WEST BABYLON, N.Y. (Aug. 22, 2023) – The Mercy University women's soccer team has been picked to finish first in the East Coast Conference (ECC) Preseason Coaches' Poll and senior Kayla Camacho has been named Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, as announced by the conference office earlier today. The Mavericks top the poll for the third straight season.

Mercy topped the poll with eight first-place votes and 80 points overall. Molloy was selected second with one first-place vote and 69 points overall. Roberts Wesleyan racked up 61 points to be ranked third in the poll. Molloy's Sarah Tappeto was named Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.

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.

The Mavericks went 14-3-2 last season, winning their third ECC Championship and advancing to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament. Mercy returns three of their top five goals scorers and eight student-athletes who started at least 10 matches for the 2022 squad that earned the program's first ever outright ECC Regular Season Championship. Reigning ECC Goalkeeper of the Year Kamy Anaya, reigning ECC Rookie of he Year Ancksu Dixon and fellow All-Conference honorees Camacho, Skyler Schwenkler, Jennifer Silva, Tyra Anderson and Madison Rosa are among the key returnees for Interim Head Coach Jack Nicholson. Mercy received votes in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Top 25 poll.