Carson-Newman Voted Favorite to Win 2017 South Atlantic Conference Women's Soccer Title

ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – The Carson-Newman Eagles have been selected as the favorite to win the 2017 South Atlantic Conference Women's Soccer Championship for the second-straight year, the League announced today. The Eagles, who are currently ranked 25^th in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NCSAA) Division II Preseason Poll, finished with eight first-place votes and a total of 103 votes.

Carson-Newman finished 17-4-1 overall and tied for tops in the League at 8-2-1 in the SAC in 2016.

The Eagles also claimed the 2016 SAC Women's Soccer Tournament Championship and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Championship a season-ago.

Lenoir-Rhyne placed second in the poll as it collected 86 points and a pair of top votes.  The Bears closed out the 2016 season tied for first-place in the League with a 13-5-2 overall record and an 8-2-1 record in League play.  The Bears also earned an at-large to the NCAA D-II Women's Soccer Championship during the 2016 season.

Wingate came in at No. 3 in in the poll with 81 points from the panel.  The Bulldogs finished the 2016 season with a 12-6-1 record overall and finished at 8-3 in the Conference.

Queens landed in fourth-place with 70 points and one first-place vote, ahead of Tusculum who picked up 64 points. The Royals posted a 10-7 overall record a season ago and went 8-3 in SAC games.  The Pioneers closed out their year with a 10-5-3 mark overall and an 8-2-1 record in the SAC to claim a share of the SAC Championship.

Anderson's 53 points from the panel was good for the No. 6 slot, while Catawba finished in seventh with 49 points.

The Trojans closed out the 2016 campaign at 9-6-2 overall and 6-4-1 in South Atlantic Conference action, while Catawba wrapped up its year with a 6-8-3 overall mark and a 5-4-2 South Atlantic Conference record.

Newberry landed in the No. 8 position with 35 points and Lincoln Memorial placed No. 9 in the poll with 33 points. 

The Wolves posted a 7-11-1 overall record during the 2016 season and went 4-6-1 in the South Atlantic Conference. Lincoln Memorial went 3-10-2 overall and 2-7-2 in SAC games during the 2016 season.

Coker came in at No. 10 with 17 points, as Mars Hill rounded out the 2017 South Atlantic Conference Women's Soccer Preseason Poll with 14 points.

The preseason first and second teams were also announced today. Carson-Newman posted a League-best four student-athletes on the first team, while Queens was close behind with three players honored.  Tusculum and Lenoir-Rhyne each placed a pair of student-athletes on the first team.  Newberry and Mars Hill closed out the first team with one selection each.

Lauren Wade from Carson-Newman headlines the first-team forwards. Wade ended the season leading the nation in points per game with an average of 3.00 and posted a goals per game average of 1.18 and an assists per game mark of 0.65, both of which placed her third in the country.  Wade's 20 goals were the seventh most nationally and tied her for the fifth-most in program history in a single season. Her point total placed her sixth in the nation and third in Carson-Newman history.  Wade was named the 2016-17 South Atlantic Conference Female Athlete of the Year to go along with All-America and Southeast Region Player of the Year honors.

Teammate Holly Talbut-Smith, Newerry's Alyssa Ortega and Thea Mallett of Queens joined Wade on the list of first team forwards.  Talbut-Smith found the back of the net eight times for the Eagles and dished out nine assists a season ago.  Ortega scored 15 goals and assisted on another of the Scarlet and Gray as season ago.  Mallett helped fuel the Royals' offense with eight scores and four assits.

Abigail McGarel from Lenoir-Rhyne, Queens' Charlotte Ring, Breona Tate of Mars Hill and Katja Anderson from Tusculum were tabbed the first team midfielders.

McGarel scored five goals and posted two assists for LR in 2016, while Ring kicked in five goals and four assists for the Royals last season.  Tate led all preseason first team midfielders with seven markers and five assists for Mars Hill a season ago, while Anderson score a pair of Pioneer goals and handed out two helpers during the 2016 campaign.

The first team defenders were comprised of Helen Seed of Carson-Newman, Helen Ramsey from Lenoir-Rhyne, Queens' Mariah Lewis and Carlie Thornber from Tusculum.

Jacqueline Burns from Carson-Newman was voted the first-team goalkeeper after a remarkable 2016 season.  Burns led the League with 17 wins, 14 shutouts and 2,011 minutes in goal.  In Conference play, she topped all South Atlantic Conference keepers with a 0.44 goals against average.

The 2017 South Atlantic Conference women's soccer season is set to get underway on Thursday, Aug. 31.

2017 SAC Women's Soccer Preseason Poll

2017 SAC Women's Soccer Preseason All-Conference

First Team All-Conference
F – Lauren Wade, Carson-Newman
F – Holly Talbut-Smith, Carson-Newman
F – Alyssa Ortega, Newberry
F – Thea Mallett, Queens
MF – Abigael McGarel, Lenoir-Rhyne
MF – Charlotte Ring, Queens
MF – Breona Tate, Mars Hill
MF – Katja Andersson, Tusculum
D – Helen Seed, Carson-Newman
D – Helen Ramsey, Lenoir-Rhyne
D – Mariah Lewis, Queens
D – Carlie Thornber, Tusculum
GK – Jacqueline Burns, Carson-Newman

Second Team All-Conference
F – Kimmi Moore, Wingate
F – Hannah Van Eerden, Lenoir-Rhyne
F – Becky Frost, Catawba
F – Taylor Leyble, Wingate
MF – Colleen Zickert, Wingate
MF – Sonja Ballmert, Tusculum
MF – Lara Hallgrimsdottir, Carson-Newman
MF – Cheyenne Upton, Tusculum
D – Averi Williams, Carson-Newman
D – Katilyn Fletcher, Wingate
D – Christina Shimshock, Lenoir-Rhyne
D – Alex Brandan, Carson-Newman
GK – Alexis Jones, Wignate