Gauchos picked 2nd in OEC

The Saddleback women's soccer team opens the 2016 campaign today and the optimism surrounding the program is on high alert after finishing second in the conference last season.  The Gauchos are picked to finish second in the Orange Empire Conference this season, according to the polls.

The 2016 season starts with an early poll put out by the sports information directors in the conference, who were all solicited to make their picks.  The results show Santiago Canyon College with a narrow lead over both Cypress College and Saddleback College, who tied for second.  Santiago Canyon garnered four of the first place votes with Saddleback collecting the other two. 

The Gauchos return a number of players from the 2015 squad, including leading scorer Emilee Monnig.  The sophomore from Rosary High School finished with a team-leading 15 goals and eight assists last year.

"Monnig is our leading scorer and one of the best forwards in the state," head coach BJ McNicol said.  "She will be our team captain."

Joining Monnig from the 2015 squad are defenseman Rachel Edelstein and right fullback Breanna Taboada.  Edelstein anchored a Saddleback defense that surrendered only 19 goals last season while Taboada finished second on the team in scoring, netting 11 goals of her own.

With a new season comes new faces and coach McNicol's has been hitting the pavement, trying to reload for a brutal OEC schedule.  Others expected to do big things this season are redshirt defenseman Megan Rhodes (Tesoro HS) and 16-year old defender Jessica Kron (Capistrano Valley HS). 

OEC Poll Results (first place votes)

Santiago Canyon 51 (4)
Saddleback 46 (2)
Cypress 46
Orange Coast 34
Irvine Valley 25
Golden West 24
Fullerton 21
Santa Ana 17
Norco 6