Thursday, August 20, 2009

A Wet Start to the Soccer Season?!? - Check out Atlantic Sun Insider to find out

MACON, Ga. - The Atlantic Sun's top two women's soccer teams over the last two seasons, Kennesaw State and Mercer, sit atop the coaches' poll as announced by the league on Thursday.

Kennesaw State, the league champion in 2007 opens 2009 as the favorite in conference competition as the Owls picked up six first place votes in the A-Sun preseason coaches' poll. The Owls finished second in the A-Sun regular season a year ago and fell in penalty kicks to Belmont in the semifinals of the conference tournament. They welcome back two stars from their championship run of two years ago in Atlantic Sun Preseason Player of the Year Maylee Attin-Johnson and Caitlin Dingle. After being named to the All-Atlantic Sun First Team in 2007, both Attin-Johnson and Dingle red-shirted in 2008. Dingle led the conference in scoring in 2007 with 17 goals and 39 points and won the Tournament MVP award. Defender Bridget Gaughan rounded out the Owls' representation on the team.

Mercer, last season's regular-season champion, took second in the poll, earning three first-place votes in the process. The Bears have advanced to the Championship title game each of the last two seasons, but lost the Owls in 2007 and played Belmont to a 0-0 tie last year before falling to the Bruins in penalty kicks.

The Bears placed three student-athletes on the Preseason All-Atlantic Sun team led by goal keeper Jean Worts, who led the conference in goals against average (0.51) a season ago. Worts finished third in the league in save percentage (.830) and tied for the conference led in shutouts with six. Defender Kacie Hudson also made the team after starting in all 20 games a year ago for Mercer and netting four goals. Olivia Tucker completes the Bears trio on the squad. She led the Bears in goals a season ago (10) and tied for fourth in the conference in points with 23.

Following the pair of Peach State programs, FGCU and Belmont finished third and fourth in the poll. Though still ineligible for postseason competition as part of its D-I reclassification process, the Eagles have gone 12-6-3 in A-Sun play the past two seasons and feature just one senior, Amber McCall. Lindsay Haw, the 2007 Freshman of the Year and a Second-Team All-Atlantic Sun performer accounts for the sole Eagle representative on the Preseason All-Atlantic Sun team. The junior forward led the Eagles last season in goals, assists, points and game winning goals.

Belmont, last season's conference champion has only one player on the Preseason All-Atlantic Sun team in defender Jessica Rix. A unanimous choice, she started all 23 games a season ago for the Bruins and posted two goals and two assists.

ETSU senior forward Jordan Monty and Jacksonville sophomore midfielder Jessica Hurtado joined Rix as unanimous selections. Monty led the Lady Bucs last year in goals and points and in 15 starts posted four game winning goals. Jessica Hurtado, a Second-Team All-Atlantic Sun performer a season ago, ranked second on the Dolphins in assists and third in goals.

The 2008 Player of the Year, Stetson's Tessa Gavilsky completed the Preseason All-Atlantic Sun team. The midfielder led her team a season ago in goals, assists, points and game winning goals. The junior Hatter posted 29 points in 19 games a season ago. No other player on Stetson had more than six points in 2008.

The Championship takes a different look for 2009. The event will be staged over two weekends with the third- and fourth-seeded teams hosting the fifth and sixth-seeded teams on Saturday, October 31. The two winners along with the second-seeded team will head to the location of the top-seeded school to begin semi-final action on Thursday, November 5 with the title game set for the 7th.

Preseason Player of the Year - Maylee Attin-Johnson

Tournament Champion: Kenneasaw State

* - Unanimous Selection

Preseason Player of the Year: Maylee Attin-Johnson, Midfielder - Kennesaw State