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UNCG picked to win Southern Conference title in women’s soccer
SPARTANBURG, SC – Fresh off a Southern Conference regular season championship in 2004, one in which UNC Greensboro posted a 14-5-1 overall record, the Spartans’ women’s soccer team has been tabbed by the league’s coaches as the favorite to repeat as conference champions in 2005.
UNCG, which returns nine starters and four all-conference team members along with 2004 Freshman of the Year Karla Davis, received six of the 11 possible first place votes, collecting a total of 94 points. UNCG currently sits at No. 7 in the Soccer Buzz Southeast Region poll and is also receiving votes in its national poll. Furman, the reigning conference tournament champion, was selected to finish second in the league after receiving the other five first place votes. College of Charleston, Davidson and Chattanooga round out the top five.
The coaches also selected 13 players to the pre-season all-league team, including four from UNCG. Highlighting the list is senior and reigning SoCon Player of the Year Amy Carnell. Last season, the Lake Stevens, WA, native collected 11 goals on five assists, recording a total of 27 points. Fellow senior Nicollette DeLaine joins Carnell on the list after her 2004 efforts landed her second team All-SoCon accolades. One of only five players to start all 20 games last season, DeLaine finished the campaign second on the squad with 11 assists.
Joining the UNCG seniors on the pre-season all league team are juniors Shannon Donovan and Deven Beachum. Donovan, the 2003 conference Freshman of the Year, anchored the back line of the Spartan defense, having started all 20 games in 2004. The leading goal scorer for the Spartans a year ago, Beachum paced the squad with 30 total points on 12 goals and six assists. UNCG and Furman were the only two schools to have multiple players selected to the team.
UNCG begins its title defense on Friday night when the Spartans open the regular season on the road against in-state rival and ninth-ranked Duke. The Spartans played a pair of pre-season contests last week, recording a 3-3 tie with Clemson before dropping a 1-0 game to No. 27 Texas. Game time with the Blue Devils is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Koskinen Stadium on the Duke campus.
2005 Women’s Soccer Preseason Poll
1. UNC Greensboro
(6)
94
2. Furman
(5)
93
3. College of
Charleston
80
4.
Davidson
72
5.
Chattanooga
70
6. Appalachian
State
50
7. Western
Carolina
44
8.
Wofford
32
9.
Elon
30
Georgia
Southern
30
11. The
Citadel
10
2005 Women’s Soccer Preseason All-League Team
F- Kristin Rhyne, College of Charleston
F- Diana Jallo, Chattanooga
F- Kara Koehrn, Davidson
F- Andre’a Morrison, Furman
F- Deven Beachum, UNC Greensboro
F- Amy Carnell, UNC Greensboro
MF- Nicky Darling, Furman
MF- Kat Kelly, Furman
MF- Nicollette DeLaine, UNC Greensboro
D- Erin Sanders, Furman
D- Shannon Donovan, UNC Greensboro
D- Mallory Bramlett, Wofford
GK- Andie Hinshaw, Furman
- UNCG -
