiving the other first-place vote, Molloy is the poll's runner-up. The Lions return two of their top three goal scorers and six players who started at least 10 matches for the 2022 squad that reached the ECC Championship final as well as six All-Conference selections in Tappeto, midfielder Mikaela Barriga, backs Joanna Mauler, Jackie Murphy, and Natalia Piotrowski, and goalkeeper Shannon Kilian.
Roberts Wesleyan rounds out the top three in the poll with 61 points while Daemen comes in just behind at No. 4 with 57 points.
Camacho was named the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year after finishing second in the conference with 11 goals and 27 points a year ago en route to All-Conference First Team honors. A United Soccer Coaches and D2CCA All-Region Second Team pick a season ago, Camacho turned in three multi-goal matches with a pair of goals against Southern Connecticut State and St. Thomas Aquinas before going off for a collegiate-high five points with two goals and one assist at Staten Island.
For the second consecutive year, Tappeto earns the ECC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year honor. A back-to-back All-Conference First Team selection, Tappeto turned in 17 full-match performances on the back line last fall, anchoring a Lions defense that shut out nine opponents. Also a D2CCA All-American Second Team, D2CCA All-East Region First Team, and United Soccer Coaches All-East Region Second Team honoree last fall, Tappeto led the country with 17 assists and .89 assists per match, which included a career-high three assists against Lincoln and Queens.
2023 ECC Women's Soccer Preseason Poll
| School | Pts. | 2022 Record |
| 1. Mercy (8) | 80 | 14-3-2 (7-0-1 ECC) |
| 2. Molloy (1) | 69 | 12-4-3 (7-1-0 ECC) |
| 3. Roberts Wesleyan | 61 | 14-4-2 (5-2-1 ECC) |
| 4. Daemen | 57 | 5-10-2 (5-3-0 ECC) |
| 5. Queens | 41 | 2-10-3 (2-4-2 ECC) |
| 6. St. Thomas Aquinas | 35 | 5-10-3 (3-4-1 ECC) |
| 7. D'Youville | 27 | 3-12-1 (1-6-0 ECC) |
| 8. Staten Island | 23 | 2-9-3 (2-5-1 ECC) |
| 9. Lincoln (Pa.) | 12 | 1-13-0 (0-7-0 ECC) |
( ) - first place votes
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Kayla Camacho, Sr., F, Mercy
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Sarah Tappeto, Sr., B, Molloy
