Somerset, NJ -- Following a landmark 2019 campaign, Central Connecticut women's soccer has no plans to relinquish its spot atop the table anytime soon.

The two-time defending Northeast Conference (NEC) champion Blue Devils are the unanimous favorite to repeat, according to the annual preseason poll voted upon by league head coaches. 

2019 NEC Tournament runner-up Fairleigh Dickinson was picked second, with Sacred Heart and Bryant rounding out the top four. FDU has been in two of the last three NEC finals and won the title back in 2015.

Legendary CCSU head coach Mick D’Arcy, who was named the NEC Coach of the Year for a record sixth time in 2019, has led the Blue Devils to eight of the program’s record ten conference championships and both of its NCAA Tournament victories. D’Arcy, who enters his 21st season in New Britain, guided his squad to a historic 1-0 win over fourth-seeded Rutgers in the NCAA first round last season. He boasted five All-NEC first team selections on a team that finished 8-1-1 in the NEC and 13-5-4 overall a year ago. CCSU returns three of those honorees, including 2019 NEC Midfielder of the Year Roma McLaughlin (Donegal, Ireland/Moville Community College), who is back for her junior year. McLaughlin became the first Blue Devil to earn All-America honors when she was named to the 2019 United Soccer Coaches second team. She also earned All-North Region first team honors and was tabbed NEWISA All-England and All-ECAC. The Donegal, Ireland native has been named to the 2020-21 MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List, an award presented annually to the most outstanding player in the country. Last season, McLaughlin ranked second in the NEC in points (23), goals (10) and game-winning goals (four). Nationally, she finished in the top-100 in four categories. Also returning for the Blue Devils are senior forward Jenna Rae Covello (Plymouth, CT/Terryville) and senior defender Erica Bardes (Montvale, NJ/Pascaak Hills). Covello was a first team All-NEC performer who finished 2019 with four goals and four assists. Herself an All-NEC first teamer, Bardes anchored a stingy defense that permitted just six goals over ten conference matches. She will be remembered for years to come in CCSU soccer circles after scoring the game-winner in dramatic fashion in the NCAA win over Rutgers, drilling a long, wide-angle shot in the 88th minute for the game's lone goal.

An eight-match conference schedule will be contested in a single round-robin format over six weeks from March 2 to April 13. The 2020-21 NEC Women’s Soccer Championship match will pit the No.2 seed at No.1 seed the weekend of April 16-18.