Lenoir-Rhyne Tops Women’s Soccer Preseason Coaches’ Poll, All-SAC Team

ROCK HILL, S.C. - Lenoir-Rhyne, which finished one win shy of the 2010 NCAA Women's Soccer Final Four, is a nearly unanimous selection by the SAC coaches to win the 2011 league title, it was announced on Thursday.

The Bears, 2010 co-regular season champions and Food Lion SAC Tournament winners, received nine of the 10 first-place votes.

L-R is also heavily represented on the preseason All-SAC team, with six first-team selections, including defending conference Player of the Year and Daktronics All-American Catherine Hauck. The Bears also have one student-athlete on the second team.

Wingate comes in at No. 2 in the preseason poll. The Bulldogs, runners-up in last season's Food Lion SAC Tournament, also have two first-team and one second-team preseason All-Conference selections. This includes 2010 first-team All-SAC honorees Izabella Miranda and Kelly Moldenhauer.

No. 3 in the poll is Tusculum, which features four preseason All-Conference selections. TC forward Tramicka James is the Pioneers' lone first-team selection after also being named to the 2010 All-SAC first team.

Carson-Newman, which tied Lenoir-Rhyne for the 2010 regular season title is fourth in the coaches' poll and received the other first-place vote. The Eagles also landed one student-athlete on the preseason All-SAC first team - 2010 first-team selection Trenna Howell - and two on the second team.

Next in the poll is Catawba at No. 5, Newberry at No. 6 and Lincoln-Memorial at No. 7. Catawba and Lincoln Memorial each placed two on the preseason All-Conference team, while Newberry has one.

Rounding out the coaches' poll is Mars Hill at No. 8, Anderson at No. 9 and Brevard at No. 10.

MHC has two preseason All-SAC selections, and Brevard and Anderson each have one.

The SAC women's soccer season officially kicks off on Sept. 1, and the Food Lion SAC Championship is slated for Nov. 1-6, with the semifinals and final taking place in Rock Hill.

Preseason All-SAC Team

First Team
F - Trenna Howell, Carson-Newman
F - Allie Hovis, Brevard
F - Sarah Taylor, Lincoln Memorial
F - Tramicka James, Tusculum
MF - Elizabeth Hawes, Lenoir-Rhyne
MF - Kaelia Frazier, Lenoir-Rhyne
MF - Catherine Hauck, Lenoir-Rhyne
MF - Izabella Miranda, Wingate
D - Jessica Schob, Lenoir-Rhyne
D - Casey McDonnell, Lenoir-Rhyne
D - Kelly Moldenhauer, Wingate
D - Cassie Smith, Newberry
GK - Caitlin Scruggs, Lenoir-Rhyne

Second Team
F - Bianca Hall, Carson-Newman
F - Laura Linehan, Lenoir-Rhyne
F - Patience Leonard, Tusculum
F - Juliana Conte, Catawba
MF - Leanne Reid, Lincoln Memorial
MF - Michelle Meade, Tusculum
MF - Kelly Adams, Wingate
MF - Carrie Settle, Anderson
D - Marissa DiMarco, Catawba
D - Racquell Pimental, Carson-Newman
D - Martha Taboas, Mars Hill
D - Amy Morford, Tusculum
GK - Chelsea Parker, Mars Hill