By Tim Glon
ADA — The Ohio Northern women's soccer team is ranked No. 12 in the 2012 Continental Tire/NSCAA Women's Division III preseason poll in voting conducted by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.

The Polar Bears were ranked No. 13 in the final 2011 NSCAA poll.

Messiah (Pa.) is ranked No. 1 after winning the 2011 NCAA III Tournament crown, William Smith (N.Y.) is second and Messiah (Pa.) was third.

Northern will open its 2012 campaign at home against Grove City (Pa.) on Aug. 31 at 4 pm and will host No. 17-ranked Case Western Reserve on Sept. 2 at 1 pm at the ONU Soccer Field.

The Polar Bears finished 16-3-2, won the OAC Regular Season title with a perfect 9-0-0 mark and made their second NCAA III Tournament appearance in three seasons in 2011 under ninth-year head coach Mark Batman.

NSCAA Division III Women's Poll - Preseason
August 9, 2012

Rank School 2011 Record 2011 Rank
1. Messiah (Pa.) 23-0-1 1
2. William Smith (N.Y.) 20-1-1 3
3. Johns Hopkins (Md.) 21-1-0 6
4. Wheaton (Ill.) 23-2-2 2
5. Trinity (Tex.) 22-1-0 7
6. Emory (Ga.) 17-1-2 8
7. Amherst (Mass.) 20-1-0 4
8. Middlebury (Mass.) 13-4-2 10
9. Washington (Mo.) 18-5-0 9
10. Hardin-Simmons (Tex.) 20-2-0 12
11. Illinois Wesleyan 14-4-2 17
12. Ohio Northern 16-3-2 13
13. Williams (Mass.) 13-5-3 11
14. Concordia (Minn.) 13-4-6 16
15. Lynchburg (Va.) 19-3-1 18
16. California Lutheran 20-2-1 14
17. Case Western Reserve 13-4-3 19
18. Stevens (N.J.) 14-3-4 RV
19. Ithaca (N.Y.) 15-4-3 5
20. Virginia Wesleyan 18-4-0 21
21. New Jersey 13-4-2 23
22. Cortland State (N.Y.) 14-6-3 15
23. Wisconsin-Whitewater 14-5-3 NR
24. Centre (Ky.) 14-5-3 24
25. Springfield (Mass.) 15-4-3 25
Others Receiving Votes: St. Benedict (Minn.), University of Chicago, Ohio Wesleyan, Wheaton (Mass.), SUNY New Paltz, Haverford (Pa.), Nazareth (N.Y.)