UNC Pembroke Edges North Greenville Atop Conference Carolinas Women’s Soccer Preseason Poll

8/24/2023 11:00:00 AM

GREENVILLE, S.C. – Two-time defending tournament champion UNC Pembroke has been picked to claim its first Conference Carolinas regular season title in the 2023 Women’s Soccer Preseason Coaches’ Poll.

The conference office officially unveiled the preseason poll on Aug. 24. The preseason poll was voted on by the league’s head coaches.

UNC Pembroke finished third in the regular season a year ago with a 16-3-2 overall record and 10-1-1 mark in league play. The Braves, who were the No. 6 seed in the NCAA Southeast Regional last season, collected 161 points and 9-of-14 first-place votes in the poll. North Greenville, the 2022 regular season co-champion and tournament runner-up, was a close second with 158 points and four first-place votes. Mount Olive, who shared the regular season crown with the Crusaders last season, collected the final first-place vote and was ranked third with 150 points. Lees-McRae was slotted fourth with 125 points and Belmont Abbey rounded out the top five with 123 points.

Barton ranked sixth with 90 points and were followed by Chowan (88), Francis Marion (85), conference newcomer Young Harris (79), Emmanuel (73), Southern Wesleyan (47), King (41), Converse (39) and Erskine (15).

The 2023 season gets underway on Thursday, Aug. 31 with conference play beginning on Sept. 9. The first two rounds of the conference tournament will take place on campus sites at the higher seeds on Nov. 1 and 4. The semifinals and championship, Nov. 10 and 12, will be played at Bryan Park in Browns Summit, North Carolina.

2023 Conference Carolinas
Women's Soccer Preseason Poll

School	Total (First Place)
UNC Pembroke	161 (9)
North Greenville	158 (4)
Mount Olive	150 (1)
Lees-McRae	125
Belmont Abbey	123
Barton	90
Chowan	88
Francis Marion	85
Young Harris	79
Emmanuel	73
Southern Wesleyan	47
King	41
Converse	39
Erskine	15

2023 Conference Carolinas Women's Soccer
Players to Watch

Barton

Cara Davis, Sr., GK, Angier, North Carolina
Maddie Underwood, Sr., MF, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Kassie Krul, Sr., F, Rockport, Maine (2022 First Team All-Conference Carolinas; 2019 Second Team All-Conference Carolinas)

Belmont Abbey

Logan Parry, Sr., F, Greensboro, North Carolina
Mia Muckenthaler, Jr., D, Mooresville, North Carolina (Fall 2021 Second Team All-Conference Carolinas)
Anna Richárd, So., MF, Carthage, North Carolina (2022 Second Team All-Conference Carolinas)

Chowan

Destiny Makanjuola, So., D, Peterborough, England (2022 Second Team All-Conference Carolinas)
Lieke Van den Akker, Gr., M, Hooglanderveen, Netherlands (2022 Third Team All-Conference Carolinas)

Converse

Giulia Rodrigues, So., D, São Paulo, Brazil
Kaylee Couder, Sr., MF, Port Orchard, Washington
Savannah Mellon, So., D, York, South Carolina

Emmanuel

Zoe Logue, Sr., D, Fairfield, Pennsylvania (2022 Second Team All-Conference Carolinas)
Emilia Dingwall, Sr., D, Essex, England (2022 Third Team All-Conference Carolinas)
Lourdes Tompkins Sr., F, Athens, Georgia

Erskine

Braeden Johnson, So., GK, Greenville, South Carolina
Daria McManus, Jr., MF, Clearwater, Florida
Bri White, Fr., D, Huntsville, Alabama

Francis Marion

Makayla Willets, 5th, GK, Mastic, New York
JG Garon, Jr., MF, Fort Mill, South Carolina
Le’Landra Jarvis, Jr., F/MF, Jackson, South Carolina

King

Taylor Stubbs, Sr., D, Murieta, California
Maggie Danroth, Sr., F, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Victoria Thauer, So., D, Grand Island, New York

Lees-McRae

Averee Andrews, Sr., D, Raleigh, North Carolina (2022 First Team All-Conference Carolinas; Fall 2021 Third Team All-Conference Carolinas)
Cami Belin, Sr., D, Clemmons, North Carolina (2022 Third Team All-Conference Carolinas; Fall 2021 Third Team All-Conference Carolinas)
Taylor Barrineau, Sr., F, Iron Station, North Carolina (2022 Third Team All-Conference Carolinas; Fall 2021 Third Team All-Conference Carolinas)

Mount Olive

Jaslyn Gott, Gr., D, Swartz Creek, Michigan (2022 First Team All-Conference Carolinas; Fall 2021 Second Team All-Conference Carolinas; Spring 2021 Second Team All-Conference Carolinas)
Amanda McLeod, Sr., MF, Plainfield, New Jersey (2022 Second Team All-Conference Carolinas; Fall 2021 Third Team All-Conference Carolina; Spring 2021 Conference Carolinas All-Tournament)
Addison Dangler, So., MF, Manassas, Virginia (2022 Third Team All-Conference Carolinas, Conference Carolinas All-Tournament Team)

North Greenville

Isabella Gyurich, So., M, Estero, Florida (2022 Third Team All-Conference Carolinas)
Elainee Sprinkle, Sr., D, Spartanburg, South Carolina
Jada Patrick, Sr., F, Gallaway, New Jersey

Southern Wesleyan

Madi Wurst, Sr., MF, Anderson, South Carolina
Vivianna Gutierrez, Fr., D/MF, Statesboro, Georgia
Amanda Magnin, So., GK, Hilton Head, South Carolina

UNC Pembroke

Anna Grossheim, Sr., M, Garner, North Carolina (2022 Conference Carolinas Offensive Player of the Year, First Team All-Conference Carolinas, Conference Carolinas Tournament Most Valuable Player, Conference Carolinas Scholar-Athlete of the Year, United Soccer Coaches Second Team All-American and First Team All-Region, First Team D2CCA All-American and All-Region, First Team CSC Academic All-America; Fall 2021 Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year, First Team All-Conference Carolinas, Second Team United Soccer Coaches All-Region, First Team D2CCA All-Region, Second Team D2CCA All-American)
Mercy Bell, So., F, Jacksonville, North Carolina (2022 Second Team All-Conference Carolinas, Conference Carolinas All-Tournament Team, Second Team United Soccer Coaches All-Region)
Chiara Coppin, Sr., GK, Monroe, North Carolina (2022 First Team All-Conference Carolinas, Second Team United Soccer Coaches and D2CCA All-Region)

Young Harris

Alexis Scarpinato, Jr., MF, Kennesaw, Georgia (2022 All-Peach Belt First Team, Peach Belt All-Tournament Team)
Justice Colburn, Jr., D, Kailua, Hawaii
Shania Harris, Jr., MF, Portmore, Jamaica