CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The America East conference announced Monday that the University of New Hampshire women’s soccer team has been selected to finish the season second in the standings, as determined by a vote of the conference’s head coaches.
   
UNH, the 2007 regular season co-champions and America East championship game host, garnered 52 points, including one first place vote. Boston University, the defending conference champions, as well as the regular season co-champions, were chosen as the preseason favorites to capture the title once again. BU amassed 64 points, including all eight possible first-place votes (coaches could not vote for their own teams).
   
The Wildcats were picked fifth in the 2007 preseason poll, but surpassed expectations to grab a share of the top spot and a place in the championship game. An improvement on this year’s predictions would be another step in the right direction toward the first conference championship in school history.
   
UNH opens its season Aug. 24 when it hits the road to take on the College of the Holy Cross at 1 p.m. The ‘Cats open up at home Sept. 7 when they host the University of Rhode Island at 1 p.m.


1. Boston University (8)         64
2. New Hampshire (1)           52
3. Stony Brook                        46
4. Maine                                   45
5. Hartford                                40
6. Binghamton                        26
7. Albany                                  23
8. Vermont                               19
9. UMBC                                    9