The South Atlantic Conference Announces Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll and All-Conference Teams
ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – Wingate has been selected as the South Atlantic Conference favorite for the 2020-21 women's soccer season, the league office announced today.
The Bulldogs were picked first after receiving seven first-place nods and 127 overall points. Wingate finished the 2019 season with a record of 15-5-2 overall, advancing to the NCAA Division II Southeast Region final.
Lenoir-Rhyne was tabbed No. 2 in the poll with five first place votes and 124 overall points. In 2019, the Bears went 15-4, earning a berth into the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional.
Carson-Newman was picked third in the preseason poll after finishing the 2019 season with a record of 10-6-1 overall and 7-2-1 in conference play. The Eagles garnered 96 points.
Catawba claimed the four-spot in the preseason rankings with 90 points. The Catawba Indians went 11-4-3 overall and 6-1-3 in SAC action last season.
Lincoln Memorial and Limestone tied for the No. 5 spot in the poll, collecting 71 points each.
Queens sits in seventh with 70 points, Anderson is No. 8 with 64 points, and Newberry collected the No. 9 spot with 49 points.
Tusculum, Mars Hill, and Coker round out the preseason poll. Tusculum earned the No. 10 spot with 47 points. Mars Hill was tabbed eleventh with 28 points and Coker takes the No. 12 spot with 22 points.
In addition to the 2020-21 SAC Women's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll, the 2020-21 SAC Women's Soccer Preseason All-Conference teams were also announced. Voted on by the league's media relations directors, the preseason all-conference teams feature six players from Wingate, three players from Carson-Newman, Catawba, Lenoir-Rhyne, and Queens, two players from Anderson, and one player each from Limestone, Lincoln Memorial, Mars Hill, and Tusculum.
The 2020-21 SAC women's soccer spring season will see teams will be divided into three pods consisting of four teams each for a total of six conference games with the option to play two non-conference opponents. Each team will play the other three teams in their pod twice (once at home and once on the road) with the top teams advancing to a postseason tournament. These pods are divided up geographically in order to reduce travel and missed class time for the student-athletes. The women's soccer season will get underway on Thursday, Feb. 11.
For a full schedule of matches visit www.thesac.com.
2020-21 SAC Women's Soccer PRESEASON COACHES' POLL
|
Rank |
School (First Place Votes) |
Points |
|
1. |
Wingate (7) |
127 |
|
2. |
Lenoir-Rhyne (5) |
124 |
|
3. |
Carson-Newman |
96 |
|
4. |
Catawba |
90 |
|
T-5. |
Lincoln Memorial |
71 |
|
T-5. |
Limestone |
71 |
|
7. |
Queens |
70 |
|
8. |
Anderson |
64 |
|
9. |
Newberry |
49 |
|
10. |
Tusculum |
47 |
|
11. |
Mars Hill |
28 |
|
12. |
Coker |
22 |
2020-21 SAC Women's Soccer Preseason All-Conference
First Team
F – Emilee Futrell, Carson-Newman
F – Jessica Cravero, Lincoln Memorial
F – Nia Gaither, Queens
F – Sanne Martinsen, Mars Hill
MF – Jovana Sanchez, Catawba
MF – McKenna DeLong, Wingate
MF – Kristina Markfort, Carson-Newman
MF – Neve Duston, Lenoir-Rhyne
D – Chandler Hendrix, Wingate
D – Katie Beck, Catawba
D – Aleisha Cruwys, Lenoir-Rhyne
D – Kristen DeBiase, Wingate
GK – Erica Turner, Queens
Second Team
F – Erin Cepeda, Anderson
F – Kaitlyn Cox, Wingate
F – Maddie Capel, Catawba
F – Emma Rose Stockton, Queens
MF – Jacqueline Aldrete, Newberry
MF – Lulu Phan, Queens
MF – Selina Boveleth, Limestone
MF – Jess LaFrancis, Wingate
D – Kenzie Ellenburg, Tusculum
D – Ria Acton, Lenoir-Rhyne
D – Carly Veit, Wingate
D – Jente Kuper, Carson-Newman
GK – Madison Paige, Anderson
-#MakeSACYours-