St. Joseph, Waterford Lead Inaugural Girls Soccer Coaches Polls

CONNECTICUT — Just over a week into the regular season, the initial Connecticut high school girls soccer coaches poll of 2023 has been released.

Defending Class L champion St. Joseph collected first-place nods from all nine coaches to unanimously top the Class LL/L division. In Classes M/S, four different teams received top votes, with Waterford emerging as the No. 1 squad.

Here are the top 10 in each division, with first-place votes in parentheses, a well as all other schools earning support.

CLASSES LL/L

1. St. Joseph (9)
2. Staples
3. Ridgefield
4. Mercy
5. Notre Dame-Fairfield
6. Fairfield Ludlowe
7. Cheshire
8. Glastonbury
9. Sacred Heart Academy
10. East Lyme

Also receiving votes: Northwest Catholic, East Catholic, Brookfield, Bethel, Trumbull, Wethersfield, E.O. Smith, Simsbury, Southington, Avon.

CLASSES M/S

1. Waterford (3)
2. Daniel Hand (2)
3. Suffield (1)
4. Lyman Memorial (3)
5. Nonnewaug
6. Watertown
7. Cromwell
8. Weston
9. Wolcott
10. Somers

Also receiving votes: Woodland, Canton, Thomaston, Granby, Stonington, East Hampton, Bacon Academy, Ellis Tech, Branford, Lewis Mills, Holy Cross, Tolland.

Coaches voting: Mark Morello, Lyman Memorial; Thomas Cunningham, Seymour; Marcus Harley, Mercy; Nick Sheikh, Nonnewaug; Iain Golding, Ridgefield; Mark Landers, Glastonbury; Gustavo Reaes, Weston; Barry Beattie, Staples; Barry O'Reilly, Brookfield.
Compiled by Thomas Cunningham