Belmont Abbey Tops Women’s Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll
High Point, NC> The Belmont Abbey College
women’s soccer team has been picked to win the Conference
Carolinas title for the seventh-straight year as it welcomes in new
coach Mike Lynch. Lynch will benefit from the return of five
All-Conference standouts from last season’s team where the
Crusaders went unbeaten in their first 14 matches (with 12 wins)
and ascended to as high as 17th in the national rankings and first
in the NCAA Southeast Regional rankings. That squad finished with a
9-0-1 league and 17-2-3 overall record, an appearance in the
Conference Carolinas title game for the sixth-straight year, and an
at-large selection to the NCAA Tournament. It was the Abbey’s
first consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament since the 1998 and
1999 seasons.
Senior Connie Axiotis returns for the Abbey for her final year
after leading the club with ten goals last year. Joining
Axioitis are four All-Conference members that include Nicole Voets,
Carly Kensinger, Kristin Foster and Rebecca Mateo. The Crusaders
face a tough test in 2011 as they open with their first five and
six of the first seven matches on the road.
Pfeiffer University women’s soccer team
comes in at number two in this year’s preseason poll as voted
on by league head coaches despite claiming the 2010 Conference
Carolinas Tournament Championship over Belmont Abbey and claiming a
spot in the NCAA tournament. The Lady Falcons finished 2010 with a
13-6-2 record, posting an 8-2 mark in league play. Pfeiffer’s
season came to an end in the first round of the NCAA tournament
falling 3-0 to UNC-Pembroke in Savannah, Georgia.
For the second-straight season, Pfeiffer returns their leading
scorer from a year ago in Alyssa Wombwell who put home nine goals
with six assists. Sophomore Sheena Regan will help anchor a young
core of Lady Falcons in 2011 after finding the back of the net
seven times a season ago. In goal, both Amanda Wemple and Jamie
Alcala return as Wemple set a school-record posting seven
consecutive shutouts with 758:58 scoreless minutes after Alcala
went down with a mid-season injury. In addition to the experienced
veterans returning, the Lady Falcons ushered in 16 newcomers this
fall with 14 in the freshman ranks.
Lees-McRae College looks to build upon the
success of Cally Morrill’s first season at the helm, claiming
the third spot in this year’s preseason poll after finishing
the 2010 campaign in a three-way tie for second in the Conference
Carolinas standings, posting a 14-6 overall record and an 8-2 mark
against league opponents. The Bobcats will rely on a seasoned core
of seniors to lead their young team on its quest for the
program’s second conference title, including 2010
All-Conference Carolinas selections Vickie Rich, Brooke Santerre
and Mary Dorn.
“Having a pre-season ranking in the top three is quite an
honor for this program, but our mind is set on being on top come
the end of the season,” said Morrill. “Our focus, work
rate and ability to stay healthy throughout the fall will determine
how far we go. We look forward to getting
started.”
Rounding out the poll 4-12 was: Queens, Mount Olive,
Limestone, Erskine, King & North Greenville (tied), Barton,
Coker, and Converse respectively.
Conference
Carolinas Women’s Soccer Preseason Poll (# of First
Place Votes in
Parenthesis)
1. Belmont Abbey
……………………………………………………………………
(6) 115
2. Pfeiffer
……………………………………………………………………………
(5) 112
3. Lees McRae
………………………………………………………………………
(1) 101
4. Queens
……………………………………………………………………………
93
5. Mount Olive
………………………………………………………………………
80
6.
Limestone………………………………………………………………………… 70
7. Erskine
………………………………………………………………………………
53
T-8. King
………………………………………………………………………………
49
T-8. North Greenville
……………………………………………………
49
10. Barton
………………………………………………………………………………
26
11.
Coker………………………………………………………………………………
24
12. Converse
…………………………………………………………………………
20